p_andy58

For what its worth I enjoyed the concert immensely. Dame Gillian always plays so musically and flexibly, so that even when the odd bit of balance is mis-judged (and at least 75% of that organ is impossible to balance from the console) or a few mishaps happen the musical intention and integrity of her playing is always there. I wouldn't want to play music the way she does (even if I had the ability) but that doesn't invalidate her performance(s) or make me not want to hear her play live. I always learn something and there are always many things to admire (and envy!). The programme was interesting and appealed to many people, otherwise they wouldn't have been there in such force. (Though that encore - to me it was just facile 2nd rate music) As for the organ - well, it ciphered (on a C) on what sounded like one of the case pipes. As the piece in question is (nominally) in F it fitted in quite nicely and I think that many didn't even notice for ages that the sustained note was unintended, particularly in that quirky music. I think that it enhanced the piece if anything, and I bet Ives would have found it amusing (another 'musical' effect for him - like opposing marching bands - for him to include in his bag of tricks). The organ sounded great. It certainly isn't a heap as one contributor to this site rather rudely described it (but then reading some of his other contributions I think it got off lightly ...). It's a very special sound. It's also interesting to see someone sounding off about the organ without bothering to be at the concert! The acoustic is remarkably clear and must be frightening to play, especially when you know that everyone else is hearing it much more clearly that you do! Yes there was dodgy tuning, but then given the weather this week it's hardly surprising - it hasn't exactly been normal for this time of year. The organ in my church sounds foul at the moment because of the temperature changes. And how many people had been in the building all of that day for degree ceremonies? No wonder it was unpleasantly warm and humid in there. No doubt some perfectionists would have expected the tuner to then go in and re-tune the organ (probably all 9999 pipes worth) in the short period between DGW's brief rehearsal that day and the opening of the concert. In an ideal world my requests to recitalists would be: Could someone please play this organ for some length of time (say 5 minutes) without using reeds? There must be some fabulous flue choruses hidden in there (well, actually, I know there are!) And even more, the Great reeds are rather overbearing. Given that is the case perhaps players could be encouraged to stop using them in every single piece. (Just twice in a concert would be more than enough). It just isn't exciting to hear them that much, just boring and shows poor judgment. And one final thing, where I was sitting the Double Ophicleide is plenty loud enough!