jonadkins

I wish I could claim that there were a whole raft of gems worth looking at, but after listening to a disc he recorded in 2000 (all his own music) at St Peter's Cathedral, Geneva, I don't think this is the case! The pieces date from 1996 - 1999, and to be honest, the same motifs and ideas keep cropping up: sustained note or cluster, punctuated by an "impressionistic" splash of sound. I suppose the Hommage a Durufle is the best work of that type (Don't worry: he steers well clear of trying to ape MD's musical language) and the Livre d'orgue offers some textural variation, and the Toccata Capriciosa is pleasantly Ebenesque, but there is nothing to rival Nun freut euch.

Come on, VH, you'll have to translate that last one for ignorami such as myself! I don't think I've seen anyone other than Howells use the terms affanoso and poco appenato and ancora piu (cresc.) Come to think of it, with the exception of the last one, what do they mean?

I agree that this was a bit of a 'whistle-stop tour', but the point was well made about the speeds. The point has sometimes been made that the Nativite doesn't hang together well as a programme when played through in one sitting, but if you reserve the really slow playing for the second half of Le Verbe and Desseins Eternels, and keep a sense of direction the other movements, the whole thing makes much better sense. To this end, I agreed with the choice of DGW, but Latry has his moments, particularly at the end of Jesus accepte la souffrance, where the sheer power of the Notre Dame tutti is thrillingly caught. Not sure how easily you could obtain some of the recordings, though: Innig? Louise Marsh? After the programme I would have been interested to hear more of Marie-Claire Alain's version. Has anyone got this?

This sounds not dissimilar (in terms of difficulty, if not musical language) to the music of Sorabji, whom Bowyer also holds in high esteem...

As far as established names go, John Scott and Thomas Trotter are still very much "at the top of their game", for most things other than JSB, and I still maintain that Trotter is my favourite Messiaen interpreter - just listen to his recording of L'Ascension and the Messe de la Pentecote from Douai. As for younger, though established names, two names that spring to mind are David Bednall and Henry Fairs, both of whom have impressed me very much in recitals. International? I suppose Johannes Geffert from Cologne stands out, and for French repertoire Daniel Roth is clearly still inspirational, although I sometimes find him a little heavy-going in German Romantic stuff. Yes - I agree about Briggs' improvisation. In an 'Improvisation workshop' , Briggs beckoned to a lad of about ten or eleven to "come over and play Gloucester cathedral organ". He got him to play a sort of ground bass, over which Briggs improvised very effectively in the style of Couperin! A bit gimmicky I suppose, but it makes the point! Clearly, though, the strength of Cochereau's musical language and influence is such that many will be accused of sounding like him, even when its is not justified. I think it was Martin Baker who listed one of his musical interests in his biog. notes as "improvisation in styles NOT influenced by Pierre Cochereau"!

I have just seen that this is available on Harmonia Mundi, with Rene Saorgin playing. Does anyone posess this, or does anyone know Saorgin's playing, or have an alternative set which they would recommend?

Does anyone here do Rupert Jeffcoat's wonderful Third Service (Mag & Nunc). I've looked everywhere for a copy, but I'm blowed if I can find one. Any leads gratefully accepted.

I should avoid the Dover also because it seems to have been contrived to have the maximum number of unnecessary page turns, particularly in pieces which are only two sides long (eg the fourth movement of Widor's fifth).

Dear Disappointed of Yorkshire, Please give us the programmes (and players, if applicable) you would have wanted to see, then!

Yes - These are much more than simply an english cathedral organist trying his hand at composition. Peter King commented (after his excellent Bath Abbey choir performed them) on their similarity, in some ways, to Bruckner (which I think he intended as a compliment!)

"Looking for Noon at 2pm". Rather a good metaphor to my mind...

Even though I'm far from being an unswerving Langlais acolyte, his Double Fantasie is quite fun.

Yes, guess how I pronounced "Balbastre" the other day, and what is more I can't pretend I'm from the South of France!

Inevitable they might well be: this does not preclude them from being outstanding pices of music, which will particularly strike those hearing them for the first time!

Yes - Cirencester Grammar School.

Have you read Gillian Weir's article entitled, I think, "Marshmallows and Lemon Juice"? (available on her website) She is wonderfully eloquent about just this topic (Foundations and/versus mixtures).

This is too profound for me, Pierre! I know the problems with the Elgar (that it is orchestral and so on), but I can't honestly say that they impair my enjoyment of this wonderful work! Mind you, the title is "The greatest" rather than our favourite British organ work, so the Bairstow it is. However, for all that this is a very fine piece of writing and certainly one of the best, using the term "greatest" to describe it still seems odd. I would also like to echo pcnd in speaking up for the Harris sonata As for miniatures/smaller scale works: does anyone know the Parry Elegy?

Oh no! Not another of those music appreciation/bashing(usually the latter) threads! Even though they are interesting, the cumulative effect of reading through them is depressing as somewhere along the line, every composer or work you hold dear is rubbished by someone.

Best of luck with this, Holz. I will leave the advice to those more qualified to give it, though I concur fully with the comments already made, particularly Cynic's. In your initial post you mentioned your "monthly concerts": I, for one would be interested to know what you play at these. Could you give us, say, the last two programmes?

As ever, sound advice so far. My only addition, and I realise this will be scant comfort, is that you should be grateful they didn't ask for Barwick Green - yes - The Archers theme, which muggins had to play last year. I know that there are any number of "tasteful" things you can do, but if the people in question don't recognise it, then the object has been defeated! Never again, though. This particalar music is so "in your face" in its jaunty 6/8-ness!

I had always known this work (BWV 769) with the movements in this order: canon in the octave fifth seventh by augmentation various and thought that the movement with various canons by inversion a glorious way to end a work which I have gradually come to realise is one of Bach's greatest and most beautiful. Now, the generally accepted practice seems to be to end with the canon by augmentation: octave fifth various seventh augmentation This may well be the "authentic" order, but I can't help prefering the other one! What do others think?

Rather than digress in the "Once in Royal/O Come" thread, I thought I would ask these questions here, prompted as I was by pcnd's mention of the Cleobury descant for Once in Royal. Firstly, pcnd, do you use the Cleobury descant yourself, or have you just liked it whenever you've heard it? I have also been reminded of the discussion in the feature section of the DVD from King's, where Cleobury, Philip Ledger and David Willcocks talk about various aspects of their time at the College Chapel. Cleobury mentions a letter he received quite early on, asking "when was he going to revert to the "proper" descants"?! (meaning Willcocks') Ledger then tells a similar tale of a chorister being affronted when he handed out his new descants at a practice. Willcocks then makes the point that perhaps they've made life difficult for the next director of music there because there are only so many (one or two) descants that can be written on a given carol/hymn. I think he has a point, certainly if you don't change the harmonies, but even if you do, it is all too easy to sound as if you're trying too hard to stretch the harmonic possibilties of a tune in an effort to make it sound different from another, established descant, particularly when you bare in mind that you are trying to lead the congregation in worship! Do you agree, and which are the most successful examples?

Some good points have been made and good suggestions given, but once you are into discussing subjective perception of "difficulty" there is potentially no end to the argument! It would seem the exam board are being a bit fickle. Exactly what guidelines/criteria have they given?

In the recent (excellent) Priory DVD from Liverpool, Ian Tracey talks about the "vulgar fractions" on the organ which I assume means the mutation stops. Am I right, and is this common parlance?

Couldn't the agricultural story editor look into it at a time when he hasn't got many agricultural stories to edit? I'm sure he's a versatile chap.