gazman

I couldn't get the link for St. Matthew, Walsall to work. Try this instead:- http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N03192

Interesting spec. I wonder what it would sound like! I find it useful to have an accompanimental stop on each manual, in order to accompany solo stops on other departments. I wonder if the Clarabella might not be effective in this capacity, and wonder if one of the Diapasons (or the 32' reed) might be omitted in favour of a Dulciana or a Stopped Diapason on the Great.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I don't think that the vicar would agree to having the video fee automatically charged, alas. When he agreed several years ago to charge RSCM rates for weddings, it was done reluctantly as he was concerned that potential wedding couples would be put off coming to church to be married if they had to pay more for it. At last week's wedding, he announced to the congregation that camcorders should not be used "due to copyright", but I guess Auntie Maude could still be hiding her camcorder away under her cardigan! I still like the idea of a blanket double fee, though......

Thank you. That was a delightful way to finish my evening before going to bed.

This is a very good point. Quite a few years ago - when I was in my teens - I took on a church job where there was a remnant of a choir, no Sunday school, and absolutely no young people in the church. After a lot of hard work I built up a very good choir, and recruited a good number of youngsters. The vicar then decided that - because we now had a number of children in the choir - the church should introduce happy-clappy hymns "for the youngsters' benefit", despite my protestations that these youngsters were actually enjoying singing traditional hymnody, and an anthem each Sunday. So, he spent the annual year's allocation of funds set aside for the purchase of music scores on the purchase of a set of happy-clappy hymn books. Most of the hymns were then chosen from this book, and he insisted that most of the anthems were replaced by worship songs too! Very shortly after this, the children (with much greater discernment than the adults, certainly more discernment than the vicar) complained to me that the new music was "rubbish", and asked when they could go back to singing something decent again. They also said the same thing to the vicar, who wouldn't listen. Unfortunately, things got so bad that I decided it was time for me to move on. When I left, all the children left and most of the choir disbanded. A good opportunity for the recruitment of young choristers - and tomorrow's adult singers - had been lost, and the youngsters were denied the opportunity to learn and to sing music which had so moved them.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KbGCriVk9UM

Somebody's going to propose doing a Virgil Fox "Heavy Organ" soon!

Crumbs!

This isn't how much it cost, is it?

Hear, hear!

There are also some samples on http://www.prestigeorgans.com/SITE_PAGES/E...Library_ENG.htm but these aren't actually very good!

There's one on YouTube:- http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TWeOA1Dg9f0 This is a continental version of the instrument and, unfortunately, doesn't demonstrate any of the quiter registers which are really rather pleasing. Viscount's English website also has some downloads available, but not of the Prestige series it seems.

Hell...definitely! At an organists' association meeting, a priest once asked me what a collection of organists might be called. Hearing what was going on at that time on the organ in his church, I suggested "A cacophony of organists". I think this is apt for this video!

I think he died a few weeks after releasing Christine and Raoul, so doubt he's available.

So what sort of romantic evenings do you have in with your organ then?

Whilst most people thus far seem to have Wyverns, I'm going to stick my head above the parapet and confess to owning a Viscount Prestige, with which I'm very pleased by the way!

I played it for my FTCL - in the style of Virgil Fox!!!

Good idea! There are several anecdotes about the fugue which could almost start their own topic in this forum....!

Yeah, but what about the fugue??!

Yep, the Ship of Fools website has caused me much amusement! Just hope neither of my churches get visited.....

So I can't encourage you to elucidate your observation, then?!

How come?

Nope, guess not!!

I think I'd refund it - with interest - for this!!!