ajt
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Posts posted by ajt
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I agree with you regarding Ripon - I think that it is a superb instrument. However, it should be remembered that the screen console is situated in the case, with the Solo box immediately above, so it is not the best place from which to judge the balance between the organ and the choir - or the various departments of the instrument. There are often compromises with several of our cathedral organs - not just Gloucester.
I also agree with your point about the Choir swell shutters - again, a slight loss in flexibility. The only other part of the instrument which is too loud in the Choir, is the Pedal 32p Bombardon - this is fairly unpleasant if one is sitting in the stalls on Decani.
Ripon is a fantastic instrument - 'twas my first. The console position is good for visibility in both directions (nave and choir) and hearing the choir in the Choir, but, as you say, an absolute bugger for knowing what the balance is like, particularly if using Gt or Solo. The general rule of thumb is to use swell & choir with only light stuff on the great, and if you can just about hear the choir then the balance is probably ok. The 32' reed, whilst being an oblitatron in the choir stalls, was always a favourite of the boys - we used to relish its use, as it came out so rarely at evensong, being so dominant. Of course, the Choir itself is a nice tight box of stone and wood, which only magnifies the effect.
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I agree about the clarity of the inner parts. However, I did not mention speed in my post - that was another contributor.
For the record, if taken too slowly, the central section can sound ponderous.
Ah, I misread the quote in your post - I assumed you were saying that the middle section not being brisk was the reason you weren't 100% happy with the Walcha recording. Re-reading shows that you meant the registration.
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I agree. This is the one thing which for me spoils an otherwise exemplary recording by the late Helmut Walcha at Sint Laurens, Alkmaar.
I have performed it with two light (and only slightly contrasting) registrations for the first section, with 'echo' efffects; I use a fairly big registration for the middle section and for the end, I have occasionally used just all reeds and cornets - adding the chamade for the final flourish.
Speed doesn't bother me for the middle section. What I need to hear is the lines clearly articulated, i.e. pick out all the little tunes and phrase them properly like you would a trio.
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Hi
The Manningham Hill has already gone to (I hope) a good home - but I have heard of a 3m Harrison that is (was) available in Bradford -and there are plenty of redundant organs on the IBO web site.
Every Blessing
Tony
I was thinking of St. Mary's, Southampton...
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I imagine Geoffrey Coffin is longing for that 'phone call. Perhaps they might acquire a redundant instrument for the nave (can't help thinking about the ex-Manningham Hill that has been taken) as Southwell did.
I can think of a big 3m willisIII that might benefit from rehousing...
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Ah! Lucky for me, for whom ALL hymns are unannounced. This means I can be annoyed at a whole new level of pedantry.
Eh? For evensong, every single hymn is announced.
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The Lumsden recording is from Westminster and contains the best rendition of Master Tallis Testament I’ve heard.
He's a genius, especially live - lots of life in his playing.
David Coram and I took him to Romsey a few months ago - he just sat down, never having seen the organ before, and hand registered a stunning performance of the Bridge Adagio, from memory. Not the trickiest of pieces, but he was constantly changing the colours - really rather special.
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I'm down for Stanford in A in Bath Abbey in 2 weeks time, having not played them for perhaps 20 years. If I can get as far as the opening choir entry intact I shall feel I'm onto a winner.
What strikes me coming back to this setting again, and also particularly strikes me about the G major setting too, is that, whilst its not easy (for a player of my ability) even to play all of notes accurately, these canticles are very demanding to register. Whilst I can see how this can be managed, whilst still requiring skill and concentration from the player, with a modern piston stepper/sequencer, it would be a quite extraordinary feat to meet the composers detailed requirements, without the aid of probably a couple of registrants, as laid down in the vocal score. Given the state of playing aids then, as opposed to now, Stanford's clear instructions must have represented a very considerable challenge!
Well, what you have to remember is that Stanford in A and G were both written for 3 choirs plus orchestra, AFAIK. I believe the organ parts came afterwards.
Stanford in A is my favourite of the Stanfords, particularly the Nunc.
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The other anomaly with Winchester is, if one is going to have a Nave Organ, why not find somewhere in the Nave to site this division? At present, it has little impact in the nave because it is only one bay west of the main organ and yet it is still east of the choir screen.
I keep offering mine as a nave organ
I think it would do well! -
Tonally it failed to stir me much (Winchester was infinitely finer); my recollection is that it sounded somewhat heavy.
I've not played it a huge amount, but Winchester has never "done it" for me...
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I have to say that I found this to be slightly pointless. This was not the only short-cut which R&D made.
I have never played an R&D instrument which I thought was musical or well made, let alone both.
I know someone was singing the praises of Holy Trinity, Brompton as being a "good" R&D... Are there any others?
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I know exactly what you mean. My worst experience of this kind occurred when I accompanied a carol service for pre-school children and their parents/carers. The woman leading the service announced the first carol, then immediately launched into singing it without giving me a chance to play an intro. The congregation (presumably used to this) joined in.
As a nipper I used to play for a Catholic convent in Cornwall, but only when I was home from boarding school. Trouble was, it was an enclosed order, so you had the nuns behind a screen facing the side of the altar, and the congregation facing the altar. The priest never told the nuns that I was there, so there was a constant race to get the play over of the first hymn of every service started before the nuns started singing it up a 5th and 1/4 the speed...
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I'm losing the plot here. How can you reduce Weelkes, Purcell, Wesley and Howells to a single style?
But I do agree that it is easier to accompany Byrd on a H&H than Howells on a Collins.
I had to accompany Howell's Behold O God and Gloucester Service on the Collins in the Turner Sims concert hall. Yuck.
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And, of course, a nice chamade stop.
Naturally. Goes without saying. Only one though?
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There's just something about the feel of certain instruments - the feel, for me, encompasses not just the mechanics of making the note sound, but the way in which the sound develops and reaches me and the sound quality itself. It's the gratification factor (or, as someone said to me earlier, "gratisfaction" - something pleasing for free) of playing - confluence of console, touch, acoustic and tone.
More I think about it, the acoustic and voicing within the acoustic are probably more of a factor to me then anything else.
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"What the **** ** **** do you think you're ******* playing at? How ******* dare you? Get out of my ****** choir practise you ******** *********"
I like your subtle approach. Shows a great deal of restraint, tact, and diplomacy
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Exemplary tactics, Adrian - Sidney Campbell would have been proud of you. You possibly missed a trick starting the Stanford again though. I think I would have switched to Messiaen's Apparition de l'église (or improvised something in an equally sustained, snail-like and discordant vein). You can drive the plebs to utter distraction with this piece.
Oh, I didn't go ALL the way back, just the beginning of the quiet section, and kept on full organ all the way through to the end.
To be fair, I was so ****ed off that much of it sounded like Messiaen, or Stanford on speed.
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I seem to recall mentioning somewhere on here about having to play Wachet Auf with the tune on the 32' oblitatron due to the church wardens and various others erecting a christmas tree and ladders etc underneath the organ loft during my voluntary.
Today I got as far as the quiet section of the Stanford D minor postlude, when I heard loud shouting and clanging behind me. Guess what, they're taking the tree down this time. So I turn around and yell down to them "Could you keep the noise down, please?". No effect, except that they look at me.
I was left with no alternative - stop, then start the page again on absolutely full organ. Octaves, suboctaves, Tuba + Oct, 32/16/8 Oblitatrons... Oh, and I threw a hymn book over the top of the organ loft at them.
Then it got really drastic. I had to have WORDS with them. An actual conversation. Shocking.
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Heeheeheehee. Great reply. What was the answer to your comment?
Dave
"Ugh, electric, what are you, some kinda pervert?" the first time.
The second time: "Only 15 quid love, it'll ease your troubles".
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I tend not to get spooked easily, and people who are more sensitive to these things than I am tell me the church is "quiet". Nevertheless, it can be slightly wierd. Often, I think I have heard either footsteps or a voice behind me whilst playing or (more usually) as I stopped playing.
I'm afraid I'm the opposite - easily spooked. I did get a little freaked when practising a few months ago (that was the last time I practised!). Just me, big empty dark church, only light is the one in the organ loft and the spot just above it. As I'm playing, I see this sudden shadow cast, fleetingly, on top of the console. I assume it's a bird or such like. It happens again. I keep playing, building up to full organ... Bang, smack - a ****ing bat hits me in the side of the head. I can only assume that liberal use of the 32' oblitatron confused its radar...
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I've been offered, ahem, "sexual favours" for money on several occasions when leaving the church. My usual response is that my organ is blown electrically.
My church is well known as a haunt for prostitutes - I have stepped outside the vestry door and disturbed some of them at work. They don't particularly appreciate it.
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hanks - yes, I recall that. I posted a provocative reply a little further on that did not provoke, so am trying again! PM if anything libelous!!
Why not just e-mail Stephen and ask him? BBC e-mail addresses are fairly easy to work out - first.last@bbc.co.uk usually.
In my experience, cathedrals/places of worship get taken off the list (pending review) if a) they produce a bad one, b ) if, when the BBC turn up, there are insufficient resources to produce an evensong (as happened at Ripon once - 8 boys off with gastric flu), c) they are inconsistent - e.g. you can't rely on them producing a good one.
I'm sure there are lots of other reasons.
Incidentally, as well as Stephen Shipley's credentials as former Precentor of Ely, his son was also head chorister at Lichfield.
I think it would do well!
Odd Gadgets On Organs
in The Organ
Posted
Apparently it used to be operated by a pedal to the right of the console, where you would expect to find a trigger swell.
I got a rather severe telling off from the Dean for moving it during one of the evensong lessons, for a dare. It was all going well until it started to squeak on the way back down!