innate

Frets and historical tuning is a very interesting area of research.

I hadn't, but now you've planted the pine cone ... Played a la marcia it might resemble La Marseillaise, but perhaps in the minor mode it might be less pompous and less recognizable. Perhaps it could make a nice Sicilienne. I'll try to keep it flying one way or another. Maybe a Chorale-Partita set of variations. So many possibilities.

I’m glad you put ‘true’ in quotes because there really isn't any such thing, even before you add chromatic notes or modulate.

Thanks for the link, Barry. Interesting stoplist: two undulants, a Great with 2 Open Diapasons and mutations (that must be quite rare in the UK), no Dulciana (doesn't worry me). Bigger than the Christ Church Rieger and a much better acoustic. Anybody know what's happening to the old Merton organ? I quite liked it when I gave a recital there in 1980.

Couldn't agree more. It's a poisonous, bigoted, hypocritical apology for a newspaper.

I disagree; a straight cut (if that means one slide instantaneously replacing the previous one) is sometimes unnoticeable if the words of the new verse are very similar to the old one. We used to off-set the horizontal position of the second verse slightly so there was a visual "jump" in order for people to notice the change. Now we use very simple "page-turn" or "wipe" transitions, which probably last a tenth of a second but really help. Maybe this is more important for the musician playing for the hymn who will glance up to the screen just at the ends of verses. And maybe it is only a problem with hymns or songs where the verses are almost identical.

It’s vital to get a good look at the PowerPoint file in advance. As you say the words could have been sourced from anywhere and often typed in without much care. I haven't experienced a projector used in conjunction with congregational hymnbooks - the advantage should be that no one has messed with the words - but the potential for disaster is probably higher. I have experience of providing Sibelius files for use in PowerPoint projections. It's quite time-consuming and you can't get very much music on one slide but it’s a great help when introducing new music if at least a few of the congregation can read it.

Thanks for posting, SlovOrg, I found the pics very interesting. Loved the empty stop jambs and labels. Not so keen on the array of square pistons. Can you let us know if any more photos are posted? TIA

They never used dead cats for the strings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgut

Wondering if the board is working - no new posts visible here for over 24 hours. And it doesn't seem possible to bookmark the discussion "front page" anymore (this may have been explained in the upgrade email in which case apologies). I don't mind the avatars and other poster info on the left; it's standard on some other boards. Thanks to Manders for keeping this going.

.

That was on BBC R3 this morning. Very lovely recording. Probably my favourite Berlioz. My favourite carol would probably be Bethlehem Down by Brian Sewell’s father, Peter Warlock.

I caught a terrible (that's only my opinion) version of Adeste Fideles this evening on Classic fm for piano and strings that was credited to Nigel Hess. I've never heard such drivel (again, my opinion).

I expect this thread will be closed before long, in the meantime I'll say that I think humour/comedy/satire has every right to offend, pinch ear-lobes and prick inflated balloons, and there is a long and dishonourable British tradition of doing all those things to brilliant effect, but I consider Clarkson to be unfunny to the point of boorishness. I'd much rather see Stuart Lee. What annoys me about Clarkson is that I suspect his true métier is a columnist in the same, dire, category as Richard Littlejohn, who tote a political agenda under the guise of just being an ordinary bloke whilst pocketing much more money than the politicians and Union leaders they relentlessly pillory.

I obviously didn't express myself clearly. I was talking about the difference between a job spec, issued in advance of an appointment, and a contract agreed on appointment. The job spec could say "Must play the organ". The contract might not mention the organ, as a pianist had been appointed. Would the job spec, if not referred to in the contract, have any legal force?

There could have been verbal discussion between employer and potential employee both during the interview and when the position was offered which nullified aspects of the job spec. Might that be legal? If, for example, the spec had specified "an organist" but a pianist turned out to be the only vaguely suitable candidate there wouldn't be an expectation that the employee would legally be expected to learn the organ before the start date.

The sub-text I read into the OP was: if there is something mentioned in the job spec which is, either by accident or a realisation that it would be extremely difficult to implement/achieve, not mentioned in the subsequently issued contract of employment, can the employee just forget about it without fear of being taken to task? Many adverts and job specs in our field mention opportunities, particularly in starting or expanding choirs or music groups. If the job spec says "The successful candidate will be expected to form a voluntary choir of men and boys capable of performing cathedral repertoire to a high standard." but the contract of employment makes no mention of that expectation, nor does it refer to the job spec as a document, would there be an obligation on the employee at least to seem to be trying to fulfil the demands of the job spec?

May I criticise the exaggerated pronunciation of the precentor? Speereet for spirit is just ridiculous.

And Chopin and Schubert. Words fail me.

The biography at this link is very oddly written. And the second of the two earlier links to Wright's articles has no validity whatsoever without the names of the musicians who are claimed to have written it. If I weren't concerned about the effect of a take-down notice on the owners of this forum I would say more.

I wouldn't be surprised to find the flute on the Great is actually 4'. I'd play Wesley and Elgar and maybe Brahms on it.

Maybe there should be a new thread on concert hall organs, it might be more uplifting than re-airing our negative criticisms of particular performers and pieces. I'm off to play piano and celeste in a concert in the Royal Opera House, Muscat in a few weeks. I suspect I won't get a chance to hear this in action. Whilst the builders have a reputation for neo-classic instruments, the stoplist on paper seems to acknowledge a little of what MM has just suggested, with 3 Open Diapasons on the Great and 5 16' flues on the Pedal.

I haven't played these pieces for ages but I remember always finding Rejoice In The Lamb and the Jubilate in C not quite idiomatic but, as has already been suggested, they actually work. I grew up with the George Malcolm/Westminster Cathedral recording of the Missa Brevis and always loved the organ writing but was surprised by some of the registration suggestions when I came to play it. I don't have the score to hand but doesn't the Sanctus begin with a tied chord marked successively p - mp - f - ff and at the ff is marked +4'? I have a feeling the +4' marking appears elsewhere in Britten organ writing to denote full power! Actually, on the 1912 Norman & Beard in my first church adding the Great 4' flute was the only way of increasing the volume once the Gt Open was in use. I love the sensitive and effective organ writing in the Church Parables. I wonder what happened to the organ that was commissioned for the original performances of these and played by Philip Ledger - is it in NPOR?

At the risk of starting or re-starting a flame war the bold comment above would seem to indicate that there are sound issues in the hall that are nothing to do with the organ.

But the settings of the Tridentine Mass generally switch between Greek and Latin. And the troped Kyries of the Sarum rite were macaronic, I think.