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Westgate Morris

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Everything posted by Westgate Morris

  1. Hi Folks: The contract was just signed this week and now what do I do? Capable volunteers under the very close, watchful eye of the organ builder have finished installing the transplanted cases and façade just in time for Christmas (saved us a bit off the price). I have provided weekly updates in the bulletin and kept the congregation informed of the changes taking place. We will not hear a note until mid 2007. What did you do in a similar situation? Take the time to plan music for the busy installation period when everything will be upside down for a few weeks? Sign up the recitalists? Plan the party? This is a big deal for our little parish. There has been a bit of negativism on the part of those that think replacing the aged electronic would be just fine. The pipe organ supporters are rather reserved – they are Anglicans!- and just biding there time. They know the end result will be an amazing thing for our church. So, type up some stories and share your experiences. Thanks. WM
  2. Having trained on trackers with no pistons, no swell, no generals I am aware that it can all be done quite well without the modern aids we have invented. They are convenient and free the organist to do a thousand other things that he/she is required to do in a service. Interesting to me are the number of folks that use divisional pistons. I fully undertand and hope that I can go in that direction myself. Thanks everyone.
  3. Does the split between the bass end and the teble end work for you? Anyone have this on an instrument they play every Sunday? Comments. What about Generals 1-3 on the bass end, 7-9 on the treble end and 1-6 as toe pistons on the left and 7-12 as toe pistons on the right? Comments? WM
  4. Are general pistions more important than divisional pistions? Do you wish you had more of one? Explain. Toe or thumb? WM
  5. The tromba is not so loud as to require the full force of the rest of the instrument. It is a fine example from an early 20th C builder.
  6. Just for the record it was 'delvin146' that was suggesting that a 16' is necessary for the Victorian EVENTIDE. Westgate Morris
  7. The situation: a 30+ rank 3m pipe organ with Gt. Sw. Ch. Pd. and Solo (antiphonal) Would the following be so unorthodox?... In order to have the Solo Tromba on a manual by itself accompanied by the entire organ (including the Solo foundations) have it available as a draw stop on the Choir manual and not controlled by the Choir Sub/UO/Super couplers. Thus – pull the Tromba on the Choir, and the UO, the Choir foundation stops and couple them to the Great foundations, also couple in the Swell foundations and the Solo foundations to the Great– this is the accompaniment. Follow? Are there examples of this? Any suggestions? WM
  8. Here we go with absolute statements again! Thousands of fine a not so fine organs have them and organists good and bad do use them. It's like saying never ever eat fish. Is why I so many organists don't get along? I'd rather walk into a room full of singers than a room full of organists! WM
  9. Hello: Two different questions. Do you have a 16' Swell String on your church organ? The agrument is that it is very useful and not a luxury for the small church instrument. Comments. The Sesquialtera II. Why not have it as two stops - a 2 2/3 and 1 3/5? Would this not make things more flexible? What would be the advantage of having it as a single stop? Questioner, WM
  10. ALASTAIR: Thanks for the link to Holy Innocents Ep.! Novel concept. A friend at Yale put me onto this kind of thinking early on in the project. Seeing this spec. makes it clearer... eg. the SW mixture available as a stop on the great.... etc. Many more options open up for the design of a modest instrument when you think along these lines. Thanks again Alastair!
  11. PAUL: Thanks for the post! East end - yes as Great and Swell as man.II and man.III - I think the best and only choice. I an reluctant to have the 'nave' West organ called a CHOIR organ - just seems odd when the choir is in the chancel. Might better be called the PEOPLE or CONGREGATION organ. Thinking that ECHO will win the day. The builder is reluctant to call it an ANTIPHONAL or NAVE organ...... ECHO is the middle ground at the moment. Also, given the church, the tradition, the style of building, an "ECHO organ" seems to fit best. Two consoles - not in this situation. Tracker - nope not in this situation -will not work. Thanks Paul for your time - great points! WM
  12. TONY: Great points! The English/French issue is now clear -after very little thought- the organ colour, church, community--all English. A French console would be silly. The Choir/Great transfer coupler is the only way to handle the issue. The 'nave' organ will get used for a lot for congregational singing, most certainly rep. and with cantor/choir responses. I liked playing with the idea of a 2 manual. It would work! I was pleased that I could think 'smaller' - most organists can't. With lots of pistons and a clear sence of the instrument and where ranks where located (as the organist at St. Mary, Warwick must indeed have) I think it might work fine. Thanks for giving me the chance to think 'out side the swell box'. thanks again Tony, fine points, thanks for your time.
  13. I expect a great storm from this one...go mad. My passions are still back with my Cor Anglais so you can't hurt me. (I refer to a previoius post - you may not know anything about this.) What is the right thing to do? Yikes....... Read with care........The Situation: we will call it the 'Great' organ (1/2 under expression) and some pedal at the back of a church - we will call it the 'Choir' organ and 'Swell' organ in the chancel (split left and right side) plus some pedal. [This arrangment has been thought out - space limitations - 'to die for' acoustic -parish liturgical style all factors plus a consultant (concert organist) and a builder all on board - don't focus on the design. Total organ about 30 ranks.] Current plan says we will have the 'Great' on manual 1, 'Choir' on manual 2 and 'Swell' on manual 3. I know this is very unorthodox and in my opinion will make the organ less credible than it may already appear at first glance and confusing to play. Thus, would you give the whole job French lessons and go with Grand-Orgue 1, Positif 2, Recit 3 OR.... insist on the standard Choir 1, Great 2 and Swell 3? Consider playing a service! You want sound from the 'back' .... oh, easy...bottom manual....or is that the Gt.... manual 1 or 2... darn missed a beat! Summary: Choice A - Great 1, Choir 2, Swell 3 Choice B - Grand-Orgue 1, Positif 2, Recit 3 Choice C - Choir 1, Great 2, Swell 3 Choice D - Fern Organ 1, Quire 2, Schwellwerk 3 None of the above ready, WM
  14. AJT: Thanks ever so much for a great post and for taking the time. Above the call of duty - I'm sure. It is most helpful and I will be playing it to many folks. At present. The Cor Anglais 8 (vintage rank) has passed all current tests and will be singing again in the instrument being built in my church. Thanks AJT, WM
  15. THANKS PHIL for bringing us back to the purpose of this post. At Least I Thank You and I started the post!
  16. I should have known... more strong opinions that are close to 'snide'. Well I left an American discussion board for the same, perhaps I will leave this board - I get very little substance and often learn more from a quick ring to a few friends in the biz. WM
  17. bet this was mentioned, just got it out of the cupboard... WILLAN's Festival. In G+, ABA. Fredrick Harris 1954. Since starting this thread - I have this on my LEARN THIS OR ELSE list. WM
  18. Thanks folks - enough about the TUBA, now take it outside! Vox Humana - your brief reply at #39 - I think it was - was all I needed to understand. PRE-FLASH Have these two been mentioned? Willan: Prelude and Fugue in G- and Tema Ostinato. A good set if played together. Not difficult. I have these in a publication by Frederick Harris and the final piece in the trio is Willan's Festival - a good Flash piece for the end - again not difficult. The whole "Three Pieces for Organ" will make a good collection if I should ever be invited to play out again and need something I can muster - and not be embarrassed ps. since starting these two threads (Flash and Pre-Flash) - I have put this little set of pieces on my LEARN IT OR ELSE list - plus a few others I will share later ...got a go now. WM
  19. TUBA ISSUES: Can someone explain this hate/distaste in tight, clear sentences. As few as possible. (Am I hinting at the fact that this is not always the case here in 'O R G A N L A N D'?) I hear great recordings of English Tubas and think -wow. I've heard a few live. Is this the same kind of extreme opinion we get over the Vox Humana. What about cousin Tromba?
  20. A Tuba, Argh................. inside joke? Tuba envy? WM
  21. Hello: Similar to my last thread.... I may be starting to late but I want to learn some serious rep. (again). Recently being invited to play at the cathedral, I was embarrassed that I couldn't pull out a 8 - 12 min prelude or even two solid 6 min pieces. I ended up playing the 3 Lit. Preludes by Oldroyd. It felt like a set and that was my attempt at playing something "English." I want to spend my limited time learning something I need not be embarrassed about. Alain? Mendelssohn Organ Sonata movements? So the lines are open... what do you say. WM
  22. Folks! Thanks for the information. Mr. Coram, exactly the kind of thing I am looking for. There is so much rep. beyond the tried and true and I thank folks for listing it. Keep up the good work. I will condense the whole thing at the end. (see my next thread for pre-flash suggestions) WM
  23. Hi: Just wondering if I could get some suggestions where to start! Have I left it too late? I want to start learning some 'big' pieces, party pieces, a bit of flash, some postludes to have on hand for BIG events. I am NOT talking about a 20 minute symphony or rep. that is off the scale virtuosic (nor Bach...sorry just don't like much Bach organ music anymore). Practical please. Start with the Gigout Toccata? Start with the Vierne Carillon (Pièces (24) en style libre, for organ, Op 31 Book 2, No. 9)? I didn't get to do this at university (did Bach) and now in my late 30's I best start or I will never do it. WM
  24. Note: this is in reference to the FREE REED organ stop, Cor Anglais. Please offer experience you might have had with a (free reed) Cor Anglais. Tuning issues? Stability? Tips, cautions or accolades for this rarity. The current plan would use an untouched 1920's stop at 16' in a Swell organ, English tonal design. WM
  25. Get some sermons on CD and maybe a congregation on CD - talking through preludes etc. and ta-da you won't need people in the church! - except for the guy to push start on all the CD-players. WM
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