pwhodges

I think we tend to stay liking what we were taught. I learnt the psalms (at Christ Church under Sydney Watson) using the SPCK's The Psalter Newly Pointed (1925), and still prefer that book to any other. The pointing in this book and the way we sang it were both entirely based on speech rhythm. However, the pointing tended very much, but without being slavish, to the "one note one syllable at the end of the line" style - explicitly respecting the development of anglican chant from plainchant, which of course we also sang that way. In practice this means that the pointing is actually quite similar to The Cathedral Psalter, though completely different in the way it is described, printed and sung. By contrast, books like The Oxford Psalter sometimes put so many syllables to a note that it feels (to me) that there are several reciting notes in turn. Paul

Here's a definition: So he was suspended for bad behaviour, one supposes drunkenness or immorality. Paul

Well, well! Decades ago, the priest there was a family friend; and I had my (first) honymoon there. Never noticed there was a H-J organ (perhaps it was just as well!). Paul

No, the Imperial goes quite a lot lower than that. The only piece I have ever come across that uses the extended range is Bartok's Piano Sonata, which has just two isolated very low chords in the slow movement. And Bach could be practical; when he transposed the Magnificat from Eb to D, he changed a couple of notes in the violin part to prevent them going too low. Paul

This isn't really the place to discuss it in depth, but that's not actually true either in theory or in practice (writes a recording engineer). Paul

I have his recording of Bach Trio Sonatas on a pedal harpsichord. It is worthy but unconvincing - an organ played by Koopman or Butt (or many other people) is a much better bet. Paul

I don't have the Bärenreiter; but the Breitkopf, rather oddly, has 1971 on the title page of this volume, but 1975 at the end of the (very brief) textual notes. Paul

Breitkopf has GBb, and no comment in the textual notes. Paul

That would amuse some here... (not!) Paul

Are they planning to do them all? I'd love the recording of Catherine Ennis at Reading Town Hall to reappear on CD. Paul

I took that to mean that the NOOOOO related to the clapping, not the piece... Paul

An impressive list! I'm interested to have found out where the disk I've got (1963 Bach) was recorded, because the sleeve doesn't say. Paul

OK then; this cheaper alternative won't be available until the spring, but one of the ex-Calrec Soundfield designers is involved in doing the software for it - so it should be pretty good. Paul

Well, not from Calrec, but the line continues at SoundField Ltd. Paul

When I was a chorister at Christ Church in the 1950s, we only did two eucharists a year with organ - Christmas was Ireland in C and Easter was Darke in F. Paul

Actually, I can't see the relevance of his terminal illness in this. Fox clearly felt he was up to playing, and should undoubtedly be admired for that. But the notes he played were surely not affected by his illness; he chose to change what a particularly meticulous composer wrote, and Stephen feels this is beyond the pale. I incline to agree; but none-the-less I enjoy the thoroughly inauthentic disk I have of Fox playing Bach. I don't believe that "caring, sensitive Christianity" relates to an essentially intellectual disagreement of this kind. Paul

Whether organ or piano, I would never consider leaving them other than horizontal - too much risk of hurting the next music that's put up there. Old tarnished brass is best against the wood; shiny gold is naff, stainless steel looks like an unloved replacement. Paul

I've had some, but anyone who hears me would agree I need some more! I was formerly married to a singing teacher, who did for a time give individual singing lessons to the boys of a cathedral choir close to where I live. Paul

More recordings of the Metzler in Oxford University Church, here being used for accompaniment, not necessarily of the repertoire you'd choose it for. Excuse notes - the organist was pulled in at four hours notice after the booked player had an accident . Handel - Zadok the Priest Vaughan Williams - Old Hundredth Paul

That's not the text of the chorale, it's the first lines of chorales that Bach wrote as headings on other pages but never composed the music for. Paul

Well, not one of the ones I've got. Of the Nimbus ones only the earliest and latest I have are at Merton, the rest all Dorchester. Disks of them I have from other companies are recorded at Merton or in the cathedral itself. Paul

The greater part of the Ch Ch recordings with Nimbus were done at Dorchester Abbey; and the organ at Merton is pretty weedy - you wouldn't go there for the sake of the organ. Paul

Plenty of cupboards. Oh, that was a room? Paul

Alkan did a couple of bits from Messiah. Paul

Of course! To a colleague of my wife. With a room-full of medical students waiting for the next lecture while the next lecturer looked for the mic. Paul