Philip

Might I refer you to the thread which resulted when I asked a similar question some months ago? If it's simplicity you're after then Dom Gregory Murray's New People Mass fits the bill. It will get boring after a while, but if its only for Advent and Lent then that ought to be alright. Its not too 'joyful' either, so fulfils the sombre category.

I've been posting here a while, and since this has been bumped up I thought I'd put something in it... Philip Sherratt, 21 years old. I'm just about to finish studying Economics at Nottingham University (final set of exams start on Monday!). Home for me is Hornchurch in Essex. I started learning piano while still in Primary School (alas, only to Grade 2 as my teacher stopped teaching due to illness) and began playing at one of the daughter churches in my home parish soon after (piano/keyboard only). I soon began to take an interest in the organ, and have gradually worked (with the help of a couple of organists from back home) to add the pedals in and adjust to the more complicated but far more fun world of organ playing. I've now started playing for services at the Parish Church, St Andrews (when I'm home from University), which has a fine (if slightly underpowered for the building) 3-manual Speechly (refurbed several times) - see http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=K00239 for the current spec. Whilst at University, I am the organist at Beeston Parish Church (a couple of miles south-west of Nottingham). I began attending the church when I first arrived at University, and by the end of the first term the previous organist had left, leaving a gap for me to conveniently slot into to! The DOM is not an organist, so I have full monopoly over playing for Sunday services while I'm there. We have a very active choir, with a full sung service at 10am every Sunday morning, including responsorial psalm, (congregational) mass setting and anthem. The choir also sing evensong from time-to-time, and various other special services when the season dictates. We currently have a two-manual Rodgers, installed just over a year ago as part of a full internal reordering of the church. Previous to this we had a three-manual Makin (which wasn't all that nice by the time it had been there for 20 years!) - the last pipe organ disappeared in the 1980s. Frankly, given the way space is now used following the reordering, I don't know where we'd put the necessary pipework anyway, and the Rodgers is a decent substitute. I've never had any formal organ lessons (perhaps I should do...?!), so all progress that I have made from playing the piano has largely been through continual practice and self-teaching, with bits of help from various people along the way. Certainly, there has been no substitute for being able to play week in, week out at Beeston, during which time I have really improved - simply because I am learning as I go! The congregation seem to be responding a lot more to what I'm playing, so I must be doing something right! I hope to stay in Beeston for the forseeable future, conditional upon finding some kind of full-time work in the area! As you'll probably have noticed, I find this forum a very useful resource for finding new music, as well as an interesting read (even if I don't always understand everything that is said!).

Thanks Roffensis - thats exactly what I was looking for!

I like a lot of Mathias's music, so does anyone play his Carillon, and if so how difficult is it? I am considering getting a copy - I hear its reasonably approachable but am seeking some confirmation! How does it compare to the likes of the Processional etc. too? Thanks in advance!

I wrote a simple Toccata on 'Maccabeus' which I rolled out this morning at the main Eucharist for the first time. They seemed to like it, so can't have been too bad - just something pretty simple and tuneful (and loud!). The anthem was the Bob Chilcott arrangement of "Were you there" from Ash Wednesday to Easter adapted by our DOM with extra verses (including a resurrection verse of course). Evensong also went well tonight - Walmisley in D minor and we also did Blessed be the God and Father which is one of my personal favourites. The voluntary was the Gordon Slater Canticle on 'St Fulbert' from the Novello Festal Voluntaries collection. And before all that a 6am Dawn service as well. Martin Shaw's With a Voice of singing the anthem there. Nothing but compliments about the music this weekend though - everyone has been really appreciative of it all and the choir did absolutely brilliantly today. Great day, always one of my favourites - long and tiring but worth it.

Dragging this back up, my music shop have told me that the Andriessen Thema met Variaties is now out of print! Has anyone bought one recently, and if so, from where? Any ideas of where I might track a copy down? Its not on Roger Molyneux's latest catalogue. Thanks in advance.

Having visited this church on holiday a few years ago, I have to say the Hele was really struggling. The organist was trying his best to get good sounds out of it but age was taking its toll.

Once again, thanks for all the contributions. I shall be placing some orders tomorrow.

Many thanks for all the suggestions as ever - most helpful, and keep them coming! I've heard of the Andriessen, but have never actually heard it played, but will definitely seek a copy. The Leighton Organ book seems reasonable for about a tenner, and if the Paean is beyond what I can manage then I might something else of use - if I find something quiet to suit a different purpose then so much the better! Several of the other things I've heard of - the Bridge Allegro Marziale is something I've looked at. A couple of them might be slightly too big a project for now, but thanks to the wonders of the IMSLP I'll be able to have a look at a few of them. As for the size of my organ...

I'm looking to expand my repertoire a little, with pieces which I can use after the main Sunday service, so I'm looking for something fairly grand-sounding, and at a fair volume most of the way through (as they do like to start chatting!). I'm not doing grades at all so I've no idea where I'd be at - based on what is said about other pieces I'd guess about Grade 6 but thats not set in stone. If it sounds more difficult than it really is - even better. To give some idea of what I'm already doing, I regularly roll out things like the Lang Tuba Tune, Dubois Marche-Sortie, Mathias Processional and Rutter's Toccata in Seven. I also use a fair few transcriptions, so this Sunday they're getting the Verdi Grand March, with other such items including the Trumpet Voluntary, Te Deum Prelude and War March of the Priests, while I also throw in a few more amusing pieces from time to time - the Dambusters March went down well a couple of months ago! This isn't exhaustive - its just to give an indication of the sort of thing I play at the moment. I'd be looking for similar pieces or maybe things slightly beyond these. I've recently bought Durufle's Fugue sur la theme de... which is one of things I'm working on. I don't particularly want anything which will be a massive project though. I've recently come across the Leighton Paean and listened to it - any advice on whether that might be suitable? Any other suggestions for suitable additions of 'good' music which isn't tremendously difficult?

On the subject of The Organist's Liturgical Year, I had been hoping to order this. However, the organ version is seemingly no longer available, which seems very bizarre to me, because the manuals version still is. I have sent a message to Mayhew asking if there are any plans to bring it back but I have received no reply as yet.

The Rawsthorne transcriptions in 'Encore', now appear in two volumes of Noel Rawsthorne Organ arrangements. Book 1 contains said (excellent) transcription of the Aida march, which I will be using on one upcoming Sunday, while Book 2 includes The Entertainer, the Hornpipe and a very worthwhile and pretty straight forward transcription of Sullivan's "The Lost Chord" (needs a solo reed again). From the "Ultimate Fun Collection", of which I have the first book, the Hornpipe is obviously a good one to use (not one I've quite mastered yet), and Mawby's "Dance with the saints" went down very well on All Saints' Day. I can't confess to finding any of the other pieces hugely exciting, and both the Hornpipe and the Mawby are in the Bumper Collection recommended by msw, which might prove better value. A brief glance at the sequel to the ultimate fun book in the shops didn't reveal anything of particular interest for me. I echo the thoughts on hymnbooks, particularly HON, which probably offers the best coverage of any book, but is distinctly lacking in terms of quality of print and binding, and musical and lyrical integrity. Mayhew's organ publications are well put together with very clear print, so why they had to scrimp on such thin paper for their hymn books I don't know.

I was actually thinking that the Rawsthorne stuff is probably also worthy of a mention. The Londonderry Air prelude is ideal for funeral/memorial services, while the Hornpipe is probably the best of the fun-style pieces. I wasn't entirely sure what to call the thread to be honest. But there must be some things out there that merit a mention.

It is always said about anything creative that doing it to please someone else will not work, and you have to do something to please yourself. For this reason, the Kevin Mayhew collections containing selections of pieces by their 'house' composers probably aren't among the most prized books in our collections, and the music they contain can sometimes seem a little contrived. However, undoubtedly there are some pieces among them which are worthy of note. Does anyone here play anything worthwhile from such collections? I did discover one over Christmas, courtesy of the other organist at my home church. Andrew Gant's "Toccata on Mendelssohn" seemed to me to be ideal service music - not too long, with a clear theme the congregation will recognise and a fairly satisfying ending, as well not being especially difficult. He had it in a book of Christmas pieces which doesn't seem to be available any more, but it is in this collection of 14 pieces by Andrew Gant, very reasonably priced at £5.99, and one I'll be picking up in the near future. I'm also thinking of getting a copy of "The Organist's Liturgical Year" which contains pieces covering all seasons.

My most recent faux pas was a month or two ago after the gradual hymn and before the gospel. The reader says "Hear the gospel..." and there is a sung response "Glory to you O Lord". However, on festive occasions we sing Alleluias for which I come in straight after the hymn without waiting for an introductory line. I think we had had Alleluias the previous week for some festive occasion, so instead of waiting for the "Hear the gospel.." line, I dived straight in with the response. I only then realised what I'd done, and an awkward silence followed the Curate reading the introductory line! The vicar then proceeded to totally mess up his lines in the Eucharistic Prayer, which made me then feel a whole lot better! These things happen from time to time... Thankfully, no major mishaps tonight, a thoroughly enjoyable Nine Lessons service with a full(ish) church, and nothing but compliments about the music. A few people tried to listen to the voluntaries (BWV729 and the Sleigh Ride as discussed on another thread) but the chatter meant that they were probably lost in the noise, even if I was playing loudly.

Seasons greetings to everyone, and thanks to all who make this forum a most useful and enjoyable place!

Many thanks as always for all the replies - I will try to track it down over Christmas - I'm sure one of the London shops will have it somewhere. If I can master it in time, then I'm thinking of doing it for Ash Wednesday.

This is one of those moments where you hear something for the first time and think "I wonder if I could play that!" I went to Evensong at Southwell this afternoon and Paul Hale played this as the voluntary. I liked its tunefulness and the wonderful climax at the end. Does anyone on here play it? If so, how difficult is it? Any particular advice? I've never played any Dupre before, so don't know quite what to expect from it!

The Sleigh Bells across the snow was the one I referred to further up the thread. Its in the spirit of the Sleigh Ride, which according to the composer's note at the front Archer holds in high regard. Its reasonably good but I don't think it'll ever be in the same league as all the well-known pieces.

Just to mention briefly, I've opted to keep it simple so I'll be doing the Sleigh Ride from a simple arrangement. I'll probably do it a couple of times over with a few modulations in there, hopefully it will send everyone home feeling happy. I might try and track down the Thomas Trotter arrangement, but in terms of using it that would be something for next year. As always, all the help is much appreciated!

I take the point regarding poetry. It raises another question (which could provoke another debate!) - as to whether it is more important to maintain poetic quality or to emphasise where our focus should be - on God! I'd argue that the version with upbeats and the modified words makes more logical sense and hence leads to a more worshipful focus. It becomes a prayer asking God to "be" these things to us. Surely focussing on God is the point of any hymn?! I always find the version without upbeats awkward and stuttered anyway. As for harmonies, I think it is Erik Routley who did the only decent harmony I have ever seen for Slane. It is the version which appears in Common Praise.

We'll be doing the Willcocks arrangement of the refrain this evening at Advent Carols for two of the verses, ending on a major in the last one (the altos just need to sing a G# instead of G natural). As well as the wonderful Willcocks arrangement of Lo, he comes, surely the only way to end an Advent Carol service.

Many thanks as always for all the suggestions. On visiting my local music shop, I found in their Christmas organ section a Malcolm Archer piece "Sleigh Bells Across the Snow" which fits the quirky theme. Probably not as good as the Sleigh Ride, but nonetheless an original organ composition which is reasonably entertaining. The use of bells helps!

I would most definitely prefer it without the upbeats in 3/4 to any version in 4/4. Unnecessarily 'jazzed up'. But as far as what is comfortable and logical to sing, I find the upbeats better, regardless of whether they were original or not.

I always think that Slane sounds infinitely better with those upbeats in. Regardless of whether or not it was the original, asking God to 'be' all those things makes far more sense to me. As for Lord for the years, I will play what is written and they can sing what they like. I don't have a particular issue with that rhythm - its a little quirky and a bit different. The hymn itself is such a useful one and a good marriage of words to music, so for those reasons I think it will stick around for some while.