mgp

Yes it was removed as an anachronism - it never really worked to my mind. Of necessity it was incorrectly placed on the 'fonds' (tubed 'off' in between two other ranks), interfered with the speech of other stops (by being placed over them) and didn't fit tonally (no other principal tone above 8' on the Recit). The photograph is indeed from M Davy's book - my own were less clear when I scanned them. I was privileged to meet him, play for a service and talk extensively about the organ in 1989 and on subsequent occasions. He was a real gentleman and a great lover of the St Etienne organ. Many of his drawings decorate the passages between the staircase and the console. I'm very grateful to Alain Mabit (then co-titulaire) for his hospitality on several occasions (and the odd glass or more of 'porto').

Almost (at St Etienne there are seven 'Fonds'on the left). But at St Ouen its 'Fonds' on the left and 'Anches'on the right. The (pneumatic) console at Sacre-Coeur is different again with the 'Fonds' nearest to the keyboards and the 'Anches' (or 'Combinaisons' to be accurate) at the far end of the arc. Here is St Etienne (RH side above LH) - and the Recit Plein Jeu (1954) has now been removed.

I've been asked for 'Widor's Toccata & Fugue in F Minor' - I was tempted to play the opening of Symphony 4 rather than sorting out if they meant JSB in d or CMW in F!!

I'm afraid the layout doesn't often have much logic about it . St Ouen is mostly as you describe (Tho the Grande Orgue Clairon is far left and the Trompette far right). St Etiene in Caen is laid out as follows (left to Right Chorus Reeds Mixtures 2' 4' Manuals Montres 8 16 Strings Flutes Imitative reeds I have photos and will post later today

Good idea! At my 'home' church: 1st Sunday of month 9.30 reh & 10.00 choral mattins; 5.45 reh & 6.30 choral communion 2nd, 3rd & 5th 5.45 reh & 6.30 choral evensong 1st & 3rd Weds 6.30 reh 7.30 choral evensong (except in Advent/Lent when we sing compline instead) Fri (except Fri before 4th Sun) 7.50-9.20 reh. Plus the usual extras: Ash W, M Thurs, G Fri, Easter Eve etc I usually play at one of a number of other churches on the 2nd 3rd & 5th sun ams and have the 4th weekend off completely. the rest is a mixture of teaching (organ, piano, paperwork & aural), playing (Recitals, funerals, weddings, university degree ceremonies) and some web-editing (relic of previous IT career).

I have it and agree it's stunning. It came (s/hand) with another disk 'Grand Heures Liturgiques a Notre-Dame' FYCD01 which includes the same kind of mixture but non-eucharistic - Te Deum, Magnificat and some of the great Hymns - O Filii, Victimae Pachali, Veni Sancte Spirius etc with improvised 'alternatim verses and a postlude on an Alleluia by Mawby.

Nick, You deep link into the message board as follows: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio3/F2620064...604&show=17 For what its worth I thouht the responses were quite imaginative (though the presentor's tuning was not!!)

Like Frank, we're in an interregnum so its entirely down to me at present.(as are the intercession themes, but that's another story). In practice I've been choosing the hymns for the last five years - based on an established 'repertoire' of about 400 with 350 'slots' in the average year. Unusually our previous vicar kept a clear track of what had been used, and when, so we neither 'lost' a hymn nor had it too frequently. I use the RSCM Sunday by Sunday booklets, though its not infallible (and does repeat some hymns quite frequently). Any discussion before the Vicar retired was at my instigation if I wasn't sure of the theological implications (which is their 'field' after all). On reflection I think I'd have preferred a bit more involvement from him on this. He always gave us our head on matters musical and stoutly defended us (in public at least!) and perhaps we didn't always give him the same courtesy.

Another very 'French' recording is from Chartres in the version with Brass and Timps. The vocal quality of the tenors is rather variable but the Kyrie is spine-tingling

I was told this by Mark Lee when I played there for a week last summer. It does sound very similar to the slightly earlier Tuba at St Matthews Northampton

I agree about their usefulness. Durham had Pedal to Choir and Pedal to Solo couplers as well (dating from 1905). The full name was Pedal and Accompaniment to <div>. They gave a 'solo' combination with suitable accompaniment on another manual and ped. The Ped to Sw and Ped to Ch couplers survived the 1970 rebuild but the Ped to Ch is now Generals on Sw Toes. In some ways they were more use than a general as they only affected parts of the organ, though the Ped to Sw was the most heavily used by far. I can't remember if they were adjustable by any means.

I believe the pipes are engraved 'Tuba' - its certainly big enough. The most important thing is that your son plays stuff he's happy with. I had a glorious hour at St P's late Dec 2005 - key learning point for me was that the chancel organ balanced exactly like our (mid Herts) FW of 1898. If you son would like some time to get some ideas about the balances FW intended please PM me and we'll happily sort something out.

Some years ago Kevin Bowyer played Riff-Raff at Oundle with two registrants. It was abundantly clear that KB had planned registrations in a way that used the registrants in a measured (and visually interesting) way. They rightly got applause at the end but seems to me that KB made it possible by thinking out what they did and how it would look over TV screens. the result was visually and musically stretching - surely a good result??

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Oxford Today once offered 'Blest pair of sinners' and our chaplain happily announced 'The Tedium' in Bb

Thanks for the link to the scores. The recording I have is of John Butt in Hertz Hall, Berkeley, California made in 1990 and reissued on (US) Harmonia Mundi in 1997 reference HMT 7907029. my copy came from Tower Records in 1998 so it may be only available s/h via the usual channels (e-bay, cds-unlimited etc). Good luck in finding a copy

My copy was published by H.W.Gray (now an imprint of Warner) in their Saint Cecilia Series copyright 1949 (renewed 1977). I bought it about 18 months ago for £3.99 (US price $4.95) from Boosey & Hawkes. If it is out of print and Roger Molyneaux (www.organmusic.co.uk) doesn't have it, try e-bay; there are two or three sellers who regularly list French music at sensible prices.

This is a disinterested advert; apologies if it stretches the rules but I missed the last such offer and will be taking advantage of this one. If you have Sibelius 1, 2 or 3 (Professional or Educational) you can upgrade for 50% of normal cost on Thursday 7th either by phone (0800 458 3111) or via the website www.sibelius.com betweeen 9am and 6 pm UK time. Thats £90 or £67.

I'm up for the Open Day as I'd like to hear what beckerath can do. I agree it looks slightly odd on paper but what looks great on paper can often disappoint. Some of my favourite instruments have very stock specifications but outstanding voicing - eg Chichester (mp 32 reed apart).

We have the same sort of attendance (for better or worse we're the civic church of town and county - lots of gold chains) but have been experimenting with the 9L&C format. Last year we put the first movement of the Xmas oratorio at the beginning and a chunck of the Ceremony of Carols in the middle. This year we aren't doing nine lessons - maybe the tower will collapse in shock! I'll report back if we're still breathing. (Maybe we will end up being scared rather than sacred!) I tend to play genltle xmassy music before hand, including the lovely piece on Stille Nacht by Judith Bingham (The Dawn of Redeeming Grace) which goes down well. DPN comes out at midnight (possibly with 729 beforehand) and something lighter for the family service - variations on Morgens kommt der weinachtsman, the Rutter treatment of god rest ye (which the kids love) or the Eben Wenceslaus variations - depending on what got played at the Crib service (biggest attendance of the year). I usually play desseins eternelles before the Advent carols but didn't this year. I tried the Vierne instead and will probably alternate them in future - its so easy to just repeat stuff unthinkingly - so no French Classical this year for me! Fair point, I'd fallen into the trap of seeing it as part of the cycle. Maybe I'll try it on All Saints Day.

I think we have to agree to differ over the certainty (There's a lot of C# minor in those last 2 pages) - but thats part of the fun isn't it? I've looked at the text of that last verse as Reger set it and it seems very similar to v 3 in EH 12 - yes we're standing with angels round the throne but at the end there's the hope that we will be granted the right to raise 'the triumph-chorus of thy praise' - seems to me that if its OK to sing the hymn (which we did in a very joyous way) then it must be OK to reflect those words in the voluntary. To follow it with the JSB Wachet Auf just seems tame. However I do usually play the Carter Veni Emmanuel toccata after the 9L&C just to emphasise that Xmas hasn't actually happened yet. That's got to be illogical but I can't quite bring myself to play Dieu Parmi Nous when he isn't!

Disagree about the Reger (Though I did play the opening up to bar 20 1st beat as an intro to set the context). Even with the 'angels dancing' through the fugue, it's far from certain as a piece even at the end, but it does convey the Hope of the second coming - Advent isn't a subsidiary Lent! In my case it followed Messiah pt 1 ('easy yokes' and 'light burthens') plus Hallelujah so it was no time for something too 'high minded'. Similarly I will look for 'doubt' at the 9L&C - certainty is for Easter. Am interested in the rationale for the Weelkes - full of references to the Lamb - on the face of it a rather premature reference to Good Friday???

am Bach Nun Komm 659; Vierne Clair de Lune (during lighting of candles for commem of faithful departed) - just love this on our FW harmonic flutes; Vierne Toccata Bb - sort of cheerful/sombre and I've meant to learn it for ages. pm Vierne symph v/1 (as lead in to a darkness to light opening for advent service based round Messiah pt 1); Walther Nun danket (as prelude to the hymn); Vetter Fughette on Nun komm (more lighting of candles - Pastoral Symphony wasn't long enough); Reger Wachet Auf Op 52/2 (Intro & Fugue) - someone on this board suggested it and I dusted it off. I should say we aren't a 'high' church but we do like to have a go occasionally!

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