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mgp

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Everything posted by mgp

  1. E Bonnal Cloches dans le Ciel A Fleury Carillon "Victimae pachali" H Mulet Campanile (Esquisses Byzantines) E Reuchsel Les Cloches de Notre-Dame des Doms en Avignon (Promenades en Provence II) B Rose Chimes (Hovingham Sketches) - originally an FRCO SR challenge! L Vierne Carillon (op 31/21)
  2. Just so. This was pretty standard on H&H instruments in the early part of the C20th - an unintended (am I sure?) consequence was that the player had access to a 4' reed on the pedal via the Reeds on Ch/Ch-Ped route. Harrisons wemt further with Positive on Gt, Pos on Solo and Bombarde Tubas on Ch at Durham (the latter allowing the (enclosed) Orchestral Tuba to be played alongside/against the (unenclosed) 8 & 4' Tubas) - leaving some scope for 'surprises' when things wern't as expected - Conrad E often used Pos on Solo, Solo Sub, Solo Unison Off, Solo-Ch to transpose the 4' cornet back to a (TC) 8' one.
  3. Thanks Colin - all the stewards and examiners have done these exams themselves so they know what it feels like to be at the 'sharp end' and they're all rooting for you. - its nice to know that it is recognised All of us involved in the examination process are willing everyone to pass if at all possible - and will do whatever we can to give each candidate the best chance to show what they can do at their best. Equally, no-one should kid themselves; these diplomas are not given out on a whim. I have two wonderful (and expensively acquired, both time and money) pieces of paper, one that says I was 'examined' and found capable of 'exercising the Professional Duties of an Organist' (AR) and the other 'examined to the highest standards' and found 'fully capable...' (FR) both with original signatures (and hence real endorsement) from luminaries across the performance/concert/academic music world. These aren't given out lightly and I would be the first to object to any weakening of the 'Gold Standard'. The tests are tough - but no more than reasonable 'professional duties' promises. I strongly recommend that any aspiring candidate gets early help and guidance from someone who has recent experience of the process and clear grasp of the criteria. A few sessions to find the areas that a particular individual needs to work on (and how to do so) will be far more beneficial than any number of generic prescriptions.
  4. That was possibly 'The Registration of J.S.Bach's organ Works' by Thomas harmon (c 1971 published 1978 by Fritz Knuf).Its a good staring point (stemming from a PhD dissertation) covering the organs of the period, Bach's own instruments, contemporary writings on registrational practices & Bach's own registrational indications - running out at 300+ pages.
  5. CC often only provided a "Flute" (ie Open Wood) at 8' - This gives the warmth but also very prompt speech. Bdn 16, Violone 16 (metal) & Open Wood 8 is a very effective (and nimble) pedal registration on our late Father Willis. The 16' octave is huge in scale and therefore is rather slow to reach full speech and so is less effective than earlier (smaller scale) stops.
  6. St Mary's Portsea - also has 42 note pedal stops with 8ve coupler
  7. Entirely agree. Stimulated by the original question I dug out the CD. Marie-Madeleine (recorded at Soissons) plays at exactly the given marks and her accel in the fugue is, as directed 'insensiblement' - incredible control. Interestingly there are some (very sensible) poco ced.'s at section changes and her final rall in the prelude starts about 13 bars from the end (ie as the final phrase in echoed between G and P). I accept that this would be 'too fast' in St Paul's, but I'm a bit leery of one or two players who seem to use 'acoustic circumstances' or 'artistry' as an excuse for playing things slower than marked (I can recall several indulgently slow Frank III's) - and don't get me started on those who 'scamper' through various bits of Widor!
  8. Durufle was meticulous in marking his scores so I've always played his music as close as I can to his markings (articulation & tempo especially in the opening of the Toccata). The French have a mannerism of 'leaning' on the first note of a phrase or group - this gives the phrases some shape. There's a Erato 'twofer' that has all Durufle's own recordings on it (Requiem, Mass & Trois Danses as well)- well worth a listen!!
  9. I agree with your general principle. I just wonder if the low F (Creating a harmonic of 32' rather than the 2nd, 3rd & 5th harmonics of 16' as written) risks muddying the texture too much without really making the F that clear (unless the gamba is much cleaner than most UK examples). The F is present in the Ped (albeit at 4') so there's nothing missing from the harmony. The problem recurs later - a iv th alternative would be to drop the Ab's down the octave......
  10. I played it on Sunday from the OUP 'Organ Music for Christmas' collection - a very useful compilation of material covering most periods and none of it overly difficult. It also appears in the OUP anthology 'A Carter Organ Album'
  11. We cycle round Mathias, How & a setting by Andrew Teague (a former DoM) and one fully choral communion each month. We were given & did sing the DGM for a while but the congregaton complained it was too boring so its been dropped. I've played the Thorne elsewhere and congregations seem to sing it with some verve. I have a copy of Diana Burrell's Trinity Mass which looks quite attractive - anyone done it? MGP
  12. mgp

    2 & 4 Stop Teaser

    I have a rather larger instrument. In truth I rarely use more than the 8, 8 , 8 (with common bass) postulated by Nigel when practising. The rest is great for illustration/performing but (with hindsight) an expensive and excessive luxury. A swell enclosure for the II manual 8 would be far more use for practice purposes. Never thought I'd say that.... Martin
  13. A long time ago (late 60's) there was a plan to rebuild the screen (as happened at Chichester) and place part of the organ on it, clothed by the old case. Thats why the 1970 rebuild moved the Choir organ, with new Postive, to the first bay (Plus two pedal ranks I think) with a separate blower.
  14. I think you have a simple choice with this passage (I assume you mean p 8/9) - either learn the passage so you can play from memory and look at your hands or practice the leaps (slowly at first) until your hands can just do them. I tried the former and failed so knuckled down to the latter and succeeded. A similar approach was needed on p 2 & 4 (not octaves but equally awkward at first). It took a while, but it is well worth it and, having learnt it that thoroughly I find it doesn't need much work to polish it back up again. Good luck with the preseverance! mgp Incidentally JD isn't 100% accurate on her 1958 recording at the Madeleine - plus some interesting changes/octave transpositions to accomodate the limited manual compass (to F at that time).
  15. Estampie, Retrove, and a couple of other movements from the RC are the first 4 of 40 items in WL5000008 Historical organ techniques & Repertoire Vol 3 Late-Medieval (Before 1460) ed Kimberley Marshall published 2000. My copy doesn't seem to have an ISBM or ISMN. More ionfo at https://www.wayneleupold.com/frameset.asp?s...n_teaching.html
  16. Well some years ago we did this. After a lot of thought the result - which you're welcome to come and play - was: I Chimney Flute 8; Gemshorn 4; 15th 2 II Stopt Diapason 8; Flute 4; Nasard 2 2/3; Recorder 2; Tierce 1 3/5 Ped Bourdon 16; Gedacht 8; Gemshorn 4; 15th 2 Tuned in Niedhart All with suspended action and a two way shove coupler (three positions: ii/i; uncoupled; i/ii) We toyed wth a Regal on I and Ped but decided against it due to the winding complications. Maybe a Cromorne would have worked better. After installation we beefed up the scaling of the recorder from ten C by three notes - it could take even more but that was as much space as there was. Ten years on I would do mostly the same - though I would replace the shove coupler with a coupler manual just to get a third keyboard for practice purposes. We could probably live without the 2' on I, but I would be reluctant to lose the mutations - a set of timbres unique to the organ and not much in evidence locally. Our younger pupils love the sounds.
  17. Leduc on Rue St H are good and helpful (just west of the Louvre). There's also a secondhand shop: Pugno 19 Quai des Grands Augustins - I got a large batch of Falcinelli and Dupre there a couple of years ago.
  18. It wasn't his religion that was the problem but inexperience (perhaps understandable).
  19. Happy post Easter rest to one and all! Over the last few days we've done the following: Palm Sunday AM Valet Will BWV 736 JSB Hosannah to the Son of David Weelkes Christus factus est Bruckner Cruxifixion (Symph-Passion) Dupre PM Crucifixion Stainer Weds Compline with first performance of piece written to go with a newly commissioned piece of art work. (You can read about it in the Church Times here.) M Thurs: O Lamm Gottes BWV656 JSB Missa Brevis Palestrina Christ, user Herr, zum Jordan kam BWV 684 & BWV 685 JSB (During washing of feet) Ave Verum Byrd Psalm 22 (Howells) G Friday Meditation at the foot of the cross O Mensch bewein BWV 622 JSB Agnus dei a 4 Byrd There is a green hill Sumsion My God, My God Blow Drop, drop slow tears Gibbons (the 'Silver swan' version not the hymn) Evening Lo the full, final sacrifice Finzi Requiem Durufle Easter Vigil Ecce jam noctis Healey Willan Gloria (Missa Brevis) Palestrina Haec Dies Byrd Joie et Clarte des Corps Glorieux Messiaen Easter AM Grave (Piece d'Orgue) a la francaise JSB Haec Dies Byrd Worthy is the Lamb & Amen Handel Paraphrase on Thine be the Glory Guilmant PM 2nd section of Combat de la Mort et de la Vie Messiaen Smith Stanford in C Ye Choirs of new Jerusalem Stanford Resurrection (Symph-Passion) Dupre I'm looking forward to Roast Lamb etc later today
  20. mgp

    Radio 3

    I agree - I'd rather my DoM talked to people whilst they were still there rather than ignoring them as/until they leave! Mind you our church is big enough that people can (and do) stay at the east end to listen or 'retreat' to the west end to converse - not so easy if you have sections of the organ east & west.
  21. 1854: Gt 1 Double Diapason 16 2 Open Diapason 8 3 Open Diapason 8 4 Stopped Diapason (Clarabella Treble) 8 5 Principal 4 6 Principal 4 7 Twelfth 3 8 Fifteenth 2 9 Sesquiatera 3 ranks 10 Mixture 3 ranks 11 Trumpet 8 12 Trombone 8 13 Clarion 4 Ped 1 Double Double Diapason 32 2 Double Diapason 16 3 Violone 16 4 Octave 8 5 Super Octave 4 6 Sequialtera 3 Ranks 7 Trombone 16 8 Tromba 8 Sw 1 Double Diapason 16 2 Open Diapason 8 3 Stopped Diapason 8 4 Flute 4 5 Principal 4 6 Twelfth 3 7 Fifteenth 2 8 Sesquialtera 3 ranks 9 Mixture 3 ranks 10 Trombone 16 11 Trumpet or Ophicleide 8 12 Hautboy 13 Clarion Ch 1 Open Diapason 8 2 Dulciana 8 3 Stopped Diapason 8 4 Principal 4 5 Flute 4 6 Fifteenth 2 7 Mixture 3 Ranks 8 Cremona 8 9 Oboe Orchestral (from Mid C) 8 Solo 1 Double Dulciana 16 2 Viol di Gamba 8 3 Flute 4 4 Piccolo 2 5 Corno di Bassetto 8 6 Oboe (Orchestral from Mid C) 8 In 1897 action was converted to Tubular Pneumatic (mixture of Tracker & Barker Lever before). Tonal Changes as follows: Gt 4 Claribel Flute 8 9 Flute Harmonique 4 12 Double Trumpet 16 Ped Add Bourdon 16 Sw 3 Liebleich Gedact 8 4 Lieblich Flote 4 8 Vox Humana 8 10 Contra Posaune 16 11 Cornopean 8 Ch 3 Claribel Flute 8 4 Gamba 8 6 Piccolo 2 7 Removed 8 Corno di bassetto 8 9 Cor Anglais 8 Solo 1 Vox Angelica 8 5 Clarinet 8 6 Orchestral Oboe 8 Add Tuba 8 & Tuba Clarion 4 1905 Hele: Great Add Double Open Diapason 16 Open Diapason 1 8 Open Diapason 2 8 Doppel Flute 8 Principal 1 4 Flauto Traverso 4 all on new chest above existing great at front of case some registers with doubled trebles. Sw Add Violin Diapason 8 Pedal Add Grand Bombard 32 & Bombard 16
  22. Vox, All the info you seek is in Betty Matthew's booklet (undated but Alywn Surplice is the 'present organist'). I will transcribe tomorrow after sleeping off easter and various potations. M
  23. Dupre: In memoriam Op 61 Eben: Job Guillou: Sagas 2,4,6 (Transcriptions of movements from Visions Cosmiques) Messiaen: Messe de la Pentecote "A summary of all my improvisations" Roth: Final Te Deum I'm sure some (?most) Escaich, Hakim and Langlais started out this way
  24. Finale of Sonata 1 Mendelssohn.
  25. Vox, I think you still have more than the odd brain cell left! I used to employ people on 'fractional contracts' ie we paid them (hours worked times annual rate)/(normal weekly hours). We even went down the route of some 'full-time' employees doing 4x10hr days rather than 5x7.5hrs (and yes there was a 'trade off' of flexibility, travel time and so on in that deal). The intent of the 'pro rata' holidays was to formally give them the same number of 'weeks off' as a full time employee. We paid everyone to take holidays for six weeks worth of his/her usual working time. So you are right; the effect is that you don't have to turn up for work for a total of six weeks worth of your usual hours - whether the 'working week' is one hour or full-time. I agree that the key result of this ruling seems to be that everyone involved will need to work/liase more professionally and dispassioantely; and probably write it all down for the avoidance of doubt. Whilst there's lots of upsides for organists in this, it does also mean that organists will have to accept they work under the direction of their 'boss' and approach things accordingly. In my old profession (IT) it was widely held that one in thee bosses was OK, one in three was good, and one in three needed to be avoided at all costs. My experince so far suggests that the C of E scores about the same! MGP
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