Denis O'Connor

I went to hear it and was very impressed. For the recital I was sitting at the front of the chapel with my back to the organ and about 10 feet from it. I found it a very impressive instrument and Simon Preston put it through its paces quite thoroughly. The nearest thing I heard to a cipher was a note on a reed stop which came on at the beginning of a movement and was quickly silenced. This happened a couple of times. During the service of dedication and blessing of the organ , the instrument was heard to fine effect in the voluntaries played beforehand and in the accompaniments and final voluntary. I would certainly like to attend the open day on 24th February but am booked in for the BIOS day conference.

Surely that should be "Salvete omnes"?

Vis-a-vis cases that slide to allow access to the innards, I first met this feature in the orgue-du-choeur in the church of St Servan-sur-Mer. There is a 3 manual Cavaille Coll on the gallery and a little accompanimental organ at the east end. The large organ was recently rebuilt.

Does anyone remember her Messiaen recorded at the Royal Festival Hall? Hardly the most favourable acoustic for this music. I think I have got some copies of the discs somewhere. I suppose they might have some value for a student of how to surmount obstacles or,perhaps,as a sonic guide to the RFH instrument.

I fear the problem is more radical.Never mind scales,arpeggi and tonic water,crate up all available bottles of gin and ship them to me.

There are three indexes to The Organ that I know of:Betty Matthews(covering all articles 1921-1970)A Supplement to the same covering articles from 1970-1982 and Douglas Carrington's Index covering 1982-1993

[in the early 70's I was the organist at St Anne's RC church in Vauxhall, South London. The parish priest came to me at the end of a service and said that there was a man who wanted to try the organ. He added a proviso that I should be strict with him. The gentleman appeared and seated himself at the console and proceeded to play various hymns,reading them from the hymnal. He kept saying that it wasn't loud enough and I duly obliged until he had full organ. Eventually he had had enough and departed. He appeared in the church next day and proceeded to attack one of the sidesman. It appears that he had been in prison and whilst incarcerated had been taught to read music by the chaplain. What the clergy will do in their desperation to get an organist! Still, it says a lot for the chaplain who must have been a very patient man,

. As to Quentin Maclean never having held achurch post in this country,he was at one time assistant organist at Westminster Cathedral

The story about GTB and Thiman reminds me of Sir Henry Wood's acquaintance H.C Tonking. Wood had organ lessons with him and thought very highly of him. Tonking was organist at Westminster Chapel,Buckingham Gate.However he was dismissed and before the first Sunday his successor was to play,he got into the organ and made certain alterations. He took Wood with him to the Sunday service and was delighted when the unfortunate organist selected soft stops for his prelude and was rewarded with 16ft and 8ft reeds plus 8 ranks of mixtures! Tonking thought it hilarious but Wood told him waht he thought of such a low trick and never saw him again.

[On a slightly different tack, do any of the more ancient contributors remember a BBC series on the Third Programme? It ran,so far as I remember, to six programmes in which well known British orgamists of the day improvised. I think Regimald Moore of Exeter Cathedral performed as did Charles Spinks. As a youth I was very impressed. I think the programme was designed to show that the French were not the only ones who could do it (even if they were the best). The broadcasts took place in the 1950's. It would be fascinating to hear them again.

What would readers consider a good average number of weddings/funerals to play for each year at their own churches? I play about 12 weddings and perhaps 10 funerals per year at my small church in Gloucester.As a young man (1960/70) when marriage was more popular than co-habitation,I looked with envy at colleagues who seemed to have about 2 or 3 weddings each week in their church. One chap was so bored with the thought of having to play 4 or 5,he would pass them on to me. A welcome bonus for a young married school teacher! NB If the topic seems a little sordid for some of our readers, I am allergic to cats and would rather read about something a little more germane to this forum!

I have 4 books by Reginald Whitworth. The most substantial is"The Electric Organ"which treats of the development and application of electricity to the organ.His other works are:Organ Stops and their Use,The Cinema and Theatre Organ andA Student's Guide to the Organ.

I believe Alexandre Guilmant was an honorary FRCO. It would be interesting to see a list of those foreign musicians so honoured.

I believe Alexandre was an honorary FRCO.It would be interesting to see a list of those foreign organists

The article referred to in The Organ may be found in Vol46 Number 184

Whilst watching a BBC programme about architectural salvage,I was intrigued to hear a dealer mention that he had had some "salvage"from the Albert Hall organ. I would be interested to hear what he got other than old tubing,wiring and split windchests.

I did not mean "coffee table" book in a disparaging way. I meant to convey the impression of a well presented book that one woul be inclined to pick up. When I see the author's name and the publisher's, I know that content will be compelling reading and the quality of the book outstanding as regards the typography,illustrations etc. I look forward to getting a copy. Denis O'Connor

I seem to remember that a book about the organ in the Royal Hall was going to be produced. If I remember correctly, it was described as a "coffee table"book. Preumably it would cover the history of the instrument and the music and musicians associated with it.Is such a book in preparation and, if so, when is it likely to be published.