Christopher Allsop

Apologies for the shameless self-publicity, but readers might like to know that the second in the Worcester Cathedral series of Organ Recitals takes place tonight (Saturday May 2) at 6.30pm, given by myself. Programme will be: Marchand - Grand Dialogue Bach - Jig Fugue Jongen - Chant de Mai Shostakovich - Passacaglia Vierne - Berceuse Cochereau - Berceuse in memory of Louis Vierne Vierne - Feux Follets (Will-o'-the-wisps) Liszt - Fantasia and Fugue on Ad nos, ad salutarem undam Admission £10 on the door. Big Screen projection (of hands and feet...)! Christopher

So glad you all enjoyed the broadcast! Adrian transcribed the Stanford a couple of years ago from the full orchestral version. There's quite a lot more in it, including the big trumpet moment at the end of the Mag gloria, but also lots of fluty quavers and pizzicato pedals. Look forward to seeing Roffensis at Evensong soon? The Tickell sounds even better in the flesh than on Radio 3!

To answer a couple of questions... Headphones - you can't hear what the conductor is saying very clearly from the organ loft during rehearsals, so the headphones help a lot. They are linked to the pair of microphones permanently suspended across the Quire for recording the organ and choir. Organ Scholar - we re-jigged the Music Department jobs from Autumn 2007, losing the Organ Scholar position and creating a 2nd Assistant post. This was for various reasons, including the difficulty we had in finding Organ Scholarship candidates and the need (highlighted way back in the In Tune with Heaven report) to ensure that we weren't relying on the Organ Scholar for essential routine staffing in the music department. It would be great in the future to resurrect the Organ Scholarship (in addition to the 2nd Assistant's post), as it's a wonderful way for someone to immerse themselves in the cathedral-music-thing for a year. But these things all cost more money sadly...

So glad you all enjoyed your day in Worcester yesterday! For the record, the organ at Evensong was played by George Castle, who was organ scholar at Worcester in 2004-5, went off to Oxford, and has now come back as Sub-Assistant Organist. And the piece after Evensong was the Final from Widor's 6th Symphony.

I've got a cassette recording somewhere of that LP. Certainly some aspects of the organ sound wonderful. The tuba is truly amazing and the pedal reed extremely forthright. Don't know if its still available, but the EMI CD of David Willcocks' "Psalms of David" (Volume 1) from "Kings" was actually recorded in Trinity with Sir David on the organ as it was. Its CDM 7631002, recorded in 1969, and shows off the organ pretty well, including the tuba and 32' open wood. Also got a photocopy of an article in The Organ from the 1930s about the instrument. Could let any of you have a copy of it if interested!

I arranged the Gloria and Sanctus for single organ a while back - I'd be happy to email you the sibelius files if you think they might be useful.

I've always played the whole phrase a few times.