Ian Ball

My favourite Fauré chanson. Beautiful.

How about Naji Hakim's three organ concerti? Absolutely top drawer stuff, from the ear tickling manuals-only intimacy of the First, through the powerful 'Seattle' Concerto, to the hysterical Charleston rhythms of the Third. Well worth a listen/play. First and Third (plus Magnificat and a fabulously romantic suite for horn & organ) here Seattle (and Violin Concerto with lusciously erotic slow mvt) here IFB

Dupré Tombeau de Titelouze and then 24 Inventions are ideal. You must use his fingering and pedalling, however illogical seeming at first. IFB

Indeed, but Paul has been known to throw it around in chorus...

The solo reed at Bristol isn't a Tuba, it's a Tromba, and crowns the tutti perfectly and without undue din IMHO, and there is certainly enough pedal power to counterbalance it. The Tuba at Worcester can have rather more impact and brilliance, depending on where you are sitting in that bizarre and unhelpful acoustic, but is by no means a 'solo only' honker. In the right hands, it forms an excellent chorus reed (either with or without Mixtures) which can be reached via a seemless crescendo, thanks to the brilliance and power of the Great and Pedal reeds. Once the old 32s are reinstated in phase two, the balance with the pedals will be even better. IFB

Here here! Did anyone here the EBU broadcasts on R3 on Sunday? Wonderful to hear 'grand' Bach on the Thomaskirche Sauer (as well as the exquisite Woehl organ, of course), not to mention all the marvellous Mendelssohn. Well worth a listen on iPlayer if you missed it. IFB

Does anyone know whether Syncordia are still in business? Can't find them on the web. This, however, looks similar: http://www.novelorg.com/site/pages/accueil_en.html Such magnets are extremely expensive, I understand. IFB

New Cochereau at last: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=shjVJTRYsAQ&fmt=18 Incredibly dark. Wonderful stuff! Duh! Apologies. I've just noticed Heva's posting above.

Indeed - a nasty sound, but Ralph Downes knew this and instructed players never to use the two together. I didn't, but I've heard Martin Schellenberg playing the Bristol organ superbly, presumably with similar colours in Edwardian repertoire, since he was CH's assistant.

Well, it depends on repertoire, organ and acoustic, obviously, but I would often add the Great double flue after the 2' and before adding the Mixture. If it's a nasty 22.26.29 Mixture stuck on decent Edwardian foundations, then I would add the reed(s) and save the Mixture til last. I would certainly do all this in hymns and the majority of repertoire. When under a choir, it's all about creating the illusion of power and warmth, without overpowering. So, I still add Sw & Ch ( & So) doubles quite early, but lay off the thicker 8' stops; rarely any Gt stops at all, saving light Gt foundations til very late. For example, Full Sw & Ch (& So orchestral reeds), tempered by the swell pedals, with Gt stopped 8' and Principal 4', ought to be a rich but bright plenum. Likewise on the Pedal: avoiding heavy 16s but certainly adding 32 flue (or Quint) fairly early, for gravitas, certainly under any 16,8,4 colours, and/or Full Sw. (Incidentally, I would usually add the Sw oboe before the 2' - it's a foundation stop here in the UK too - it gives useful 'bite' for the singers and often the Sw 2' simply doesn't blend with the Ob.) Likewise at Peterborough, where they also have a 'French symphonic' channel.

My ears must work differently. For years people have said 'thick and muddy' when I just hear warm and rich. I always add manual doubles fairly early, and rarely use strings alone without either the sub octave or a nice quiet 16' flue to give them more presence and warmth. Even in Baroque music, I'd far rather hear a sumptuous 16,8,8,4,2 chorus than single pitches with scratchy neo-classical mixtures. If the organ is well made, you will have 'clarity'. Assuming clarity has to be the primary consideration, which is not always the case. I'll get my coat...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rphQRrNho5M&...feature=related http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bH9BtYNH1uc&...feature=channel http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JsAyzm1969E&...feature=related http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9b42PV6quCY&...feature=related Stockholm reborn. I want that console in my living room.

Spooky. I was discussing that very point with a friend over a pint on Monday (I had to play it for a WI 90th anniversary service at the weekend). I agree, the Scotch snap is naff and spoils an otherwise strong tune.

Indeed. It's 'horses for courses' as we say. I'm not against 'live' wind per se: it can be beautiful and expressive if the styles of music and performance are matched to it. " http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=4vXS_wVpIlI (and listen all the way to the end if you can bear it!) " - this was interesting! A touch of pre-restoration Royal Albert Hall on the last chord

Here here. I suppose Bach got fed up of being laughed at when he neared the end of Dupré's Symphonie-Passion...

"Slight" vibrato??! Even so, I would rather not hear German late romantic music on them when such are the results! To orchestral musicians, not to say non-musicians, it just sounds like a bad fairground organ.

Hmm.. I cannot agree. The unsteady wind is making me seasick

This is the most shocking news. Although I didn't know Hickox, we worked together in the 2001 Gloucester Three Choirs Festival, where he conducted Delius's Mass of Life. The energy and intellectual power he brought to TCF was always impressive; the way he managed to make a cohesive, passionate whole out of the Delius and its massive forces was an inspiration.

Hmm, not so sure. GTB's clearly utterly convinced by that tempo, and throws the organ around with such confidence that it convinces the audience (well, me, anyway!). Wouldn't he have chosen a shorter, slower piece if the constraints of 78s had to be considered? Incidentally, how bright the Great 2 foots sound on all those recordings, even over the roaring full Swell.

Oh but such majesty, and those perfectly placed rhythmic accents! Actually, with its 'cathedral' sobriquet in the UK I suspect GTB might have played the little E minor at a similar stately tempo.

What goes around comes around: GTB playing Bach like he was driving a Bugatti, long before Virgil, Carlo and Cameron, complete with party horns! This is the stuff of legend too, particularly the cadenza.

Utterly delicious! Thank you. IFB

No. It's all 4/4 until changing to 3/4 in bar eight. The third bar looks a bit complicated, because of the rests hovering over the stave, but it's just a sustained spread chord: C at the top for 2 beats; then adding the D; then the E sharp for the 4th beat. IFB

I couldn't agree more. Hakim's performance at Sacré-Cœur is in my opinion the best recorded version out there. Of course, it helps to have that organ in that unique acoustic, with a grinding pp full swell which would stop a herd of stampeding elephants in its track He is one of the most thoughtful, intelligent performers around and consequently considers tempi very carefully. Perhaps 'rock' has something to do with it. It certainly sounds like an inexorable and difficult 'build' in his performance, and what joy there is at the end as a result!

Well it was somewhat emasculated by Mr Fry and Daniels. Walkers have put it back in fine fettle. It's a beautiful instrument to play. I'm sure Pierre would love the new Willis-style tierce Mixture!