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S_L

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Posts posted by S_L

  1. Hugo Kaun is an interesting man and quite a prolific composer. Born in Germany he emigrated to the US where he had a successful career, eventually, settling back in his home country. He was much in demand as a teacher but produced three symphonies, three piano concerti (although he refused to allow the first to be published), quite an amount of chamber music including four string quartets and four operas, one of which was premiered by the Dresden opera company. His 'Five 'cello pieces' Op. 124 have some difficult moments in them and bear some similarities to the 'cello works of Franz Schmidt, of whom, of course, he was a contemporary. 

    Some of his music is available via IMSLP

  2. 2 hours ago, handsoff said:

    I did enjoy those - thank you. I have an organist's surplice but the chap in the first clip surely needs the equivalent jacket for his suit - what a stretch to the music desk. I did like his last verse harmonisation but have always loved a good meaty final verse alternative. It sems to have lost favour in this country. The turntable and lowering the console into a pit made me roar - a bit too much like a crematorium for some maybe...

    And in E flat too - much more satisfactory than in D - but I thought the re-harmonisation in the first clip was awful and anything but uplifting. Yes, there was a phase of organists providing an alternative harmony for a last verse but it was so often, like the first clip, so badly done that it fell out of favour. And some tunes don't need it because of their strong harmonic sense. 

    In his edition of English Hymnal Vaughan Williams relegated the tune to, what he called his, 'Chamber of Horrors - where is appears in E. I'm not sure I agree about it deserving that accolade!

  3. 3 hours ago, peter ellis said:

    So anyone know where Conacher's factory records ended up? Was that not the firm which ended up in the hands of John Sinclair Willis? 

    Something tells me that they ended up with Willis - but I couldn't be absolutely certain about that!

    Malcolm Cruise used to be organist at Almondbury Parish Church. He was also the music critic for the Huddersfield Examiner and active in the, now defunct, Huddersfield Organists Association. I googled him and he is still Organist Emeritus at Almondbury. Perhaps the Vicar, Rev. Felicity Cowling-Green, can point you in his direction. Philip Tordoff will know him! I'd be willing to bet money that Malcolm knows the whereabout of Conacher's records! Or you could try Woods Organ builders of Huddersfield. David Wood's father, Philip, now deceased, worked for Conachers in his early days

    1000 posts!! Mostly worthless but I hope that, since coming here in 2010, I've been of some use!! I've been accused of being acerbic and a bit forthright! If I have offended then now is a suitable time to apologise!! Wishing all forumites a very Happy Easter - when it, eventually, arrives!!! 

  4. 1 hour ago, Andrew Butler said:

    The church where I will be playing on Easter Day in rural France, always have a group playing traditional instruments to play the "voluntaries" at Easter.  I just get to accompany the usual (often liturgically-incorrect) drivel.

    I can sympathise with that. I also play in rural France although, I suspect, in a slightly different circumstance than you!!  Why is it that, in the UK, we are required to stick with the prescribed texts of the Common and yet, in France they seem to be able to sing paraphrases of the text. And, yes, some of the music is awful! I'm lucky in that i play, on a monthly basis, at a large monastery  Mass begins with a procession around the cloister so no music from the organ at the beginning. That is followed by the Latin Plainsong for the day accompanied by organ. After that the Mass continues in French but with the Common, one week in the vernacular, the other week being Latin Plainsong. I'm playing on Easter day when we have a mixture of French and Latin Plainsong (with the long Plainsong Alleluia - Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus preceding the Gospel) And I get to play a Sortie at the end following the Priest singing "Allez dans la paix du Christ Alleluia" we sing, loudly, with organ, "Nous rendons grace a Dieu, Alleluia, Alleluia"

    Happy Easter, Andrew - when it comes!!!

  5. On 06/02/2024 at 21:10, John Robinson said:

    Cage!  What a load of absolute nonsense this so-called piece of 'music' is.

    A rather narrow minded and thoughtless remark, if I may say so. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

    Arnold Schoenberg said of Cage that "he's not a composer but an inventor - of genius". To categorize him as simply “a composer” would certainly be failure to adequately describe all that John Cage was, nor would it serve to encompass the vastness of his influence on the arts as a whole.

    I worked with John Cage when he was in residence at York in the heady days of the early 1970's. He was, believe it or not, a quiet, thoughtful man. You never won an argument with him and he had a huge pallet of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. (He was considered the world's leading authority on mushrooms!!!) The performances he directed, at that time, fully demonstrated Schoenberg's definition of an inventor of genius!

  6. 1 hour ago, Choir Man said:

    Slightly tongue in cheek, but might the penchant for furiously fast improvisations cause the action to wear out faster?

    LOL - the improvisation I heard was based on repeated notes up and down each of the five keyboards - furiously fast - and LOUD!!!

  7. I can't comment on the action or the instrument at St Eustache except to say that the last time I was at Mass there, possibly 10 years ago, the music that preceded the Mass, played on the West End organ, was so loud I thought it was going to jump off the back wall and attack me. I don't think I have ever heard anything quite so loud.

    I might be wrong but I remember being not too impressed with either the orgue du choeur or the singing of the Mass and, when it came to antiphonally singing Credo III (La Marseillaise of the Catholic church in France, I once heard it described) it was almost impossible to sing the congregation verses with the west end organ. 

  8. 4 hours ago, S_L said:

    I have found MM's work on Compton. 

    I'm a little wary of sending it out 'to all and sundry' but, as he doesn't seem to be around, I'll try to respond to any private requests via my profile.

     

    SL

    I'm sorry - but I have been advised, by another member, that I should not send copies of MM's work without his permission. And, if I had thought about it more carefully, I would have realised this.

    As a consequence i am not able to furnish fellow forumites with my copy. Very sorry!!!

  9. I have found MM's work on Compton. 

    I'm a little wary of sending it out 'to all and sundry' but, as he doesn't seem to be around, I'll try to respond to any private requests via my profile.

     

    SL

  10. 4 hours ago, wave.jaco said:

    Is the book by MM on John Compton still available? I am interested in obtaining a copy.

    It is not a book - and never published as far as I know!!! 

    My analysis, and I have some experience in these matters, is that it might be suitable as a dissertation for part of a 1st degree - but we are not talking 'Doctoral thesis'!! but it makes for some interesting. I don't know why but I think Dr. Colin Pykett may have a copy. reading.

    MM sent me a copy. I have it somewhere on my computer but I can't find it. As for MM, I have no idea of his whereabouts. 

  11. 1 hour ago, Martin Cooke said:

    It would be nice to think that (their) universities/conservatoires might step in to fill the gap.

    So they can go around calling themselves Dr. when, in fact, they have no evidence of study at Doctoral level!! No, Martin, it won't do!!!!

     

  12. I, so, wish they hadn't published the proposals!! It would save so much speculation by well intentioned amateur, 'back of fag packet' organ designers.

    I do  understand the reasons behind publishing but I fear that this thread will go on and on until it has been thrashed to death!!!

    Why can't people just wait until the scheme is realised? 

  13. 1 hour ago, S_L said:

    I love Advent Sunday - and those great hymns too! Helmsley is one of my favourite tunes - with so powerful words!! "Lo, he comes with clouds descending"

    I don't do much playing either but I'm playing this morning. In our beautiful monastery chapel, Mass, as always, is in French with the Common (minus Gloria, of course) also in French. Latin Plainsong Common on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The Nuns sing the Plainsong Ad te levavi accompanied by a very light organ, as an Introit but, apart from that, nothing sparkling!! But I shall play the Chorale Prelude from Wachet Auf as a Sortie and improvise on 'People, look East' at the offertory

    I do so miss those great Advent Hymns!!!

     

  14. I love Advent Sunday - and those great hymns too! Helmsley is one of my favourite tunes - with so powerful words!! "Lo, he comes with clouds descending"

    I don't do much playing either but I'm playing this morning. Mass, as always, in French with the Common (minus Gloria, of course) also in French. Latin Plainsong Common on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. We sing the Plainsong Ad te levavi accompanied by a very light organ, as an Introit but, apart from that, nothing sparkling!! But I shall play the Chorale Prelude from Wachet Auf as a Sortie and improvise on 'People, look East' at the offertory

    I do so miss those great Advent Hymns!!!

  15. 10 hours ago, Martin Cooke said:

    Canterbury's morning Eucharist last Sunday had to be cut short because of a security alert, and then, as many will know, there was Chichester! 

     

    At Canterbury the Mass was coming to a close and they were singing the final hymn when the Celebrant, the Canon Missioner, asked people to, quietly, leave the building because of a security alert.

    At Chichester, during Evensong, which was being broadcast, activists, from Christian Climate Action, stood up holding placards which read 'Chichester Diocese Funds Climate Chaos'.

    I don't know the extent of the security alert at Canterbury but I am absolutely certain that, whilst we should be aware of the damage we are doing to our planet, and do our best to 'do our bit' to counteract that damage,  Interrupting Divine Worship is not the way to go about things!!! I noticed, amongst the protesters, a number of 'dog collars'!!! Shameful!!

  16. 8 hours ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

    Returning to Norwich, I noticed that the Bishop was following a prepared liturgy, and I believe the Dean was standing alongside him throughout.   

    The Bishop of Norwich seems to be coming in for a 'lot of stick' and, in my view, some fairly unfortunate language!!

    It is worth remembering that, in Norwich Cathedral, as in all Cathedrals of the Church of England, the Bishop is a visitor and does as he is told! The service will have been written, probably by the Precentor, with considerable input from the Director of Music, and then presented to the Dean for ratification before being sent to the Bishop's office - so that his Chaplain could brief him on what was expected of him.

    And, of course, it would be the Dean, although this one has only been in post since January, who would have chaired the Chapter that decided to 'stump up' the money for the organ rebuild/renovation./restoration etc.

  17. 7 hours ago, John Robinson said:

    As an atheist, perhaps I should not comment.  However, spraying with water, encouraging incense fumes to permeate its innards, and bashing a brand new wooden case with a metal object.  Well, all I can say is that I hope the Holy Ghost comes along quickly and puts right any damage!  🙄

    So you believe in the Holy Ghost? Well, that's something I suppose!!!

  18. 2 hours ago, Hebridean said:

    ....................... but his injunction, addressed to the organ, which I think was 'Awake!' seemed - if I may say so, bizarre in the extreme. 

    That reminds me of a story I related here many years ago. I think it was the opening of the organ in St. George's hall in Liverpool. W.T. Best was on the keys that day. A rather pompous Lord mayor declared "Let the organ play!" - nothing happened. "Let the organ play!" was repeated and, again, nothing happened. "I said, Mr. Best, let the organ play!" - to which Best waved his hands in the air and exclaimed "Let it, I'm not stopping it!"

  19. 9 hours ago, Martin Cooke said:

    Was anyone from the forum present at Thomas Trotter's recital yesterday? 40% of the pipework, according to H&H, is new, so it must sound quite different. It would be good to hear comment, if possible.

    But, I watched the Evensong and Re-dedication on YouTube today. This was the second time in the recent past that I have seen a clergyperson throw water at a brand new instrument! The other occasion was the dedication of the new console at St Thomas, Fifth Avenue. What do I know, but is this really sensible? At Norwich, not only did the Bishop scatter water at the organ case, but he censed it, and then bashed it with his crosier, like a new Bishop does to gain entry to their cathedral at their enthronement. Again, is this appropriate? Can you imagine dedicating the Bishop's new car, during which the Bishop cracks the end of the crozier into the driver's door? 🤨 If one of the choristers had sprayed water from their drink bottle at the new organ or bashed it with their bicycle pump, I'd be surprised if someone hadn't 'had a word in their shell-like.'  It seems a bizarre way to treat a new instrument. 

     

    Oh dear, Martin, we are going to disagree!

    I think to liken a choirboy spraying drink from his bottle is trivialising ancient custom! I didn't see it but the Bishop who, unlike a lot of them, generally knows what he is doing, didn't throw water at the organ - he threw HOLY water - water that had been blessed! I'm sure there are others on here who have more Theology that I, but Holy Water is, to Anglicans, Lutherans and Roman Catholics as well as to the Eastern Orthodox, sacramental for protection and for protection against evil! Its use dates from 400AD and is mentioned in the Book of Numbers. At the beginning of Mass where I play, the Bishop/Priest goes around the church spraying the congregation with Holy Water. First, and because I am nearest to the Sanctuary, is me, sitting at the organ with an awful lot of electrics around me. Whilst this happens we sing Asperges me - from Psalm 51 - or a French equivalent! I've never thought of it as being dangerous but as a privilege! And the amount of water is minimal to be honest!

    The use of Incense is also ancient. In the post-reformation Church of England incense was burned in a thurible before grand occasions. Judaic, Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican , Taoist and Buddists use incense as an offering to the Deity. 

    The organ, in my, albeit rather, high-church, Catholic view, was blessed with water and offered to the Almighty for use in Liturgy in the Cathedral!

    As for belting it with his crozier - I'm not too sure about that! 

    (As a postscript: My deceased, good friend Archbishop Maurice Couve de Murville, when my late wife and I attended Mass in St. Chad's cathedral in Birmingham, would process around the church  'sprinkling'. He would come to Leah and I, knowing our high-church leanings, look at us, dip his, whatever it is called, into the water and hurl it at us, with a big smile on his face. We were well and truly soaked - and felt the better for it!!!)

  20. 1 hour ago, Dr Nigel H Day said:

     I hope the HR folk have made 100% certain her work permit is permanent (not my area, just a comment).

    One would hope so. I seem to remember a clause/comment in the advert mentioning permission to work, permanently, in the UK.

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