S_L

I read, in another place, of the death of Rev Tony Newnham, a member of this board. May he rest in peace.

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

I would think they probably do!!!!

Jessye Norman - what a voice!!!! 12th of September 1986!! - with Georg Solti and the LPO

I'm not sure why you should assume that but you are correct!! It was not broadcast but it was, however, recorded!!

As an organist I am a rank amateur, a very poor ARCO standard! I began my life as a 'cellist - I played in the AH twice - once the Elgar concerto and, once the 1st Shostakovich concerto. A long time ago!

Sorry to disagree! But it isn't new technology. As far as I can see it is actually very old technology!! (I expect to corrected by Dr. C here!!) 'Pop' musicians have been attaching microphones to their faces since 'Pop musicians' and microphones were invented!! It was 1968/9 but I have played, as the soloist, a concerto in the Albert Hall with a orchestra of 70+ musicians behind me. I wasn't 'miked up' and I can't understand why a singer should need it either!!

This is very true but, when you live in a remote area of S.W. France, it's rather like listening to Vaughan Williams - it makes you think of home!!

I watched it too! I'm getting a bit fed up of society pandering to the 'celebrity' culture. I bemoaned several aspects of the 'service' at RAH on Saturday evening, not least the lack of a contribution by established composers as mentioned by Martin above. I have to say that I thought some of the performances were very good indeed but, and I'm sure that Dr. Colin, will berate me for this, why do they have to have microphones almost attached to their faces - or is it because they don't know what to do with their hands!! It was a shame that, in one piece, the singer, who could make plenty of sound anyway, had the assistance of a microphone whereas the 'cellist didn't! And I couldn't hear the 'cellist! I've played in the RAH dozens of times and I don't understand the need for microphones for a soloist. I often wonder what the King, who is a cultured man, even a not very good 'cellist, must think of it all! But 'jo-public' seems to like it - which I find a little worrying!! But that is another discussion altogether!

😁😁😁😁 - Most amusing!!!!

Interesting article in 'The Times' today about a rescued organ in Istanbul together with the usual slight journalist inaccuracies!!! Good to see the recitals have an enthusiastic audience!! Soothing strains of church organ music float into an Istanbul evening (thetimes.co.uk) And a Recording:

I've never heard of Thuille but, for an early work, the Organ Sonata seems remarkably assured. I did look at the score of the much later Op. 22 'Cello Sonata with its appealing melodies. Thirty odd years ago I would have got that under my belt. The string quartet looks good too! He seems to have been a prolific teacher. I noted that he was the teacher of Walter Spalding who had the distinction, or otherwise, of teaching Leroy Anderson! His Harmonielehre seems to have been used, a bit like Fux, to persecute young music undergraduates in German/Austrian music conservatoires! I did notice, in the brief biography I found, no mention of the Organ Sonata!!! Several of his works are recorded and are available. As mentioned above the Sextet has always had a certain popularity.

There are quite a number of changes taking place at Christ Church Oxford including, I understand, the separation of Cathedral and University appointments following recent difficulties.

I wonder when you last played for Evensong!! Or do you sing Vespers in your neck of the woods? We have Vespers every Sunday evening - it begins with silence! I also wonder how many on here actually get to play for Evensong on a regular basis. Cathedrals and the Greater Churches still follow the tradition although I know of one Cathedral that sings 'Shortened' Evensong (not sure what that is!). Is Evensong still prevalent in Parish churches? Or is it just a distant, longed for, memory to most players?

I must admit to being rather spellbound hearing the piece at the end of the service for the installation of David Monteith as Dean of Canterbury. It was certainly a talking point and, at the time, and now, seemed highly appropriate. The composer and title wasn't acknowledged on the programme which is a shame. I do notice that, apart from the sung Sunday morning Mass, the organ voluntary is rarely given in the Order of Music for the month.

In the very best traditions of the board!!!

I hope this doesn't cause any offence, it, certainly isn't meant to!! I went to an Organ Recital given by Roy Massey quite a few years ago, when he was still at Hereford. I won't say where the recital was! It consisted of quite a number of shorter pieces along with a couple of 'bigger' pieces, something flashy with a lot of notes and something to get your teeth into. The church was full and Roy talked about each piece, in his own inimitable style, before playing it. I have to say he played a lot of wrong notes but it was one of the very best recitals I have ever been to. It was good humoured, Roy tells a good yarn!, and the music was mostly approachable and that which might have been a little difficult for some was preceded by a story and was short. I bumped into Roy years later in Tewksbury Abbey. He was his old inimitable self, hugely gracious and, again, with a good yarn to tell. We chatted for what seemed ages and I mentioned the recital I had heard and he grinned "I bet I played a lot of wrong notes!". I was pleased to be able to tell him how much I had enjoyed the programme - and agreed with him about the wrong notes!!! I remember thinking that if all organ recitals were like this more people might appreciate the instrument more! "The third movement of this piece is very suitable for weddings and funerals - you just play it slower at funerals!!" (any suggestions?)

I thought that to be stunningly beautiful - and very Danish! Many thanks for posting it! I've always thought the Danish people to be remarkably civilised. I don't know Denmark very well but I was in Aarhaus the day of Her Majesties death last year. The Queen of the Danes, Margrethe II, graciously allowed the UK National Anthem to be played before a concert there!

O dear Dr. Colin, you have left me feeling totally inadequate - yet again! I understand the beginning of the sentence - and the end - but the middle leaves me completely confused!! Web clicks? - sifting cookie data?

I met Gordon Phillips in the early 70's, one day after a recital her gave at All Hallows by the Tower. I'm told that his Postlude for a Festival is eminently playable but, I think, there is also a big Sonata. As far as I know his compositional output is entirely for organ. There is a Gordon Phillips Society who may be able to point you in the direction of his other music. He, too it would appear, was influenced into playing the organ by hearing Vierne, in Nottingham, play the Widor Toccata

It was removed! However, it has to be said that the, very unfortunate, homophobic implying, comments were made by members who are no longer here (read into that what you will!!!) and who no longer post. As far as I am concerned Anna Lapwood and Cameron Carpenter are breaths of fresh air that this instrument has needed for a very long time - and there are others too!

'Cor blimey' would have been great! Don't be intimidated by the 'stuck in the past' set on here - although, it has to be said, there are a lot less than there used to be!!!

I don't use my bike often - it has to be a really nice day! It amuses the Nuns when I arrive, in jeans and leather jacket (I change!), to play the organ for the morning Mass. I also have a 20 year old MGF as well as a more sensible four wheeled mode of transport!!! Some of us just never grow up!!!

I'm so pleased that you are starting to get somewhere!!

I blame my Grandmother or my late wife – in equal quantities!! I was born in the East Riding of Yorkshire but, on the death of my father, moved to live on the Scottish Island of Eigg with my grandparents. Gran came from Yorkshire and, I think, had been quite a player in her day. She was a Primitive Methodist who, as a girl, had accompanied the local preachers around the East Riding playing the harmonium in the chapels on a Sunday. Certainly they thought enough of her playing to ask her to play the Hull City Hall organ for the big Methodist revival meetings they held in the 1930's. And she occasionally deputized at Holy Trinity - a Methodist and a woman!!! How she and my grandfather found themselves on Eigg I’m not sure. There were no organs on the island but we had a piano and, from a very early age my grandmother taught me to play hymn tunes – of the Primitive Methodist/Methodist variety! Even today I love a good strong hymn tune. I had two years of school on Eigg and, when I was six or seven we came back to England and I went to school in East Yorkshire. One day Peter Fletcher, the organist of Beverley Minster, came into the classroom and asked who would like to play the ‘cello. I didn’t know what one was, but I was the kind of annoying child who would put his hand up for everything. And so it started. I also used to go to chapel on Sunday, often twice. The Chapel in question had a large two manual organ built by Hopkins of York. It was played by a man called Geoff Lightfoot who encouraged me to play and would let me stay in the chapel after morning service, making horrendous noises, as long as I locked the door when I left! I’ve never been much of a keyboard player but it, very slowly, got better. But my ‘cello playing improved by leaps and bounds encouraged by wonderful teachers. I joined a little orchestra and, eventually the local Youth orchestra and did my grade VIII when I was 12. I got a distinction (142!). I did ARCM (Performers), at 16, went to the National Youth orchestra, played string quartets, and was constantly told how I was going to go to the Royal College of Music which, eventually, I did. I remembered the book ‘How to bluff your way in music’. It said, ‘Organists are a strange race!!!’ – and I kept away from them! After two years I went up to Cambridge and the rest, sort of, is history. I read one degree and then another, played concerti in concert halls all over Europe including the Shostakovitch concerto (there was only one in those days) in the presence of the composer. Eventually I decided enough was enough, noticed a few problems with my hands and settled down to a quiet life in academia. I wrote a Ph.D. So, why blame my late wife? We met at Cambridge. By this time I had veered away from Methodism and, largely due to my time in London, had become a High-Church Anglican of the 'smells and bells' variety. My late wife was a Roman Catholic and I seceded to Rome which, at first, was a huge disappointment. We married and, on Sunday morning, I found myself in the pews at Mass. I, frequently, came out more angry than I went in, usually complaining about the ‘idiot on the keys’ or ‘that damned choir’. Eventually, herself got totally fed up and said, “if you think you can do any better, do it yourself!!!” By complete coincidence a job came up at a local Catholic Abbey church and I was appointed – I don’t think there were any other candidates! My organ playing improved dramatically and the choir expanded and were great fun. We sang in our tiny little abbey, and were well known in all the local pubs, and we visited all over the place. We were frequent visitors to the ‘Met’ in Liverpool and to both Cathedrals in Birmingham. We had singing tours abroad – to Paris - twice (St Etienne du Mont, a Sorbonne chapel and Notre Dame) and to Rome (St. Paul outside the walls, San Clemente, St. Peter’s and the Cathedral in Palestrina where we sang a Palestrina Mass) It was great fun while it lasted. Herself was sick for eleven years, I retired to nurse her but she died and I came to retire to France. I don’t play the ‘cello anymore but, rather frighteningly, I am known in the area as an organist and play at a large monastery in the Dordogne, usually once or twice a month and on Great Days. 'Andrew Butler' and I live about 50 miles from each other, but we have never met. I’m happy, in the light of his post, to tell him that this organist (?) in the Dordogne does get paid!! And. like 'Handsoff' I still have a motorbike and the leathers to go with it!!!