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I'm sorry if I have let my enthusiasm for 'all things German' run away with me! In my defence I was heavily influenced by my father, a first-rate engineer, who always maintained that German locks were the hardest to pick!! After picking several of them he made his way across Germany, occupied France and Spain before arriving back in the UK where he spent the rest of his war in bomb disposal. He had a healthy respect for German technology! When I lived in the UK I bought Bosch products, we had a Bosch fridge, freezer, washing machine etc. and, yes, I drove a Porsche! They just kept on going and some of them I still have here in France. The tenor of 'Zimblestern's' comment I read to be derisory "This is what Bach’s Nicolai-Kirche in Leipzig got when they accepted over €2 million from Porsche to restore their Ladegast organ:" but I may have misinterpreted that. and, if I have, I unreservedly apologise to 'Zimblestern'. I think the point I was trying to make was that if a business gave me two million Euros to rebuild an organ I could put up with their logo emblazoned across it and, possibly, a good deal more besides!!! As I said, I'm not sure I like it and there are others on here far more qualified than I to comment on the use of, what appears to be, stainless steel in console building. Do you remember the book "How to bluff your way in Music!"? It came to discussion about organists and began "Organists are a strange race ........." I wouldn't, exactly, say strange but I think organists are, by nature, quite traditional! Do you remember the long thread on the new console in Notre Dame in Paris which stirred up emotions on here? For those who would like to look at the disposition, and a little about the history of this instrument, I give a link here: http://www.orgel-leipzig.de/disposition.html

And, like a Porsche, being built by Germans using German technology, German skills and the usual high quality materials that the Germans employ to build their cars it will do the job it is designed to do absolutely superbly! I'm not sure whether I like it but if it meant getting a huge grant, from some organisation, to get an instrument completely rebuilt then I think I could, just about, live with their name or emblem on the bottom right hand side of the console!

Fascinating! I've never heard of Charles Francis Abdy Williams (1855 - 1923) and, not surprisingly, when you 'google' him, it is difficult to get results for any other Williams other than Andy Williams (the B being next to the N on a keyboard doesn't help!!) However looking a little further I have found several of his books for sale on Amazon including - 'The Story of Notation', 'Handel', 'The Aristoxenian of Rhythm', 'Bach', 'The Story of Organ Music', 'The Rhythm of Modern Music', and the, what I would think, completely useless 'A short historical Account of the Degrees in Music at Oxford and Cambridge: With a chronological list of Graduates in that Faculty from the Year 1463'. I've also found a 'Mag & Nunc' in F - published by Novello, some chants to the 'Benedicite' and 'Te Deum', a couple of Madrigals and a setting of the Morning and Evening Canticles for Alto, Tenor and Bass. A 'Scherzo for Organ' dating from 1889 also exists. The books might make interesting and amusing reading. Quite what the music is like I'm not sure - but I do have a suspicion!!!

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Hull is my home city. I agree with nearly all of that and I didn't know that the instrument was, presently, unplayable. The problem with Hull Minster is that it is enormous and it is a Parish church bigger than some Cathedrals and, yet, not a Cathedral, with little or no parish! Hardly anyone lives in the old town! St. Mary's Lowgate, just two hundred yards up the road, is in a similar state - and the organ there has been unplayable for a long time! I suspect that the only thing that keeps St. Mary's open is that it is the 'High Church' of Hull! I perceive that there is a desire, amongst the Minster authorities, to, one day, restore the magnificent organ. It seems, though, that the priority, at the moment, is to 'modernise' the church, making it more open and more of a 'space' to be used day in day out rather than locked and opened on a Sunday for a few souls to worship. Once that is achieved, and they have made enormous strides in that direction, it may be that the organ gets a look-in! I hope so!

From the Diocese of York website. York Minster’s Grand Organ will undergo a major, £2m refurbishment this autumn for the first time in 100 years. The instrument, parts of which date back to 1834, will be removed – including almost all of its 5263 pipes – and taken to Durham for repair/rebuilding by organ specialists Harrison and Harrison. The project will take around two years to complete, with the restored instrument due to be ready for use in autumn 2020. Due to their regular use and environment, cathedral organs ideally require small-scale cleaning and adjustment every 15 to 20 years, with more extensive repairs carried out every 30 to 35 years and a major refurbishment every 100 years. The last major refurbishment of the Minster’s organ was carried out in 1903. The project will include replacing the organ’s mechanism, extensive work to dismantle, clean and overhaul the instrument and minor changes to the organ case to both improve how it looks and the sound it allows out. The plans also include creating a new music library underneath the organ, inside the screen which separates the Quire from the Nave, subject to the relevant permissions being obtained. The aim is to ensure the unique sound of the Minster’s organ is preserved, while restoring the grander, imposing qualities of the instrument which were altered during work in the 1960s. During the two years of refurbishment work, the Minster’s full music programme will continue. A grand piano will be used alongside an existing chamber organ in the Quire and a digital organ will serve both the Nave and Quire. A final series of organ concerts and recitals will take place at the Minster during 2018 before the instrument is removed. Dates include an informal organ promenade on Monday 7 May at 1.10pm, a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s L’Ascension on Sunday 13 May at 5.15pm and a gala concert on Saturday 25 August at 7pm to close the series. If you would like to support the project please contact the York Minster Fund by emailing ymf@yorkminster.org or calling 01904 557245.

"wasteful, badly thought-out and, in places, gimmicky" was how the new organ at Buckfast, on paper anyway, was described earlier - and not by me, I hesitate to add! I presume that you wouldn't agree AJJ! I look forward to hearing it one day and I shall make an effort the next time I am in the UK to visit Buckfast. I look forward to hearing other's opinions too once they have had a chance to hear it 'in the flesh'!!!

Tell us more AJJ!

Absolutely Martin. Thank you for that Vox!!!

The website gives the title of Prom 10 as 'Faure, Frank and Widor's Toccata' - so, presumably, she is only playing the last movement of the Widor - at 6 minutes long. The site also gives Iveta Apkalna as the only performer so it looks as if this is one of Bax's arrangements of Bach - for organ!! Bax did arrange BWV572 for piano - perhaps this is an arrangement of an arrangement! But it would appear that no orchestra is involved! I normally comment on the 'Proms' programme because there is, nearly always, so much exciting music to listen to. This year I haven't had a chance to have a look but I did notice that Prom 4 includes Messiaen's Turangalila Sumphony - a singularly amazing piece of music!

I can't find any reference to Salzburg or any indication that Hintze worked there or had associations there. He seems to have spent his time around Berlin, towns in the North of Germany, around the Baltic and in Denmark. However I did find a source that cast doubts as to his authorship of the tune.

It should be played with a 'Romantic registration' (voix celeste or similar!) and the solo can played with an octave. There is a recording of the piece here:

The opening recital at Buckfast, I read, is to be given by Martin Baker on Friday 20th of April. "To showcase the new instruments, further recitals are planned for 2018, featuring some of the world’s finest organists, including David Briggs, Vincent Dubois, Richard Lea/Matthew Searles, Matthew Martin and Richard Lester" (Lichfield Organists' Association). (Edited to add: the Buckfast Website gives the Recital as 'Sold Out')

As far as the Charpentier is concerned I would have thought that, if you find a simple version and adapt it, half an hour with 'Sibelius' will get you the version that satisfies both you, the trumpet player and the situation you are in. It's not difficult for the trumpet player, and even easier if he has a D trumpet. The trumpet part will need transposing but many trumpet players will read from a Trumpet in C - and, if he/she doesn't, it is a five second job on 'Sibelius' to transpose it! I think there is a lot to be said for making your own version, or arrangement, of music. What you produce suits you and it suits the situation you find yourself in - and 'Sibelius' (I have 'Sibelius 7') or a good music programme is hugely useful in this regard. The other benefit is that you can produce a professional looking copy and playing from a good copy, in my considerable playing experience (as a 'cellist!), produces a better performance from the player.

Sometimes we do come across titulaires who, jealously, guard their instrument - for whatever reason. My experience is that it has usually been their own insecurity! My policy, and I was never in charge of a remarkable instrument but I was responsible for music in a church which guarded its music jealously, was that I expected visiting organists to be able to demonstrate their competence. And that meant holding an organ diploma or playing weekly or even by just a telephone conversation - 'one gets the feeling about these things' It was rare for us to refuse to allow a visitor to play - in fact I think it happened twice in ten years - and, on both occasions, we discovered afterwards, it turned out to be the right decision! When we did have a visitor I didn't get a fee. I'm sorry but I think petulance is the province of children and not professional people - I'm glad, however, that you enjoyed your little victory!!!

Mozart - KV399 There is a recording of it here:

I'm told that the site now occupied by Morrisons superstore in Wednesbury originally had a Methodist church on the site - hence the organ pipes and the large figure of Wesley.

Birmingham Cathedral are advertising for a Head of Music, a full time position and they are paying £33,000. No accommodation is offered. I won't work out the Mathematics but I would imagine that equates to very little more - if anything!

As you stand facing the main organ case there is an aisle going down the left hand outside of the choir stalls - towards where the Chapter House might have been.. As you go through the entrance to the side aisle the spiral staircase is immediately to your right. I can't get it to show!

Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures of one of my all time favourite buildings - I have known Beverley Minster all my life. The late Peter Fletcher, the Minster organist, gave me my first 'cello lesson and I have played 'continuo' in there so many times (usually in the freezing cold!!!) And the pictures of the 'Crumbs Deli' reminds me of things that I miss about the UK - 'Hand raised Pork Pies with cranberry'!!!! Sorry to hijack your thread! - but Beverley Minster (and pork pies!!) mean so much to me!!

Well, Dr. Pykett, that statement will make you popular here! There are quite a number of 'Cathedral' musicians, who style themselves 'Dr', who have never studied to Doctorate level and who have been given an Honorary Doctorate from a local University to the Cathedral in which they have worked for years. Some would argue that it is deserved. I agree that it does debase the whole currency and meaning of academia - but it happens and this profession loves it!!!

I remember meeting both David and Hazel at Lincoln Cathedral years and years ago when the choir of Brecon Cathedral were doing a residency there. And I remember David telling me that he always thought Hazel was a much finer player than himself. I remember them as a lovely couple doing a hard job in not always easy circumstances. Hazel survived David by just over 18 months. May she, now, rest in peace.

Welcome back MusingMuso - long time - no see!! St. Joseph's Bradford - interesting! I didn't know the Anneesens organ but I did know the instrument that followed it. It came from South Lane Methodist church in Hessle, near to Hull. It was a Hopkins of York instrument. South Lane sold it for £250! I can't remember much about the specification, but, looking at NPOR, it does seem to have dramatically changed. I remember a Double Open Diapason at 16' on the Great and two Open Diapasons at 8' - the larger of the two being far to big to accompany the average congregation. As a child the stop that thrilled me was the Swell Cornopean - one of the fiercest I have ever come across!! I had my very first organ lesson on that instrument at South Lane - from a chap called Geoff Lightfoot who was the church organist and no mean player! Sorry to hi-jack!

No!

Presumably the whole scheme was drawn up by the Master of the Choristers who works in the Cathedral every day, knows the building, the acoustics and has a vision of how the new organ should perform, in conjunction with a consultant, the organ builders and other cathedral authorities. I suspect there would not be an 'open cheque book' and, in the end, those bodies have to make a decision about what there is - and what there isn't!!