S_L

I'm sorry, I don't see an organ as a work of art (the case maybe!). It's a musical instrument that has to do a job. And when it can't do the job then it is time to replace, repair or get rid! Some forumites know that i am not a first study organist. I had a life before this. In my previous existence I owned a rather beautiful 'cello. It dated from the late 18th century, was slightly less than full size but it had a slightly too short fingerboard. Getting 'up into the gods' was difficult and it wasn't powerful enough to play, for instance, the Dvorak concerto, with an orchestra. It had to go and I spent the next 30 years with a bigger, more powerful instrument. Both were beautiful instruments, both were worth a fortune but my reputation rested on the instrument being able to do what was required of it. What is it about organs that makes them so special? Is the instrument in question that important in the great scheme of musical things? Is it untouched Arthur Harrison? - or has it had several additions, replacements, etc. since it was built? I don't know the answer - but I do know that, once the scheme is released there will be further discussion about the specification etc.

Coe Fen has particular memories for me. A beautiful, beautiful tune and somewhere I and my dear late wife used to walk when we were young - a long time ago! And I also thought that the use of the famous York Tuba was highly appropriate for the opening line of the last verse!!!

So who decides what is artistically interesting - or an historic asset? And I don't think it's the same as a Henry Moore sculpture but perhaps a listed building has some similarities. The instrument has a job of work to do, the listed building might as well but the Henry Moore is only a thing of beauty or not, depending on your point of view! If the organ can't do the job of work that is needed of it then, perhaps, it's time for a change of some kind. How drastic a change will, of course, be a matter of discussion. I would suggest, as I have often done before on this forum, that those who work with the instrument day by day, know what they expect of it and they work in the building that it is located, and should be, along with an independent advisor, the decision makers. Of course the specification of the new instrument hasn't been released yet - which, we all know, will lead to more discussion - even argument! I'm not quite sure I would have been quite so blunt as John Carter - but I do think I agree with him!!

Can I make it very clear that I have absolutely no doubts that, at the time, adnosad did not intend others to think that his addition to my post had come from me. I assumed it was a simple mistake of a cursor being put in the wrong place. At least that is what I thought until he refused to amend it.

Please note that the above are my words. Further down adnosad has added ....................... but of egos`, perhaps? I asked adnosad to correct, modify or change his addition in a private message, so that it didn't look as if the 'egos' were a part of my quote, but he refused - I do so now!

Why apologise? You are as entitled to your views as anyone else. ............................ and organs are not for the exclusive use of the worship of God

Would you, kindly, like to point me to that!

Not surprisingly to some, I expect, I disagree with almost everything that has been said here about Mass v Matins, new v old etc. I'd like to spend more time explaining but I have to get out to play for the morning Mass - said/sung in a modern French translation, not Latin, with music written, I suspect, within the last five years, in a church that is regularly full for the service and where the people join in with the both the said and sung responses. Perhaps I'll come back to it - or, perhaps, I'll just end up upsetting people - again!!!!

Organ Voluntaries!! I play occasionally and on great days at a large monastery in the Dordogne. The first time I played the sister in charge of the music asked if I would play a sortie at the end of the Mass. I chose a piece of music that I knew reasonably well and expected that, sometime after the first page, the sisters and members of the congregation would start to depart as seems to be the custom others, in the UK, have experienced. Not so. The sisters sat there and listened as did the congregation which was slightly worrying as, having dug the music out only an hour or so before Mass, I hadn't had a huge amount of time to look much past the first couple of pages. I made it to the end without becoming a composer and learnt my lesson very quickly. On Wednesday we have the installation of a new Abbess. The event is by invitation only and the place will be packed. The local Bishop, together with the Head of the Cistercians in France and a Cardinal from Rome are to be present. Mother Abbess will be installed, given her crozier and give her Abbatiale Blessing. There is a huge amount of music, all in French, to get through and the sister responsible for the music asked me "et le sortie?" I've looked at all of it - carefully - I won't be caught out again!!!

The 'Times' obituary of the 24th January Francis Jackson | Register | The Times I understand Francis' funeral is in York minster on Thursday 3rd of February at 11h00.

I remember Nicholas well and there was another guy in there who was almost as good! I can see them both but his name escapes me! As for the Venerable Miss Banks, I always felt a little the same as visiting the Headmaster's office whenever I saw her! She was formidable! I think it was Ray Lovely of Lovely Music in Tadcaster, an excellent music shop, long since gone, who said, on hearing of the death of Miss Banks that "she didn't die, she went out of print!"

In the spirit of the board - 104 actually!!!

Now is, perhaps, not the time for posting memories but just to say how sad I am to hear this news. I understand that Alice, Bill and Edward were with him when he died. The passing of a giant - now he is reunited with Priscilla - May he rest in peace.

In my, considerable, experience, as an English Roman Catholic church musician, this is not unusual - Bishops were the worst - they turned up minutes before the celebration was due to begin and were at their most dangerous when they said they would "sing whatever you want me too!" As I have said, on a number of occasions before, I could write a book - but no one would believe me!!!

The opening Recital is to be given, by Oliver Latry, on Thursday January 20th at 19h30. Programme to include music by JSB, Vierne and Latry

I was invited to GTB's Memorial Service in St. Philip's Cathedral in Birmingham. The Master of the Queen's Musick, Malcolm Williamson, gave a eulogy. He was clearly, 'not well' is perhaps the best way of putting it and delivered the most outrageous eulogy to the, very audible, gasps of the assembled company. Somewhere I have the Order of Service but I can't remember, for the life of me, what we were served up!

I should add that I wasn't, for one moment, suggesting Francis as one of those who styled himself Dr. and was, yet, only holding an honorary degree. I am well aware that he holds the Durham D. Mus by examination. But I am struggling to think of any holder of a University Doctorate degree and also a Cantuar Doctorate in the North of England - but I'm sure that Rowland will enlighten me!!

And called themselves 'Doctor' - which then leads us into another argument whether those holding an Honorary Doctorate should, like those of us who worked for it, be entitled to be addressed as such!! Two past, north of England, organists spring to mind, neither University Graduates, both holding Honorary Doctorates from a local University, both deferentially referred to as 'Doctor .............. - which, in my mind, implies some kind of academic status!

Any individual or group of people can recommend someone to receive an honour. It's simply a matter of filing in the necessary forms which are available on the Internet. Following that, checks are made by various Government departments as to the suitability of the person recommended. The process takes about 12 to 18 months. I noted, in the recent honours list that 'Services to Wheelchair Rugby' figured quite highly in the awards. Clearly those responsible for 'Wheelchair Rugby' got their act together a couple of years ago in a way that Church Musicians have not been able to!!!

Being only around ARCO standard I'm not really qualified to comment on the organ but I did, some time back, listen to recordings of the morning Mass and Evensong from York and was hugely impressed by the quality of the choir. I remember hearing a 'fauxbourdon' service by Philip Moore which was stunningly beautifully sung. I don't know whether I am allowed to say this but I do remember 'the old days' and there are lots of epic stories told about the Minster choir of the 1960's, My late wife came from York, was a member of the Chapter House choir, good friends with FJ, and taught by Andrew Carter. She had a fund of memories, some of them hilarious!!

Listen to the music of Alois Haba! He wrote several theoretical articles on microtonality and, in 1925, wrote his major theoretical work New Harmony Textbook of the Diatonic, Chromatic, Quarter-, Third-, Sixth-, and Twelfth-tone Systems. His theories appear in a lot of his music and he also had woodwind instruments made that would play in microtones. In 1924 he had his first quarter tone piano made and in 1927 a German firm made for him, a sixth-tone harmonium based on designs by Busoni Cage did use microtones - particularly in 'Five' of 'Thirteen' but I wouldn't have said that he was a great exponent. Granted his 'Indian' influence does bring up microtonal music but that is only a small fraction of his considerable output.

Presumably we are all working at Christmas - so what are you planning to play/sing/accompany? I'll kick off: Christmas Midnight Mass is at ................... Midnight!!! The Nuns sing the Office of Vigiles at 21h45. Mass begins in silence, no organ music, followed by the Introit: Dominus Dixit - (II tone) The Mass setting is: Mass IV Cunctipotens Genitor Deus (The Plainsong is accompanied - reading from a Four-line stave!!!!) Credo III At the Offertory: Daquin - Noel X Adeste Fideles - at the end of Mass Sortie: Karg-Elert - 'Adeste Fideles' - from 'Cathedral Windows' Op. 106 Christmas Morning is interesting - to say the least! Again a silence followed by the Plainsong Introit: Puer natus est nobis - VII Tone The Mass setting is in French: Messe du Carmel by Ph. Robert - strange music!! The Credo is by Stephanie Caillat - hugely dissonant - I can't imagine this ever being sung in an English Parish church!!! At the Offertory - Il est ne le Divin Enfant Sortie: In Dulci Jubilo - Bach BWV 729 Wishing everyone a Happy and Holy Christmas - and an excellent New Year - when it comes!!

Fair enough!!!

I heard something a couple of months ago about Manchester but, whether it was reliable, I don't know which is why I wouldn't repeat it publicly here.

Being devil's advocate - how do you know?