John Furse

The choir stalls in the wonderful Ss Peter & Paul, Salle, Norfolk stand on something akin to a rather large guitar body. See: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salle,_Ss_Peter_%26_Paul_church,_choir_stalls_(28285923066).jpg and http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/salle/salle.htm The Tallis Scholars recorded several CDs there, taking advantage of the fine acoustics.

I feel I must leap, timorously and tardily, to the defence of Sir Charles. He only wrote seven symphonies, six Irish Rhapsodies, a couple of concertos and a stunningly stirring (listen to the Prelude) Stabat Mater. This last, being choral, obviously has relevance to his day-to-day liturgical output for the church. Notwithstanding his oft-stated debt to Brahms, I can hear some Dvořák in this; possibly a result of the influence of Irish folk music. Yes, the ‘in C’ Canticles are probably too often performed (and too fast, definitely) by choirs who may not quite have them under technical c

Whilst I've played a fair number of Spanish instruments, and performed on a few, I had a substantial interest in them in an earlier incarnation. I wouldn't, however, claim to be an expert. There is an entity known by some as the 'Iberian organ'. Yes, there are similarities between the instruments of these neighbours: horizontal reeds (not solely of a fanfare-type); an undeveloped pedal department; many instruments are one-manual; divided stops on the manuals; wide-scale principal stops, measured as above; a panoply of cornet-type stops; Epistle and Gospel organs in many larger buildings.

Mea culpa - possibly. One of the translations of Cheio is 'stuffed'. This is why I assumed what I assumed. For two neighbouring and related languages, Portuguese is very different from Spanish. Perhaps I should stick to the latter.

Open and stopped.

(In haste.) There are a couple of YouTubes. From 2010, a whole concert - with a choir in the latter half, console views and ORGAN conductor, for the first piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsqARwUW1ZU And, from 2015, one piece: There may be more, but I don’t have time, today.

Most of this wrote itself. All of my choices are familiar to me from either conducting, or playing them. It was only a slight surprise, on finalising the list, to realise that they were all English. Prelude: Henry Heron (Cornet) Voluntary no. 3 in D minor (ending on the same chord to start the Introit) Introit: Henry Ley Prayer of King Henry VI [Alternatives: a Cornet voluntary in C minor, into Henry Purcell Hear my Prayer] Responses: Rose (Smith, a close second) Psalms: 148, 149, 150 (Stanford) Canticles: Stanford in C (Howells’ St Paul’s Service ran th

BuxWV 188 - Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ It don’t look as if Buxtehude has many fans, at the mo. I fear I may be straying from the ‘prelude’ stipulation. Nonetheless, and moving boldly forward, this unprepossessing melody, in mainly stepwise steps, inspired Dietrich to compose this superb and lengthy Fantasia. I often find his music more ‘interesting’ than Johann Sebastian’s and there are many pieces of that description in his chorale preludes. This work contains two bars in the Pedal part worthy of, and as tricky as, some of the most difficult Dupré - remembering only ‘histori

David must have been the automatic choice to be the recitalist for the Inaugural Recital of Colchester’s restored Moot Hall organ, in May 2015. To a packed (invited) audience, he brilliantly displayed all the marvellous qualities of this important and historic instrument, which was built for that lovely Town Hall. Local lad made (very) good, he grew up and was educated in the Town (at the Royal Grammar School), before moving away to attend Bristol University. He was one of Colchester’s most distinguished sons yet, to use that cliché, he never forgot his roots. He was a fount of kno

On this Monday of Holy Week, our prayers are required: for the building, its fittings and windows . . . and organ(s).

There was me thinking, ‘I’ll have to put these dates in my Anna Magdalena notebook’ - then I saw them and realised I would be the other end of the country !

That would be wonderful, thank you, Robert.

What a beautiful signature !

If this happened in 1956, I would find that even more remarkable, Paul. If what you say is true (and I have no reason to doubt you) then, two years after the Royal Festival Hall organ (1954), with all its new-fangled German barockery, out of the blue (?) and in the Fens appears an Italianate confrère. I’m trying to put all this into context. Is there any ‘evidence’ that Drs Wills and Jackson communicated about this, with ‘influence’ going one way or the other ? Have you been able to unearth anything more, Robert (Sharpe), please ?

The Schulze went to Northampton, Rowland: http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=R01934. Here is another. This is a lovely-sounding instrument and a delight to play, in an attractive and historic church: http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N05945 When I referenced the mighty (1851) tome, I seem to recall it was a special edition of the Illustrated London News. I used to read this in the British Museum - which then held the British Library.