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John Furse

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Everything posted by John Furse

  1. Higginbottom was in post for 37 yearsIt is both a choral and academic post, which most cathedral jobs are not- although there is one of these only a few hundred yards awayQuinney was “invited to apply”"a position such as this comes up only once in a generation”The above seem to have been crucial factors in helping Mr Quinney make his decision. When one is ‘invited to apply’ for something, it is generally a shoe-in. I wish him the best and keenly anticipate ‘developments’ on the organ gallery.
  2. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loeBBzIaOFA Console from 4:01 to 4:11. I’m sure someone here can identify the peculiar style of the console. Console and pedal pipes with apparent totally enclosed case from 7:32 to 7:36. A gorgeous edifice (the building).
  3. I listened with much pleasure to Ben Bloor’s Voluntary at the end of this week’s Choral Evensong, from New College, Oxford: Buxtehude’s episodic Praeludium and Fugue(s) in G minor (BuxWV 149). I know this piece well- and was once fortunate to be able to play it in Buxtehude’s church at Helsingør. Registration and ornament (his, that is) were exemplary; with its pedalling, it was a very ‘northern European’ performance. Congrats to him. This organ does this kind of repertoire so well.
  4. This seems unlikely, given the enormous lack of comment on this extraordinary organ (just listen to it! I wonder which is that huge reed, towards the end of the Mussorgsky), but for those excitedly planning an excursion to northern Spain from the UK, an airline with a lotta orange flies to the closest airport, (Asturias) west of Gijón. Santander is another option, with Madrid more distant still. Leόn, on the main Camino de Santiago (this route, more properly the Camino Francés), is near some of the most historic (and well-preserved) organs in Spain. They inhabit the wheaty Tierra de Campos- particularly to the north-west of Palencia. (This is Francis Chapelet territoire.) Access for viewing/playing veers from the impossible to the absurdly easy: just roll up and ask. In some cases, there is a notice on the church door, informing you where to obtain the key(s), you knock on that door and are told to get on with it, once basic decencies have been observed. It does help, of course, to be able to convey what you wish in Spanish. For those unfamiliar with the Kleuker in the wonderfully named Notre Dame des Grâces au Chant d'Oiseau, in Brussels, I provide a link to the spec: http://musiqueauchantdoiseau.edicypages.com/organe-stops And, for fans of Detlef’s work, there is a (more conventional), 3-manual (as far as I can recall) treat in store in the lovely town of Potes, some 90 miles to the north-east of Leόn and on the eastern boundary of the glorious Picos de Europa national park.
  5. A little more from the Klais website: http://www.orgelbau-klais.com/m.php?sid=190&q=leon http://leonoticias.com/frontend/leonoticias/El-Poder-De-Un-Sueno-impn124866 From the immediate above, is gleaned the cost (€1.7M) and that the console is on wheels. UK organists venturing here will find it more than awkward to conjure an appropriate combination of sounds for Howells, even with judicious couplings. A stunning, architectural rendering from on high: http://sofcaple.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/organo_leon.jpg Photos: http://leonesesproorganocatedral.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/b-copia.jpg http://www.abc.es/Media/201309/20/organo-leon-Europa--644x362.jpg http://www.leonoticias.com/adjuntos/fichero_94752_20131019.jpg http://www.leonoticias.com/adjuntos/fichero_93231_20130920.jpg (NB that the console comes equipped with spectacle case, in pleasing, yet contrasted colour) One translation from news items runs (Guillou) ‘took Bach by the arm and catapulted him over the walls’ ! There is a YouTube clip, where there is music reminiscent of Mussorgsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afdP0E8ZQrU And this (http://www.leonoticias.com/frontend/leonoticias/La-Catedral-De-Leon-Vibra-Bajo-Los-Acordes-De-Su-nuevo-Organ-vn127087-vst240) includes a brief Corneta from a news item, played by the Cathedral Organist, Samuel Rubio. I can’t help feeling sad that the mélange of languages in the stop-list does not include one stop in Spanish. This is the link to the International Organ Festival, which should prove much more exciting this year: http://www.fiocle.org
  6. It’ll certainly be colourful ! In that building, it should sound fabulous. In that building, anything should sound fabulous. What is important is that it should be able convincingly to perform the Iberian Baroque school- amongst others. It does have Epistle and Gospel organs (north and south sides of the Coro)- even if these would not have been able to be played by the same performer, back in the day. I do, however, lament the absence of 32’s and, to pick up AJJ’s point, there is a baffling lack of 4’ and 2’ tone, where one should expect it. Despite the ‘Guillou effect’, it would take a lot of fiddling to get close to the sounds required for Messiaen’s Joie et clarté (which my spell check annoyingly, if amusingly, rendered as ‘claret’). The more I look at this, the more perplexed I become. There is only ONE 4’ Principal manual rank in all six manual divisions- and that’s on the ‘main manual’. With this bizarre (I hesitate to say) specification, it would have made sense (or is that something else lacking?) to have been able to split Manual II, in line with ‘Spanish practices’. ¡Gloria a Dios en las alturas!
  7. Rather surprised that this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03q5hb2 hasn’t merited a mention, yet. In my opinion, it should be ranked as one of the classics- and that’s even before one listens to it. A respectful homage to the musical devotions of the (recently) late Sir John Tavener, it could hardly have included more of his music in the format of the service. Where Sir John had not composed something suitable, the substitutes were aptly chosen. The voluntary was by Messiaen- another deeply religious visionary able to conjure up both the abyss and the ecstasy of his faith. I’m sure he would have approved: masterly ! Thank you, Mr C.
  8. Although many are 'sniffy' about The Crucifixion (as I was), it was not until I conducted it that I was able to see/hear its many compositional qualities and deep sense of devotion. Similarly, when I sang his anthem I Saw The Lord and was struck by its power. Stainer was organist at Tenbury (at 16), Magdalen, then St Paul's- where he was deputising when only 15 and whose 1872 Father Willis he was said to have designed. These all had four manuals. I believe, were he to have accompanied this on such an instrument, he would have availed himself of the complete range of possibilities and not restricted himself to the performing 'instructions' for amateurs. Therefore, treat the "suggestions" in the score as Cruci-fiction, and . . . Go for it, Philip !
  9. In prayer, I remember a lovely man. With gratitude, I recall some marvellous courses: e.g. Jacques van Oortmerssen on Sweelinck, Harald Vogel on Buxtehude. Soon after his masterful restoration of the Father Willis in Totnes, I was fortunate to play a recital; another time, one on the totally different 'Dutch' organ, in the same town. A great privilege. His meticulous craftsmanship will act as one memorial. His organs will last down the generations. Bill, RIP.
  10. Of course- occasionally. But, most of the time ? Do we really wish to 'retrogress' one thousand years ? A solution could be to start 'investigating' the hundreds of Mag&Nuncs composed in the Renaissance. The trebles could sing the top line/s, with the organ replacing the lower voices. This is musicologically acceptable and would maintain high musical standards- for both performers and listeners. In fact, it would be a vast expansion of the repertoire usually heard in the Anglican cathedrals.
  11. Well, I tried the plain text option: didn't work for me, with no pasting possible. I still feel it may be my (high) browser security settings, but don't know enough to temporarily disable them- or, indeed, if that is either sensible or desirable.
  12. The situation at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban is not quite analogous, surely ? The most important difference is the lack of a choir school. [There is an interesting distinction between the Cathedral (boys') and Abbey (girls') Choirs.] But, even with two high voice choirs, my other point remains about the repetition of repertoire. With the amount of choice (not!) of Mag&Nuncs for treble voices available when I was a cathedral chorister (admittedly a half-century ago), there was no way one could get through a year of evensongs four or five times per week, without singing the same stuff over and over again. Obviously, more has been composed subsequently; is it enough to satisfy the above requirements ?
  13. Thanks for this, Colin. This may be the answer (or some of it). However, I'm still having reduced functionality with this- inputting the text directly. I cannot change the font, for example. I haven't explored other editing options- and do not hope to understand programming, just use its results.
  14. Is it really proposed not to have any ATB on weekdays ? If so, those poor trebles would be repeating the same Mag&Nuncs ad nauseam. Unless, of course, there happens to be a resident JSB equivalent, who would have to furnish so much more than one cantata per week- and so much more quickly. In the worst scenario, the Opus Dei will fast become attenuated. It is just about tolerable, when 'Trebles only' once a week. The morale and enthusiasm of those in charge of the music will quickly suffer, in these circumstances. The 'second' organist has already disappeared from the Music Staff list. Professor Ashley proposes an innovative (for the UK) way forward, with a situation similar to that of the Thomanerchor, or Regensburger Domspatzen. In fact, on Mondays, the Choir Schedule already shows the Cathedral School Choral Scholars as singing the services. For how long this has been going on, I've no idea. With the Trebles, is this the replacement choir ? May we live in interesting times, indeed. [The functionality is still much reduced for me- I'm still unable to paste from a Word doc and have several long posts pending. I have a feeling it's to do with browser security. AJJ: did your Microsoft friend proffer any advice, please ? This is so annoying.]
  15. I wish I did, AJJ. I usually draft text in a large-scale font in Word, for ease of viewing, then paste. This, of course, seems no longer to be possible. I can also not change the font; this is annoying, as 'Ariel' allows some infelicities. ADMINISTRATOR: please help !
  16. Thank you, SlovOrg. Not sure how I missed that, the second time around. I think this instrument looks fabulously gorgeous.
  17. I read this (AO article) online, somewhere. Possibly, via the builders' website or Merton, itself. Whatever, the link now seems to have been taken down.
  18. The Cymbelstern was activated at the end of the Magnificat- especially composed by Richard Allain. Six bells, when eight were nearly due.
  19. I only heard a little of this live, in the car. At the end, difficulties in the broadcast were mentioned. Does anyone know what these were ? The closing voluntary was taken at such a lick, it more resembled Howells of anguish, than the Psalm Prelude I used to play. The mike placement sounded quite distant, too (?). I do like their splashy Tuba (18), though.
  20. Twaddle (noun): “trivial or foolish . . . nonsense.” ? ? ? I’m sure Britten achieved quite high marks in his harmony exercises (notwithstanding his diatribe against the Gresham’s music teacher) and that his harmonisations of the various hymns in St Nicholas & Noye’s Fludde were, as his arrangement of the National Anthem, designed to be different. His ear, as James Blades attests, was most acute. Colin Matthews, who worked as his assistant/amanuensis, describes his ear as “impeccable”. As for the Jubilate in C, a miniature masterpiece of Mozartian perfection, hands would have been available for registration on both sides of the player at St George’s, Windsor. (I have never understood why many organists here shun the use of registrants. Perhaps it’s that we have more pistons, etc, than most continentals.) Britten’s writing for keyboard and his virtuoso ‘manual’ technique surely cannot be questioned. However, when I first played through its accompaniment, I did think a third leg (not necessarily as many as the 10-armed and 10-legged Mahakali. Where would you rest most of them, anyway?) would have been useful ! A Hymn of St Columba is, for some reason, far less frequently performed; possibly because of its liturgical ‘rarity value’. A Dies irae paraphrase, it is a powerful and totally unified work- in the manner of a Rolls Royce purring along at 60mph. There is an amount of heavy pressure on the accelerator (swell pedal/s); it is another miniature masterpiece (!), with a meltingly tender centre, yet with more than a hint of foreboding. A 1986 recording from Westminster Cathedral (Hill, O’Donnell) is, in my opinion, a menacing benchmark. I feel that there should be dark reed colour captured in the Swell (and Choir, if enclosed) and used throughout. It would be interesting to find out Philip’s opinion, post performance, of the Hymn to St C.
  21. The Britten has usually received unsympathetic comments. It is so odd: he wrote marvellously, idiomatically, and with originality, when using the organ to accompany a choir. The cameo appearances of a chamber organ in the War Requiem are no less striking. However, this piece may have suffered from being composed too quickly and with no time for adequate reflection. Perhaps, he just did not care deeply enough about it. He didn’t compose any other solo organ music which he allowed to be published in his lifetime; this could be telling. I feel that the programme for the service this week could not have been chosen with the demonstration of the potential colours of this instrument to the fore. This is a shame. There were possibilities in the psalm (and hymn) accompaniment and I have heard the Jackson Canticles registered with much more magic and the Prelude with more drama. Perhaps the recording had a part to play, as pcnd5584 has implied; it sounded to me as if the mikes were rather distant from the organ. The sound seemed to change, once the Fugue had begun; was the dreaded compression once more in evidence, or had the balance been tweaked ? We will obviously need to wait awhile for considered judgement.
  22. What I had missed (re my #6, and all were far too polite to point out), was that the introit had been changed, in tribute to Sir John- it was now his The Lamb. There is a fine performance (of course) of Tavener’s God Is With Us here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9haxjywIDVQ . This is one of those pieces that transcend ‘overwhelming’, when the massive organ chords appear, after the words “Christ is born”.
  23. In quick searches, I’ve found nowt on either the Cathedral’s or H&H’s websites. Could this “NEW 5M organ” actually be a form of shorthand for “New, £5,000,000 organ” ?
  24. And, in eery coincidence, today’s Choral Evensong, from Christ Church, Oxford, had Sir John’s Nunc dimittis already on the Music List. Radio 3, as could be expected, have done his music proud today, with several pieces and excerpts that I’ve heard- befitting his status as one of the UK’s major (mainly) 20th century composers.
  25. Totally agree with #3. I remember being blown away by “The Whale”, in the late 60s; but there is so much significant liturgical (and similar) music, of great import and depth. We all know “The Lamb”, but his “Away In A Manger” was commissioned by King’s in 2005 and available, not on their double CD of such carols, but on a solo Tavener album. For the only organ piece (“Mandelion”) of which I’m aware, see discussion at: http://mander-organs-forum.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/2388-mandelion-john-tavener/
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