jackaubrey

It's simple to manage: politely inform organists requesting to play the instrument that your work schedule precludes meeting them until (date and time of your choosing and at your convenience). BTW you are not alone, most of us work very hard.

Chris Barton is leaving St Woolos after an exceptionally long innings. He has always seemed very active and enthusiastic and I have enjoyed the times we have worked together. "After 35 years as organist and master of the choristers, Christopher Barton has tendered his resignation with immediate effect. On behalf of the Cathedral Chapter and the whole Cathedral community, I place on record our thanks to Christopher for his long and committed service to the choir and wider musical life of the Cathedral. The training and musical opportunities he has brought to successive generations of choristers have made his name synonymous, for many, with St Woolos' Cathedral choir. We also wish to thank Christopher, Jo, Oliver and Francesca for the contribution they have made to the whole life of the Cathedral. We wish them every blessing for the future".

Towards the topic title, Wikipedia provides a list of music students by teacher, where you can spend some time tracing connections: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_students_by_teacher

Thankyou for the invitation. I am glad to read that you have taken on board my suggestion of hosting visitors at quieter times.

A visiting organist would expect to play the complete organ. That isn't a demand but a reasonable expectation. I'm glad you have a personal invitation to visit the organ at Wimborne, and it sounds like the chamade ventil will be unlocked for you too! Enjoy!

I'm sorry that you do not understand my logic, which is that the resident organist should know that a visiting organist would certainly wish to use the chamade stop, the most exciting and forceful stop on the instrument, and therefore should have made arrangements for access to the organ at an appropriate quiet time.

It's wonderful to hear that well respected musicians such as David Drinkell continue the tradition of offering a warm welcome to visiting organists in their organ loft. I remember with great pleasure my inspirational visits to Peterborough, Liverpool, York and St Paul's and I am sure many others have cherished recollections. How sad then that at Wimborne, Milton Abbey and other places deliberately prevent visitors using certain stops on the organs thereby depriving them of a full experience of the instrument and probably the feature that makes it of interest anyway. Surely, a better plan is to make arrangements for visitors to play the complete organ outside of regular opening hours or at times when visitor numbers are low eg 9.00am. In post #56 above. I see the person at fault to be PCND himself and regard the Minster's action with the ventil stop as petty and mean. Let's hope that organists (especially young ones) continue to be fully welcomed at the organs they wish to visit, and let's do all we can to welcome and inspire organists.

Bumped into these on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORGAN-PIPES-YORK-MINSTER-/141347004804?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item20e8f02184 And wondered which incarnation of the York instrument (if any) they may be from and why they were discarded. On a similar note, what other relics of previous instruments are still lurking in Cathedrals? For starters, I believe the celestial organ at Westminster Abbey and the ?echo organ at Leeds are still in situ - where they left for possible future use (!) or to save the expense of removal? Also, there is the old console in St Patrick's Dublin. Any others? John

Hi Colin This sounds an interesting article: I don't have access to the issue you mention and wonder if you or some other kind person could give us further information from Paul's editorial? Mixture composition is an area I am increasingly interested in but know little about. John

A large proportion is to be an electronic concoction, so doesn't really count! I own a property immediately across the road from the Castro,so if it were to be a real 7 manual pipe organ I would be it's greatest fan! John

There is a great example of the master's art with PM's improvisation on the tune "Westminster Abbey" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx4lhlOTJHo Taken from the ?Cantoris tape "Marshalling and Organising" that I must have lying around somewhere. In my opinion, this stands up to any of the current improvisation offerings John

here it is: http://youtu.be/81WMhZXU6GU John

I don't think it is Willan - have a look at this wonderful interview with him on Canadian TV from the 1960's. John PS Am I alone in always thinking of Francis Jackson's marvelous recording at York when I hear the name Willan?

A five manual?!? I hope so....

Sad to hear this news - I appreciate some of his music. Did he write anything for the organ? John

I very much enjoyed David's performance - it was a "lollipop" of the organist when I attended school in the 1980's.

There was a pleasant drama by Stephen Wyatt on Radio 4 yesterday, and it's available on the BBC Iplayer. Buxtehude wishes to retire, but tradition dictates his successor must marry his eldest daughter.......enter Handel and Bach... John

He was DofM at my old school Worksop College before moving to Malvern College in the 1950s I think. I have read somewhere, maybe an old school magazine, sbout broadcast choral evensongs and his involvement with the RSCM. I also recall he write the school hymn - I'll check on that. Your student could contact both schools for any info they may have.

Hear! Hear!

We know that a radio broadcast is a compromise, and I'm not concerned with the quality of the choir or precentor at Lincoln - there are other boards to discuss that. I was transfixed by the peformance, the outstanding musicianship of the organist and the thrilling sound of the organ in his hands. As a school Director of Music, the keyboard I play most these days is on the computer: hearing playing of this calibre is inspirational and I will have to get Colin in for a masterclass with my four organ students.

If you get a chance, listen to the organ voluntary from Lincoln in this weeks Choral Evensong. Colin Walsh's reading of Allegro from Symphony no.2 is outstanding and the organ, as always, sounds magnificent.

Britten had lessons on the organ of St John's Church, Lowestoft and was a member of the choir. The church was just along the road from Britten's childhood home, but is is now demolished. The fairly substantial organ was removed to St Andrew's Church in nearby Gorleston. Somewhere I have a photo of Britten at this organ. I have heard that he played the organ for services in Aldeburgh church once or twice - now that would have been worth hearing!

A large 3m Gray and Davison, in the miniature cathedral chapel of Clumber Park , a NT property in Notts. http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=A00709 When the Chapel was built the Duke of Newcastle established a Choir School and hired domestic and ground staff who could sing in the back rows.

A Lady Gaga organ fugue?

Thanks David.