Alistair McEwan
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Posts posted by Alistair McEwan
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As this topic has re-appeared after 12 months I just thought I'd mention, for anyone interested in organs north of the border, that the Crichton and St. John's have appeared at last on NPOR with some photos.
DT
Many thanks for updating the information on these two fine organs. I was fortunate to have regular access to the Lewis organ whilst a schoolboy in Dumfries many years ago.
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Mind you - the content of the 2nd manual looks nice - where have all the Brustwerks gone?
Manual II
Bordon 8
Gemshorn 8
Celeste gamba 8
Konicasta flavta 4
Flageolet 2
Krumhorn 8
Tremulant
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Looks nice and sounds delightful. A fine instrument IMHO !!
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"Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the (Schindler) heavens. "....
Pierre
Nice one Pierre !
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As we know (from Christmas cards) all organists are Angels so, what is the translation of "Give us the wings of Faith"? Will the cry from a-loft be Geben Sie uns die Flügel des Glaubens?
Perhaps simply "Wo zum Teufel ist der Lift Ingenieur?"
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This is interesting. Thank you for posting this, David.
At least it will be better than the toaster. The schemes look reasonably useful on paper, apart, perhaps, from the slightly silly name for the solo reed.
I agree. Perhaps the reed is being donated by an enthusiastic VIP. A nightmare for the engraver in any case - tiny print or a very large drawstop.
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Has anyone noticed that the (very small) photo of the console seems to have been designed along Harrison lines, with curved jambs, and also the rather distinct design of the Harrison expression appears to have been emulated (in wood??).
Are there any more photos coming???
Hector
The console does indeed look very H&H and not a typical Klais style (if there is such a thing).More pictures are likely in the new year once the scaffolding has been removed.
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Any more news on Leeds?
According to the Cathedral website, voicing is presently in progress and the Inaugural Concert will take place on 16th May 2010 given by Benjamin Saunders. There is also a small picture of the handsome 4 manual console.
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I find that very disappointing indeed. The church exists, first and foremost, for people; whether you believe or whether you don't, it's possible for us all to unite around that and recognise the good it's possible to achieve. Those within the church community (and the word church refers to people, not bricks and mortar) have a moral, spiritual and biblical duty to reach out to all those without.
To tell people, scornfully or otherwise, that what is special to them is not welcome and cannot be accomodated because it doesn't conform to your own presupposition of what is correct instantly alienates them from the church - or rather, the church from them. (And what on earth is wrong with singing a Spiritual, anyway?)
Why should crematoria and registry offices have exclusive rights over making people feel cared for and accomodated? If you put ritual and correctness and proprietry over concerns of humanity, spirituality and community, then perhaps the Freemasons are for you.
Well said David.
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I have just returned from Wayne Marshall's concert on the Royal Albert Hall organ this evening and wondered if anyone else had been there. Was it just me or did most of the programme appear to be played at break neck speed? I expect variations in tempo from different organists, but when it becomes difficult to recognise the piece being played, I find it hard to appreciate the music.
There was certainly a great deal of technically superb playing, even if the 16' pedal pipes clearly were not impressed by being asked to repeat quicker than it takes them to sound in the first place. The sound of the instrument was very good, despite the poor acoustics. It must take a week or two to tune the whole thing.
There was a relatively high level of background noise, either a heating system or perhaps even the organ wind (surely dealt with in the recent restoration). We were sat at the other end of the Hall, so up close it will have been intrusive during the quieter pieces of music.
I was surprised to find that the next RAH organ concert is not until next summer, obviously one or two other things happen there in between.
I'm in London until Saturday, any suggestions for other concerts?
[
You may like to consider the following:
Thursday 13.10 All Hallows by the Tower
Friday 12.30 St Stephen's Walbrook
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There was a poll on this a year or so ago.
I think that with my big feet and old age I would play more correct notes on a straight and concave than radiating and concave. Lots of people will say you can get used to anything - but there are physical limits i.e you can't shrink the width of your feet!
Are there any real advantages to R&C? It's certiainly not an authentic pedal board for most of the major organist-composers.
I wonder if the rebuilt organ at St Albans has a straight and concave pedal board now - I wasn't sure from the photos I saw at the recent Festival - if so, that would be a turning point for UK Cathedral consoles?
NPOR states R&C at the 2008 rebuild - not surprising really ! I regularly play for services (nothing demanding required) on 3 instruments with Straight & Flat, Straight & Concave and R&C respectively. I find the Straight & Concave the most comfortable of the 3 but a lot depends on the dimensions.
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Lack of space could have been the reason, however, having played this organ many years ago, I suspect the reason was to remove the temptation of coupling to pedals and manuals as one can do with a full compass solo reed !
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Update for Fanfare Trumpet enthusiasts: H&H will add the bottom octave in 2011/12 !
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http://iof.pipechat.org/ldgal.htm
(I have never heard of a Llamarada organ as in the Walt Disney instrument - are there many such around?
P
New to me also. Llamarada: (Spanish) sudden blaze, flare-up, outburst. Lots of fiery reeds I guess.
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St Patrick's Huddersfield
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saundersbp/S...tion21July2009#
Thanks Ben for more splendid photographs Just 19 weeks to go !
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Thanks, I saw it once on a Fanfare Trumpet at Holy Trinity Sloane Square, London. do you think it was because there was no space to fit the bottom octave pipes?
Lack of space could have been the reason, however, having played this organ many years ago, I suspect the reason was to remove the temptation of coupling to pedals and manuals as one can do with a full compass solo reed !
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Probably not - I'll get the choir to turn up with kazoos and comb and paper.
This, however, seems a bit OTT:
P
That's showbusiness folks. Rodgers have promoted their products in this fashion over a long period, simply updating as necessary! Clearly designed to appeal to the general public rather than the liturgical organist.
Good luck with the kazoos.
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Mr and Mrs Phant and their awfully loud son Ollie
Mr and Mrs Gamba and their daughter Belle
Mr and Mrs Tina and their sweet daughter Dulce
Mr and Mrs Harmonique and their stunning daughter Cor
and finally Mr and Mrs Flote and their son Travers
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The NPOR specification doesnt reveal the amount of extension in the pedal organ. I assumed that the new West Great division would be going up on that arch, as you put it, if not, where is the West Great planned for?
Tucked away on the Cathedral website is the specification which reveals the extended ranks on the Pedal Organ as follows:
Open Wood 32,16,8
Bourdon 16,8
Principal 8,4
Trombone 32,16
Bombarde 16.8
No surprises there !
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Whilst driving back from St Albans just now, and thinking about the recent rebuilt there, I started to ponder on cathedrals and larger churches which have recently added a 32' reed to the organ....
Off the top of my head:
St Albans, Exeter, Gloucester, St Davids, Sherborne Abbey, and soon-to-be Cirencester PC.
Also, I was thinking about Cathedrals which do not (yet) have 32' reeds......
Southwell (digital basses), Bradford, Carlisle, Truro, Bristol, Derby......and of course many RC cathedrals...
Can anyone add to the list?
Best wishes
Richard
Anglican Cathedral organs without 32' reeds. Examples not mentioned elsewhere: Chelmsford, Leicester and Oxford.
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Thank you. More pictures uploaded today
Excellent pictures Ben, much appreciated.
Alistair
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Did I read somewhere that the new Nave division at Llandaff will not be sited in the George Pace case on the arch (with the Epstein Majestas) as was the HNB Positif, presumably on grounds on accessibility?
JS
The Great Organ is to be located in the north choir, so perhaps the West Great will occupy the west facing case in the north choir aisle - though hardly an ideal position. We shall see next Easter all being well !
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Oh dear, this is quite depressing. They said anything by Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles, and everything I've seen so far on Youtube seems to be a ballad by a man who'se heartbroken at the breakup of his relationship. Please, did these folks ever compose anything romantic...
The popular song "Isn't she lovely" can be downloaded from musicnotes.com for a modest cost and in a key of your choice!
The "she" refers to a baby girl rather than a bride however the punters are unlikely to complain.
Have fun.
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Judging by how shimmery the dresses are, I'd guess your assumption about which generation is correct! Is she still going?
Born in 1941 one would hope so !
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Surely this is more worthy for posting in 79 days time.
A most appropriate response IMHO.
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I have to say that WM's recital this afternoon was one of the most gripping I have heard in a very long while. No quirks, just superlative playing. Bravo!
Well said Vox. Great credit to the organ which coped wonderfully with the many demands made upon it.
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Youtube
in General discussion
Posted
Many thanks for this link. As DW would say - stupendous !
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