Alistair McEwan
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Posts posted by Alistair McEwan
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I just thought all of you may be interested in how things are done elsewhere. Here is a webcast of the First Evensong of Christmas and Blessing of the Creché from the Cathedral Church of St. James of the Diocese of Toronto.
I must warn you though that the audio recording was not done very well but here is what you can do to make it sound like what it does in real life:
- turn up the volume on your media player, your computer, and your speaker or headphones
- if you have such settings on your player or sound card, change the equalizer to "Live" or "Vocal"
- if such setting exist for your sound card, change the listening environment to "Concert Hall"
Choir: Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, augmented by members of the Girls' Choir for this service.
DOM: Michael Bloss
Organist: Andrew Ager (except for the final hymn and voluntary: Michael Bloss)
Officiant: The Vicar, The Rev'd Canon David Brinton
Preacher: The Bishop of Toronto, The Rt. Rev'd Colin Johnson
Intercessor: Assistant Priest, The Rev'd Lisa Wang
http://events.onlinebroadcasting.com/angli...22406/index.php
If you would like more information on the cathedral, the choir or the organ, you can go to the cathedral website.
Interesting webcast.
Many thanks ecnice
A
(Scotland - 1.05am and the bagpipes are now silent!!)
- turn up the volume on your media player, your computer, and your speaker or headphones
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I only have one Ledger recording on the instrument. It was made whilst I was living in Cambridge and going to all the Saturday evening recitals and the odd midweek evensong. I can only say there must have been some very imaginative microphone placement for that LP, because on it the organ sounds nothing like it ever did in the chapel. In particular, the Great mixture sounds much more glittery. I remember playing it (the LP, not the organ) to a friend of mine, without telling him which organ it was; he was incredulous when I told him it was King's. So I wouldn't rely on those recordings to inform you what the instrument actually sounded like in the building.
Hands off the H&H Trombas! They aren't my favourite sound in the world, either, but they are an integral part of the instrument.
The Leicester Cathedral H&H Trombas (arguably worse than the King's specimens) may have been considered an integral part of that instrument but were wisely put in storage at the last rebuild and replaced by much more musical ranks of the same name. Can't see that happening at King's alas.
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Well that's it then!
I shall play what I said, including the Reubke, on the basis that the small audience will comprise of organists or organ-students.
Actually, I am always at great pains to ensure that everything I ever play in recital has to have a good tune or two, and also a bit of rhythmic life, and the Eastern Bloc pieces have just that in abundance.
I'd like to bet that people will be humming the little "Jan of Lublin" pieces, puzzling over the theme of the Seger Fugue based on the Czech carol and skipping along the pavement when they've heard the Brixi; unless of course, they are clutching at their prayer-books after hearing the "Rebuke."
Actually, I first heard the Reubke when I was 12, and I loved it immediately. In the technical stakes, it is perhaps one of the more accessible "big-works," and as music, one of the more immediately understandable. Apart from being quite exciting, it also contains extended moments of great lyrical beauty. It also tonal, which tends to help a bit.
Anyway, it's a damned sight better than anything Liszt ever wrote for organ IMHO.
Anyway, the "committee" can continue to offer their advice, but I retain the only vote!
Is the Reubke THAT awful as a recital work?
MM
Stick to your prog. MM - sounds very interesting.
I hope to travel the 150 miles (sorry,not on foot!) to swell the crowd.
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I do not think I have ever heard of one Jayne Mansfield.
One wonders if she reads the evening news?
R
How refreshing Roffensis - you are clearly a refined person of tender years!
Reading the news (at any time of day) was not an activity for which she was well known.
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Interesting point; perhaps someone can enlighten me why- a 32' Sub Bourdon AND a Quint 10.2/3................. ?
The independent Quint 10.2/3 rank in a scheme such as this is generally voiced to be used in conjunction with the Open Wood to create a more substantial 32' effect than the Sub Bourdon.
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Here's a recording of my Cor Anglais. Apologies for a) bangs and creaks (recorded at the console, player heavier than the stool would like)
poor playing c) choice of piece - it was on the top of the pile for some reasonhttp://rubbra.no-ip.org/solo_reeds.mp3
First is Cor Anglais, then Orchestral Oboe, then Corno di Bassetto, then Swell Hautboy.
Big bang between Corno and Hautboy is the swell box shutting.
Thankyou for the demo. Most helpful.
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Indeed - although I had remebered that it was named Voce Umana at York - is this no longer the case?
Yes, until the Coffin restoration in 1993. No idea why name changed.
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I don't - so it can't have been all that bad....Just after I left David H had the Swell Violin Diapason tuned sharp - I wouldn't let him do it while I was there....
York Minster - Violin Diapason unaltered, however Diapason Celeste formed from adjacent rank. Most effective too.
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I'm very firmly with pcnd on this, but for different reasons. The number of hours I work, or whether pre-service there isn't a lot of point in rolling out anything that took too long to prepare - too much talking and clattering around, pause for notices at about 3 minutes to, vestry prayers, processions, etc - all irrelevant, in my view. It's true that I would rather spend the time available working on the music for the service as paramount and after the service as secondary (which is always a piece from the literature, as NJA would say, except perhaps once or twice a term). But at the start of the service the music is trying to achieve something different. I try to make it relevant to one of the chorales in use at the service, or one of the readings, seasonal plainchant, the life of a saint on a saint's day, and try to vary the styles as much as I can while keeping in the general spirit of the service setting so the whole service unifies.
I'm not pretending to be marvellous or anything like that - some days are better than others - but PD's assertion that those who improvise quite a lot of the time are somehow starving a hungry world of "proper music" is one I take serious objection to. What could be more relevant or appropriate than something created to fit the mood of a place right now, and the mood, style and key of what's going to happen next? If PD actually objects to improvisation as in sticking a pedal note down and playing interlocking chords until something requires them to cease (in the wrong key, naturally), then I'm with him all the way. But improvisation just isn't about that.
I don't see it as a "cop out" at all; far from it. It is not an easy matter sitting down and delivering a structured and coherent piece of music with one kind of form or another, in a certain key, setting a certain and considered mood, making it blend seamlessly(ish) into the introduction to the first hymn when the choir get into position at the start (or return for the Agnus Dei at communion); or to sum up in 15 seconds the essence of a gospel reading in sound while the clergy process back. The number of eminent organ lofts I visit where I discover to my utter astonishment piles of these Kevin Mayhew-style books on 500 ways to modulate up a semitone, 6003 last verse arrangements, or 3.4 million things called "communion moods". Is any more than about half of the stuff in these books more inspired than what any one of us is capable of, having worked a bit at structure, form and confidence?
Improvisation is a perfectly valid skill to work on every bit as hard - if not even harder - than written down music, and that best comes with putting it into practice.
I agree, this is not a "cop out". Improvisation, musically aware of the moment, can be most uplifting. The best does indeed come with putting it into practice. For those uncertain about their skills in this area - reach for Kevin Mayhew or similar.
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Does anyone know if the new Matthew Copley organ with the 32ft pipework in the case has ever been installed in St Mary's Edinburgh ? According to the Matthew Copley website it says that it was due for completion last Easter but there has been no further news.
Martin
The new organ appears to have most of the pedal department in place and some Great pipework was in evidence on 21 August 2006. Renatus will re-commence erection of casework at the end of September. I would imagine the organ should be fully operational by early next year.
Alistair
poor playing c) choice of piece - it was on the top of the pile for some reason
Westminster Cathedral Organ
in The Organ
Posted
Ditto.
Two recordings to treasure.
Alistair