Nic DAVIDSON PORTER

Thank you all very much for your replies to my query; I was worried I might be stirring up a hornets' nest. Brizzle, you really hit the nail on the head with your comments; my use of the adjective "unusual" was a mixture of tongue-in-cheek/diplomatic. I am no musician, but my (university) language and linguistics training led me to a feeling of something approaching horror when I stumbled across his website; I was reading a lot around Elgar at the time. Wright's opinions are vitriolic; I can only hope that his music is better ! By the way, I must point out that the RCM David Wright is DCH , and not DCF. I shudder to think what an entire book even co-authored by DCF might have been like... I am trying hard to show courtesy, but it is something he rarely seemed to accord his victims. I am not a "book-burner", but can't help thinking that it is probably a good thing that his website is slowly being dismantled...

Memories of some unusual reviews took me to the late Dr. Wright's website this evening; just in time, as it is announced that the site will close on 20th December 2020... Have any amongst you any experience of his Three Pieces for Organ, op. 1, or his Passacaglia, op. 30 ? I am currently separated from my copy of Dr. Henderson's Encyclopaedia, but I do not recall any mention of Dr. Wright's compositions therein. With all best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

One of my favourite LPs in my Dad's collection was the Vlach Quartet amd Miroslav Kampelsheimer on harmonium playing Dvorak's op. 47 Bagatelles, now on YouTube if you are curious. It sounds like an "American Organ", and I'm guessing they were written after his period in the USA.

Konstantin Reymaier has made a CD for Deutsche Grammophon, which was only released on Friday (2nd October); I don't know yet if it's for German-speaking territories only, but if it is, www.jpc.de is a good source. Interestingly, one major piece is the Elgar sonata (I believe KR spent a few years in Cambridge). Makes me think of the New York Phil playing the Enigma Variations under the baton of one Gustav Mahler. Elgar is definitely not as insular / English as is often made out !

In general, and not pointing in any particular direction, I am a little concerned at the tone of one or two comments recently. Some questions are best left unanswered, and some unasked. Please be mindful to show a tad more tact, diplomacy and optimism towards both our new hosts and our previous one. It must be a tricky situation all round, and assumptions should not be made. An aside, re the Walschaerts valve-gear, when my ex and I lived in the Swiss Federation, four years were in the village of Blonay (a home to Paul Hindemith, who I am reliably informed had a magnificent train set in his attic; we also were on the cooking rota for train crews at the Blonay - Chamby Musee de Chemin de Fer).

I am just SO relieved that this one is finally being restored. I remember going up to Manchester as a youngish teenager in 1975 for the International Organ Festival; Kamiel d'Hooghe gave a great performance of Vierne III, despite the organ limping along somewhat.

Pity the poor lute players and flute players... Meanwhile, I am off to rid my houses of lice and mice; after that a spot of grice-shooting will be a pleasant end to the day...

This has cheered me up no end ! My very best wishes to all concerned.

Quite simply, news that I never expected to hear. I pray that some sort of rescue package may be put in place. A terrible loss to the organ building world.

Mentioning Mendelssohn, War March of the Priests seems to get a lot of thumbs ups on YouTube, probably because of the famous film... For anybody who DOES like Wagner, it seems to work pretty well on the organ. The Act I prelude to Lohengrin springs to mind..I know it's a thorny issue to broach, but I often think concert hall / town hall recitals will pull bigger audiences, most likely because audiences are already familiar with them as a local orchestral venue. Sad to say, but there are some people who will avoid a church at any cost. Make of that what you will...

Oddly, I find the Reubke sonata about the only memorable German Romantic piece, amongst enormous swathes of WBD (worthy but dull...) The entirety of Rheinberger's solo organ output springs to mind, which is a pity, as his concerti are well worth hearing, and his music for organ and strings is great. Believe me, I have REALLY tried to like Rheinberger's sonatas, but...

It wasn't "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" by any chance ??!

I remember living in Lausanne; one day, I stood utterly transfixed on a corner, listning to a superb accordionist, whom I later discovered to be Russian, playing music that was so wonderful, but very familiar. I just couldn't place it. Then it dawned on me: BWV 543, the entirety of the Suite Gothique, and THAT French toccata. I never thought that an accordeon could "do" a Bosendorfer Imperial, or a Father Willis...

Those of you that enjoyed Jennifer Bate's Bach from the RAH may be interested to know that, on YouTube, there are 3 LPs worth of Ralph Davier / Ake Leven, including over 50 mins of Bach. Also an LP of "French". and "Encores." All very welcome.