Paul Isom

I found myself looking through the 'V' section of my music library and found a mis-filed item 'Preludes and Voluntaries for the Organ - Book III' by Eric Thiman. This is a book that I must have been given as for me I would have considered a little lightweight. However, curiosity got the better of me and I played through the piece in the book on my organ at home and discovered that the content of the book is rather good. They're not long pieces, but all beautifully crafted and worth playing. I'm on the lookout for the rest of the volumes and have drawn a complete blank. Does anyone have copies that they no longer need and are prepared to part with them, or does anyone know where I might find copies (I have tried the normal routes already).?

Tonight was the first evensong with six of the men at Canterbury (dec and can men are alternating). It was pretty good and as you can gather, I am a very proud dad of twin choristers. Canterbury has a brilliant YouTube channel. Do investigate it as the boys and girls’ choirs have done a marvellous job keeping the music going under the most trying of circumstances.

Keep and ear out for Canterbury Cathedral's broadcast of choral evensong on the 14 October. I have a vested interest as my twin boys (now full choristers) are singing. From memory, the music is Stanford in A and I was glad - Parry. It should be a good shout! You will get a chance to hear the revamped organ and the terrifying Ophicleide on the Solo division. Evensong is currently in the nave and the organ certainly makes it's presence felt, the new pedal stops shaking the place. The choir will be singing in the choir of the cathedral for the broadcast, but not in the choir stalls. Tomorrow is the first day with the boys and men (Wood in Eb no. 2). All services are webcast and can be seen on Youtube. It's been really tough on the choristers as they are all socially distanced 6,7 and 8 in one bubble with the probs (year 4) and new full choristers (year 5) in the other which is slightly separated from the others.

I hear that the organ at Newcastle Cathedral has been coaxed back into life recently. I learnt this from a Facebook post which was basically suggesting that the Phoenix organ is up for sale. I think the intention is still to replace the Harrison/Nicholson organ. Nevertheless it's good to hear that the pipe organ has been reinstated, albeit for the time-being.

I can heartily recommend: https://www.carus-verlag.com/themen/programm-fruehjahr-2016/instrumentalmusik-zum-gotteslob/choralvorspiele-fuer-orgel-zum-gotteslob-bd-3-im-jahreskreis-i.html These are more substantial and rewarding hymn preludes and far superior to the conveyor belt music that has been appearing of late. There are four volumes and plenty of PDF previews to whet the appetite. I have just ordered a couple of volumes (via Amazon) which will arrive Friday and I can't wait!!

What tragic news.

I think that the rather fine Orgue de Choeur has survived (apart from the console which was destroyed). It is unusually large for such an instrument. I have an excellent recording of the organ works of Rene Vierne played by the current titulaire which is well worth buying.

I have just heard in the news that there has been a serious fire at Nantes Cathedral: https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/nantes-violent-incendie-dans-la-cathedrale-18-07-2020-8354811.php Another tragedy in France in addition to Notre Dame, Paris and Soissons. https://www.musiqueorguequebec.ca/orgues/france/nantescsp.html

Thank you - I found the impulse music one. It turns out that it is also published by Bardon as well. I have both albums on order!!!

I've just heard Daniel Cook playing the Alcock - Impromptu in G on his Youtube channel and would really like to get hold of a copy. There are two impromptus on IMSLP, one in Ab, the other in D (contained in 'The Organ). This one does not seem to appear anywhere. Does anyone have a copy that they might be able to scan for me??

I've been doing one of those completely fruitless tasks of trying to sort my music out. It's supposed to be in alphabetical order but still seems to be a mess. My organ music covers a wall of around 12' long by 6' high, so there's an awful lot of music (and I have still run out of room for all my Bach, the letter M and N) - and another trip to Ikea is needed! In amongst the music I found a wonderful piece by George Henschel - Prelude on a Hymn of All Saints (published by Crescendo Music Publications). It was written for Walter Vale who was Director of Music at All Saints, Margaret Street. The basis for the piece is the tune for the hymn 'In our day of thanksgiving'. It is a wonderful piece with the tune cleverly woven in the texture of the piece. There is more than a nod to JSB in the writing and it's generally beautifully crafted. There is also an extra arrangement for brass an organ included with the piece. Crescendo have a fascinating catalogue. Highly recommended! Needless to say, my music library is still in chaos!

Elphaba Music's Amazon storefront can be found at the following link. Just type in 'Organ' in the search and a whole new world will open up in front of you! https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?me=A2JBLM8OC7TA11&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P There is wealth of what seem to be Novello reprints, in fact all sorts of stuff. Delatour's link is here: http://www.editions-delatour.com/en/ There is a very good search engine here. I can also recommend Emile Bourdon's pieces and also those of Ermand Bonnal from this publishers. Also rather fine are a number of Lionel Rogg books (choral preludes and smaller pieces). I have an email address for Barry Jordan (publisher of the Dickinson): theorganists@talktalk.net

The Preludes and Fugues are great fun and are at various standards, some more challenging to play than others. The Fugues on the Theme 'FUGUE' are eminently playable. I also found some other pieces by A. J. Pritchard (sometime organist of St John's Wood Church) which are rather lovely. Other finds with Elphaba Music were a pile of Vernon Griffiths, Pierre Cholley and much much more!

Lockdown hasn't all been bad and it's allowed me to do some fairly serious music retail therapy thanks to Amazon and various other outlets. Two completely new composers for me are Alfred Dickinson and Ernest L. M. Pritchard. The Dickinson I found through listening to the excellent Youtube videos of Graham Barber. It is published by Barry Jordan music and available through the Leeds Organists Association. It's really lovely stuff - really indulgent! I found an outlet through Amazon called Elphaba Music and discovered a wealth of fascinating music (I cannot tell you how much money have spent with this outfit!). The real find for me has been the music of Ernest L. M. Pritchard (not A. J.). There isn't much, but what there is of great substance and is for the most part fairly tricky. In John Henderson's book he appears slightly dismissive of the really chromatic nature of the music (think Rowley on steroids). There is a Sonata in minor, Prelude, Postlude and a Fantasia, all worth trying. I understand that there was a Chester connection which might explain the dedicatee. Next on my list is Stephane Delplace, much of whose music is written in the Bachian style. There are two volumes each of thirty Preludes and Fugues, a series of Fugues on the theme 'FUGUE', Pieces d'Orgue, Non-Toccata and Fugue in F, (Edition Delatour) and Aria (unpublished). I have really enjoyed limbering up with Delpalce's music. The Aria sounds wonderful but is a real pig to play. Here is a fine recording from St Clothilde, Paris. Enjoy!

Here is a photo of the organ at the Reformed church in Middelstum which I play on a fairly regular basis. It's a fine organ with the console on the side and the stops above the head. Logic suggests that the layout of the stops is purely for simplicity of construction. There are two stops which shut off the wind to each manual which enables the player, or rather the assistant to make changes at an appropriate moment. I have to confess that I hate having a page turner or console assistant even on an organ like this. The last occasion I had to play this organ, I seem to remember that I had to play Stanford in G, Parry - I was glad and numerous other typically English pieces, together with a slow movement from WIdor 2. Playing an organ like this really teaches you economy in registration. The stops draw out a long way too which is a real pain. The Pedalboard was a swine too - toes only, no heels at all. Another stop on our most recent sojurn was to Anloo where I had the opposite problem. Everything widely spaced, pixie pedalboard and manuals, sharp pitch as well. The pitch was interesting with Stanford in G (we sang an Anglican choral evensong at their request) being played a semitone sharp. Curiously the Prestant stopknob on the Hoofdwerk was almost bent sideways towards the organist! The most comfortable organ on the trip was the Marcussen at the Doopsgezinde kerk in Groningen with a superb layout and one of the most comfortable pedalboards I have ever played. The slightly daunting prospect was sharing the stool with one of the organists from the Martinikerk. It was ok as her voluntary came from a Mahew organ album, so there's hope for us all!

Does anyone know this particular offering from his Six Pieces? If you have access to a score of this I'd be very interested. The player has sadly just died....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrztCovv6t0&feature=share

I have just come across the following television programme on the restored organ in St Stephan's Cathedral, Vienna. I can't imaging the BBC producing a programme like this..... https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/Eine-Riesenorgel-fuer-den-Stephansdom/13891546/ORF-III-Spezial-Eine-Riesenorgel-fuer-den-Stephansdom/14048094 Enjoy!!!

A long shot! I am visiting Breda next week for a meeting and will have a few hours to kill afterwards. Does anyone know of any decent book and music shops in the vicinity?

The latest three books to pop through my letterbox are: Organ Building in Georgian and Victorian England - Thistlethwaite The House of Brindley - Hughes Wilkinson and Sons of Kendall - a history by Alan Mason The first two tomes come at a hefty price tag, and as expected the Thistlethwaite book is a scholarly book detailing the history of Gray and Davison. The Hughes book is a great read, chock full of information on the company and organs of Brindley and Foster. The Wilkinson book is beautifully produced and is astonishing value for money at £20 inclusive of P & P. It’s an easy read with details of the history of Wilkinsons and their organs together with stoplists. There are many photos, including a large colour set at the back of the book. All highly recommended.

I’m waiting for my disc to arrive - how did you manage to load it on the Kindle?

Toccata on a Ukrainian carol by Gerald Near (carol of the bells).

The latest music to drop through my letterbox has been from B-note music publishers. It consists of two pieces by Bairstow - the first piece 'Legend' is not quite a luxuriant adagio, but has some real wow moments. From a personal perspective, I think that it is much better than the more well-known works. It's chock full of drama and harmonic twists. Definitely worth a go! I've also had a pile of music by Lothar Graap arrive. It's all rather nice approachable stuff, some of it really quite lovely. You can hear many of his pieces played by another fine composer, Carson Cooman on Youtube. I'm currently waiting for a volume of fairly substantial quiet pieces by Cooman to arrive.

Widor 2 - both slow movements too.

Not forgetting Reger's lovely Ave Maria too.

Thanks for this. A search and a fun bit of downloading has thrown up a few pieces of Oldroyd that I didn't know: A Canticle (Deus Misereatur) Prelude in F#minor Contemplation Neither of the pieces are very long, but all rather lovely in their own right. I really should have known these pieces as I served as temporary organist at St Michael and all Angles, Croydon for about a year following the departure of the DOM and before the late Michael Fleming's arrival. I was a great honour to preside over the rather fine organ, although the staircase often left me with stars in front of my eyes after running up there after communion! While it's not a 'luxuriant adagio' Oldroyd's Fantasy-Prelude is also worth a look, although it's mainly quite robust in nature. On the high church tack, I believe there is some organ music by Walter Vale (All Saints, Margaret Street) floating around as well. Please keep the suggestions coming, I'm having a great time searching, printing and playing!!!