Zimbelstern
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Posts posted by Zimbelstern
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For those who haven't already seen it, the current "Organists' Review" carries an article by Stuart Neame stating that there is statistical proof that Bach was, after all, the composer of the famous Toccata in D minor, BWV 565. Neame's very convincing hypothesis is that Bach wrote it as a teenager, deliberately making it appear to be an improvisation which he committed to memory and used when demonstrating the Arnstadt organ he had been commissioned to inspect, in order to impress the authorities there with his abilities in the hope that he might be appointed organist (which he was).
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I think an organist, choirmaster/mistress, director of music has every right to make their views known regarding the musical content of a service. In fact, the Canons of the Church of England state that the incumbent should consult him or her, although the minister's word is final. Highly trained musicians are precisely that: experts in their field. Not many ministers of religion are these days, and would be wise to listen carefully to the expert they are paying to deliver the musical content of the service. Otherwise you might just as well put on a CD. It has nothing to do with elitism.
Having said that, a very good musician should be able to take a song and make it better, to partially quote the Beatles. If I were asked to play Shine Jesus Shine I would consider whether the arrangement in front of me was suitable for the liturgical context, congregation, instrument and any other singers/ musicians involved. Perhaps consider showing the congregation how the melody could be used as the basis or theme for a high-quality improvisation, or prelude, or voluntary. It should also be borne in mind that renaissance composers of masses and motets wove popular tunes, such as "L'homme armé" into their works.
And finally, there's nothing that can disarm the narrow, blinkered, musically illiterate brigade more than an allround musician who knows their stuff both in relation to classical music and modern band-led worship songs. There's a lot of dross out there, but there are also some very good worship songs, by writers such as Paul Oakley, Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin and, yes, Graham Kendrick. I don't think Shine Jesus Shine is one of his best songs, and it's become hackneyed through overuse. But even this song, played well, at the right tempo, using the full resources of the organ, in a good arrangement, can be effective. What is far worse is good music played badly.
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Brilliant! Thank you so much! I've already ordered it from Abebooks.
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I'm very keen to buy the book "Mystic Modern: The Music, Thought, and Legacy of Charles Tournemire" (Church Music Association of America 2014), but it is not available in the UK, and in spite of Brexit it is extraordinarily expensive and complicated to carry out the simple transaction of buying a book from the USA. It's available from Amazon US or the publisher, but shipping time is around two months and costs £20, which on principle I'm not prepared to pay. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum is visiting the States in the near future and could buy this book for me. In return, I'd be happy to donate the £20 to the Organists Charitable Trust, with Gift Aid added in. This seems to be be the only book of any substance about this extremely important composer.
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Further to my last post, I have discovered that there is a device on the market called the Bite Switch. It is apparently used by photographers and sky divers! It looks as though it fits on the head rather like those microphones that television presenters wear. It would be great if this could be used on the same principle as the tablet foot device.
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I have one of these, but it's not much use for an organist who wishes to turn his or her own pages! Can some boffin adapt it to work with another (free) part of the body - perhaps something you hold between you teeth and clench when you want to turn the page. Or maybe a sensor that can be stuck under the keys of one of the manuals next to the registration buttons.
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I am currently relearning this piece and need guidance on phrasing the dotted quaver/ semiquaver groupings in the first section. The problem is that Bach slurs only two notes in the first half of the section (e.g. bars 5-7), but then changes this later on to four notes (e.g. bars 25-28). How should I slur the unmarked groupings?
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I have been reading Alan Mould's marvellous book "The English Chorister. A History" (2007) and found some interesting information regarding the fate of the Llandaff choir in past centuries. In 1691 "funds became so short that in desperation the dean and chapter....disbanded the entire choral foundation, including their statutory four choristers" (p.140). "No steps were taken throughout the Georgian period to resume choral services" (p.150). Only in 1880 was there a "recovery of a full choral establishment with a choir school opened in Llandaff" (p.193).
Plus ça change.
BWV 565
in The Organ
Posted
His response might have been any one of the following:
Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 5
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12
Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19
Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35p
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38
Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 48
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58
Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende, BWV 90
Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103
Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal, BWV 146
Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155
Komm, du süße Todesstunde, BWV 161
Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding, BWV 176
Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181