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DariusB

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  1. As promised, the programme from Flor Peeters opening recital at the rebuilt Leeds Town Hall organ in May 1972: Those who trace changing taste in organ recital programmes will find this interesting.... Lübeck: Praeludium {Prelude and Fugue] in E minor Buxtehude Chorale: In dulci iubilo Hanff Chorale: War Gott nicht mit uns dieser zeit Böhm Chorale: Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr’ Bach Prelude & Fugue in B minor, S544 Franck Choral I in E major Peeters from Six Lyrical Pieces, Op 116: Duo for Flutes and Cromorne – Contemplative Canzona Peeters Variations and Finale on an Old Flemish Carol – Last ons mit Herten Reyne – Op 20
  2. I have a copy of the programme which I’ll post when I get home later. It’s unusual by today’s standards - I’m not that surprised at your reaction. And it also explains a lot about organ building styles at the time! I think it’s over half way through before he plays anything written after 1750....
  3. Within a month I hope, now we've got over various COVID delays etc. There is a lot going on behind the scenes and we're all ready with lots of publicity etc (as we will need to raise money!) but until the ink has actually hit the contract we're keeping quiet. Not long now....
  4. Thank you - glad you enjoyed it. I'm afraid it is audio-only for the time being - video is on its way but the combination of covid and a change of technical manager at the Town Hall has put it back a bit. Definitely on the agenda though. Please spread the word about the concerts - every Monday until the end of April, as we've extended the season a bit. I'll try to give this forum a bit more notice (though they are on organrecitals.com)
  5. Thanks for drawing attention to that, Rowland. The next three Mondays, at 1.05pm, are Margaret Phillips, Thomas Trotter, and Alan Horsey. (And today')s is still available to listen again as well.
  6. Sorry I hadn't registered the 'two weeks' part - that was slightly unrealistic!
  7. If you're up for a challenge (and the organ is as well!), there's at least one arrangement of Hamish McCunn's Overture The Land of the Mountain and the Flood, one of which is listed on John Kitchen's CD from the Usher Hall. Simon Lindley also plays one though I'm not sure if it's the same arranger.
  8. Kings certainly has an organ scholar - Christopher Too. Worth looking at his recent online recital at Bridlington Priory (his home town):
  9. I don't have the scores of these, but I did have occasion to ask Simon Lindley exactly the same question recently. He thought that the piece for Edward B was the only Impromptu by FJ (he described it as being in 5/4 in D major, op 5, does that correspond with the one in your score?) - but perhaps there is another one?
  10. For anyone who missed it - live from Guildford today and definitely worth a listen. The Nunc Dimittis from Howells St Pauls Service was one of the finest things I've heard. A wonderful performance, beautifully recorded.
  11. Thought I'd split this from the 'choir pits' thread as there seem to be two separate discussions going on..... Someone said that in venues with two consoles, the attached one is rarely used. Just speaking from experience at the Bridgewater Hall, the attached console is nearly always used for orchestral concerts, as the mobile one takes up too much stage space when there's a large orchestra. The attached console has a much nicer and well-crafted feel but of course you can't hear the internal balance of the organ at all. On the other hand, the mobile console has a slightly light and plastic-y feel (I have heard that it was bought in and not made by Marcussen themselves, but can't confirm that). On Barry Oakley's comment 'if only they'd used a reputable British builder' - not sure if that was tongue in cheek but historically aren't British builders are just as prone to miscalculation as anyone else? Similar remarks were probably made to the Manchester city fathers 150 years earlier when they chose Cavaille-Coll to build the Town Hall organ - which has been a fantastic legacy.
  12. Kevin Bowyer has done a good edition of the pedal studies. Some of them, being for pedal piano, went down to bottom A so he's provided transposed versions. These are sometimes in keys which makes them even harder to play! The first of the set of 12 isn't too hard - the rest are pretty challenging.
  13. Replying to Cantoris - for those of us who have despaired for years at the neglect of the Cavaille-Coll in Manchester Town Hall, surely fantastic news that is to be fully and historically restored, and has (I think) already been removed - details at Nicholsons website, who are doing the work in conjunction with Flentrop: http://www.nicholsonorgans.co.uk/pf/mth/
  14. Thank you John for your kind words - much appreciated. Hope you and others can join us from September either live or online.
  15. John Mander's statement about the closure can be read here, for those who haven't already seen it https://slippedisc.com/2020/07/famous-organ-builder-goes-bust/
  16. The concert will be streamed on the Leeds Town Hall website and possibly on YouTube as well, and it will definitely be available after the event as well. As for the 'one composer without a link to Yorkshire' well - that was a mistake in the publicity department and there are two as you spotted! - unless someone here knows of a Yorkshire connection for Whitlock....(or even Strauss)? Rebuild plans are continuing (and an initial contract signed) and yes there is a specification.. we hope to be definite and more public by the time of the opening recital of the season proper, in mid-September.
  17. Leeds Town Hall organ returns after lockdown (online only, but we cautiously expect that we can have a socially-distanced audience for the start of the main season in September). It's next Saturday at 1pm - details here, and this is also where you will be able to listen to the concert: https://www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whats-on/all-shows/yorkshire-day-organ-concert/6332 Best wishes to all Darius
  18. I can definitely recommend 'Graham Barber's Organcast' series on YouTube that he's been recording on his house organ during the lockdown. Lots of interesting byways of unknown and better known music, very informative, and beautifully played as well (brave to play this wide choice of rep on a GD&B house organ - but it does work!).
  19. As the music has been through so many keys, I think the 'extra' bar helps to establish the home tonality before the entry of the theme. I've got used to it so it seems odd to imagine it without.
  20. I'm truly sorry to hear that. Dave was a constant and enthusiastic presence at the Leeds Town Hall recitals - he made some fine recordings - and his knowledge not just of organs, but of organ repertoire was astonishing. It's particularly sad as he was so pleased to have been recently appointed at Wentworth Parish Church. At the last 'request programme' we had, I'd finally got round to fulfilling his long-stand request to play Peeters' "Flemish Rhapsody" - but he never got to hear it. I'm sure it's not just at Leeds where his presence at recitals will be greatly missed.
  21. Not just amazing that it’s done, but done so beautifully! darius
  22. When I was at college I auditioned to perform the Jongen Symphonie Concertante with the college orchestra, but they wouldn't hear an audition unless the orchestra part was played on the piano, and there was no reduction available, or full score available to buy. So I had to make my own transcription of the orchestra part for piano - which I subsequently improved and typeset properly. I'm very happy to make it available free of charge to anyone who wants it. (And it is a great piece - there's a good recording with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Murray on the Ruffatti organ, for anyone who doesn't know it).
  23. On the electronic question, I'm not sure about this - the only reason I can think of is either: the organ part was so small that they didn't want the overcrowding you get on the stage with the existing console (one of the reasons we want a new one) - or it was a touring orchestra playing at a higher pitch so they brought their own organ. On the questions from John about stops/manuals: definitely new stops, as the colours we're missing (clarinet, vox humana, open/harmonic 8' flutes) don't exist anywhere on the organ at the moment. If I could try to summarise the layout/division thing: As you look at the case, before 1972, from the bottom: behind the grille, just wind system etc, no pipes. Next level: Great (divided front and back with G&D). Third level: Swell behind, unenclosed choir organ in front. Top level: Solo box and horizontal 8'ophicleide. (Pedal at the sides mostly on the Great level). In 1972, the Great and Swell stayed where they were. The unenclosed choir was removed and replaced by the Positive behind the grille at the lowest level. The solo box was removed so only the Ophicleide remained on top of the Swell box. All the builders we asked had no desire to return the Solo box to the top of the organ, for reasons of climate and access. The Great will be rationalised and brought forward (it's very spread out at the moment) and the new Solo (nearly all new pipes) placed behind it. In front of the Swell there is a large empty space where the choir was pre-1972. It's been boarded-out to project the sound of the Swell, which it does very well. The new Grand Chorus would go here (it's only 6 or 7 stops, but should be stronger than the Great). Pedal stays largely the same, but with minor alterations, including a full-length 32' reed for the first time. Hope that helps! Best Darius
  24. For those who might be interested, I've created a page with information about the history of the organ (with links to specifications and a much more detailed history), a bit about the City Organists, and an outline of the future plans for the organ. More details will gradually follow. Any comments welcome! http://www.dariusbattiwalla.com/Darius_Battiwalla/cityorganist.htm Darius
  25. Hopefully we'll be able to say something more definite in the next few weeks - watch this space! Re the German website, I think there's a missing www after the // - that seemed to do the trick.
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