Keitha
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Posts posted by Keitha
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They sound pretty close to each other, if not identical. But, of course, they are being heard in the same acoustic, through the same speakers, via the same amplifier, in my living room. That said, if I had the space (and more cash!) I would buy a digital home practice organ. I would even say that the latest and best digital software with high quality amplification and sufficient channels and speakers of the right blend and quality will, with expert voicing, sound excellent in a building with decent acoustics. I have trialled them in large churches and the sound can be remarkable. Even if the acoustics are lacking resonance, that can, to a degree, be fixed to provide warmer reverberation.
That said, I think a good pipe organ has a 'living' quality that even the best digitals can't beat (but may do one day) - which is why I have spent a lot of time and energy on the installation of a pipe organ in my own parish church, which has been received with enthusiasm by the clergy and parishioners.
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The organ was built in 1989. I was last at St Eustache in late 2021, when I was conscious of the occasional wind problem and some action noises, but generally it sounded fine, but it was clear that work would be needed in the near future.
Thomas Ospital was playing at Mass and it didn't seem too loud at any stage - but we had some fun at the end, with plenty of volume!😀
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Here is a link to a fundraising Youtube video where Thomas Ospital comments on the project:
https://www.facebook.com/GrandOrgueSaintEustache/videos/344094011910253
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The huge Van den Heuvel at St Eustache doesn't appear to have worn terribly well and the Church and the City of Paris are planning a significant rebuild to sort out collapsing pipes, poor voicing, leaking wind and action issues. The tracker/Barker lever action is being removed completely to be replaced by electro-pneumatic action operating from both the in-case and mobile consoles. Apparently, according to Thomas Ospital (assuming I understood his French correctly in a recent broadcast!), the current combination of mobile console electric and fixed console tracker are just too complicated to work properly and the tracker is unreliable.
In addition a choir organ is proposed to be added on the Sanctuary which will have its own console and also be playable from the Grand Orgue consoles. Apparently it will all cost c€3million to be funded by external fundraising (ie not by the City or the Church).
The action change is particularly interesting. There don't seem to be too many problems at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester or other UK venues with similar 'split' action, but I'm always intrigued to see that most recitalists at such venues use the mobile electric action consoles rather than the fixed tracker ones. I assume because it enable the audience to see more?
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Aged 9 - Confirmation - organist played the Widor Toccata at the end (on a Miller 'English' organ analogue electric!) - was immediately hooked. Visited Ely Cathedral that summer - saw my first pipe organ, which left a lasting impression (aurally and visually) and wrote about it with a drawing at school. Told our school head (a seemingly rather forbidding nun but with a heart of pure gold) that I wanted to learn to play the organ - she said I was too small to reach the pedals, but I would soon grow! I was encouraged to play hymns on the piano at school assembly that year and she asked me to play for Sunday Benediction the following year when the organist was ill. I'm still at it - over 50 years later. Thank you Mr Harrison and Sister Columba. May you both rest in peace.
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I'm coming to this a bit late - bombed with start of term stuff! The thing I really like about this forum is that, whilst there may well be the odd disagreement, it is generally well-mannered, respectful and reasonable, but, more than anything, genuinely informative. I would prefer quality to quantity any time! I was recently playing one of our larger cathedral organs for a big service. I last sat at the console over 40 years ago watching someone else play. My set-up time for the rehearsal was reduced from 20 minutes to zero due to a medical emergency in the cathedral (not me!). I was promised an hour after the rehearsal to fine-tune registration, but that was reduced (through nobody's fault) to 20 minutes. I was able to search for the organ on this forum and find all sorts of helpful comments - so I was reasonably comfortable playing with minimal 'console time'. There's no other forum that can do that to my knowledge.
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Thanks DHM - I knew that I'd seen it somewhere...and your post reminded me that I hadn't finished reading June's OR!
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The organ was restored and reinstalled by Michael Farley in January/February of this year and the specification was extended, but I don't know any more than that - and I haven't been able to find a website that helps much. It might be worth contacting him or the Cathedral musicians themselves.
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I'm not sure what you mean by "with the music" Paul - the full booklet that I referred to earlier gives full details of all the music and the composers and performers plus the occasional melody line.
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The full Order of Service finally came out last night:
https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2023-05/The Coronation Order of Service.pdf
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I'm limiting this response to performances at which I have been lucky enough to be present, where I experienced spine-tingling brilliance:
Jane Parker-Smith - Great Hall, University of Birmingham when I was a student
David Briggs - Coventry Cathedral (an instrument he knows well - and it showed!)
Thomas Ospital - St Eustache, Paris
Daniel Roth - St Sulpice, Paris
Stefan Schmidt - Würzburg Cathedral last June - a stunning programme of improvisations after verses of religious poetry
Whoever played the improvised Sortie after Sunday Mass in Carcassonne Cathedral in September 2016 - I never found out who he was, despite trying very hard!
And on a separate note of a lasting impression - Mr Harrison (they were all "Mr" then!), who played the Widor Toccata after the Mass at which I made my first Holy Communion, which set me off on a trail that I am still following...
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I could be wrong (a not unusual event!), but I think that this has been carefully described as "The Authorised Coronation Liturgy" and is probably not the final Order of Service which usually only comes out a day or so before the relevant service. If it was intend to give people an understanding of the religious meaning and symbolism of the event and that this is the primary meaning behind it all (rather than just a glittery state occasion), I think that it has been done well - and the Commentary adds to this. I found it very interesting - particularly as I'm not an Anglican!
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I would just like to thank Paul for this. After I had seen all the comments, I searched the internet and found a 2nd hand copy which arrived within 2 days of being ordered, so I was able to use a few items before the evening Mass on Maundy Thursday (with Laetare Sunday, the only times when we have any organ solos in Lent/Passiontide). They are lovely little gems!
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Anna is an Associate Artist at the RAH, so I would hope that her practice sessions (apart from, possibly, for commercial recordings) are free!
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Thanks. It is really fascinating and I read it with interest when it was originally posted. For reasons that I don't fully understand, I regularly accompany solo cantors at this sort of distance and never seem to suffer from sound delay issues - even though we have a very 'warm' acoustic. I think that I have solved my monitor problems following discussions with a number of colleagues at a Diocesan Music Directors meeting earlier this week. We will be testing this evening and over the weekend (the monitor is due later this morning). I will update as soon as I can...
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There will be a single 15.6" screen which can be switched to any split-screen combination. It will also have all cameras default to wide view on switch-on, so that visiting organists don't have to do anything with the system if they don't want to (but clear instructions will be available if they do!).
My problem is selecting the best monitor...
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Many thanks both for your contributions. However, when I wrote "It will have to be digital" I meant it. For a whole host of reasons, analogue is not possible, and in any event the system will only be used for watching a conductor for around 1% of its use. As the technicians keep saying, the system is mainly to enable the organist to "have visuals on"(ie 'see'!) the 5 parts of the church where we have liturgical actions which cannot be seen from the console. innate is also right about the A/D and D/A converters - the delay is much shorter on modern hi-spec digital systems to the point where it's almost non-existent.
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I realise that we have touched on CCTV installation generally on occasions, but this is a very specific request for help/advice please.
We are about to install quite a sophisticated multi-purpose CCTV system (a very generous parishioner has agreed to finance it!). It will have to be digital, but I am comfortable dealing with the time delay. My problem is selecting the best monitor. It will not be built into the console. Given the number of prominent new organs/rebuilds that have taken place in recent years which have digital screens, would some of you who have them be very kind and post details of the makes and types that you have (including the screen size if possible). I'm not sure that on this forum we should be commenting on them, but I will be very happy to do my own research once I know where to look!
All contributions will be very gratefully received!
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Volume 3 is now available online. This time the Orgelbüchlein Project has decided to self-publish - available from the revamped website: www.orgelbuechlein.co.uk.
It's a high quality, well-produced volume with some interesting commentary. Despatch and delivery are very efficient. The only downside that I can see is that the volume is a different size to the Peters Vol 4, so volumes 3 & 4 don't 'match' when placed next to each other, but that's a minor issue in my view.
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I'm afraid I can't help you with 3-stave versions. Bärenreiter has what I think is the most comprehensive set of Pachelbel's organ works, which includes 2 volumes of choral preludes - which I think are all 2-stave (I haven't bought it yet, but it may be a present to myself when we get our chamber organ built!). There's also what I think is a new Dover edition (a facsimile of the old Breitkopf edition) which includes many Choral Preludes and other pieces - but it does retail at £14.99! However, I think that the CPs are 2-stave.
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I would recommend the review of the St Birinus Organ by Chris Bragg in September's Choir & Organ. His is a very measured and fair view. For example, he points out the artwork and voicing problems. Apparently the stars and half moons may yet be revisited by the Diocesan authorities (although I would be surprised if anything is done) and the voicing is nowhere near complete - partly, it seems, due to the pandemic. In addition it seems that there was a deliberate choice to set the voicing loud (it is described as "overbearingly loud in the room"), with the intention of paring it back as necessary over time. Sadly it seems that Bernard Aubertin will not be able to do this himself as, it seems, was originally planned. Chris Bragg is also very complimentary about other aspects of the work.
I note Rowland's reference to Douai Abbey. I know the Abbey well (I was married there!) and I have a recollection that when the Tamburini choir organ (intended to accompany monastic chant) was first installed, the voicing 'screamed' and it had to be significantly toned down before it could be properly used for its intended purpose. I fully agree with Rowland's opinion of the Tickell instrument - it really is rather fine and beautifully voiced.
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Many thanks Paul. It was the Sumsion that I was really after - my memory had failed completely! Also, I don't think that anyone ever really gives choristers enough credit for the hours they put in - I hope the rest of the holiday goes well!
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I was watching this on Youtube and was rather taken with a couple of the organ pieces that were played as the bishops processed into Canterbury Cathedral. I recognised all of the Bach, but some of the other pieces were outside my realm! They are not listed on the Order of Service, so if anyone knows them I would be very grateful for the information. All the organ music was beautifully played on what I think is a superb instrument.
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...and I thought that you were just ahead of the game, and kindly tipping us off!😀
Real pipe organ vs Virtual pipe organ
in The Organ
Posted
Just to add into the mix, in addition to pipe v sampled sound, we also have synthesised sound in digital instruments. In my experience, having tried both in the same building several times, the best synthesised instruments beat sampled sound hands down - but still do not quite have the 'living' quality of a pipe organ - but they get pretty close. One type of synthesised system has just had its first full revision - but I haven't tried it yet.