John Robinson

Another one, which I am fortunate to possess, is one LP in a set of five: OR-EX 71 featuring pieces by Fischer, Froberger, Kerll, Muffatt and Kolb. Very helpfully, it includes detailed registration information for each of those pieces.

'Oktavered' or perhaps 'octavered': I think are good explanatory terms! I expect to see them in the next edition of the OED.

When we were married in 1987 my wife-to-be came in to Charpentier's Te Deum, which I had requested. Only a small parish church in Bradford, but the organist was excellent. We couldn't afford a trumpeter as well, thougn.

If true, I think that's nasty. Perhaps it is the same people who are trying to snatch Gibraltar from our hands. They won't get it!

I'm pleased for the nuns. Hopefully, the organ was restored to good condition!

Yes, I too find Weingarten a fascinating organ. A couple of other interesting things about it are that whereas most of the instrument is played by tracker action (which must be quite complicated in layout), the Kronwerk section is connected to the Oberwerk by (presumably lead) conduits. The other thing that comes to mind is that there is one rank of pipes, I think a Vox Humana in the Rückpositiv, that is made of ivory. Not too many of them around these days, I'm sure!

I believe that some British universities have now adopted the title of 'Associate Professor' in place of the traditional 'Reader' appointment, perhaps because it sounds more important! I think that British adoption of American terms and language is increasing, no doubt because of the influence of American TV programmes and films and, of course, the Internet. How long before our honours classifications are replaced by 'Cum Laude', 'Magna Cum Laude' and 'Summa Cum Laude', I wonder?

Yes, and interestingly (in this country anyway) more doctorates awarded h.c. have the right to wear a nice, bright predominantly scarlet robe, whereas those who have earned their doctorate by academic means (eg, PhD, EdD, etc) have rather less 'showy' robes! Fair? Well, it really doesn't bother me, my having neither!

This book is well worth it. Sadly, I bought mine before the free DVD was on offer!

Thanks VH. Very enlightening.

Bearing in mind how names change over time, is it possible that they were referring to a Cornet?

I thought I'd try this out and typed in 'pipe organ instrument' (without the quotes), bearing in mind that if you should mention the word 'organ' to the man in the street you are likely to end up discussing something completely unrelated to musical instruments! Every one of the links on the first page was, in fairness, pertinent to the pipe organ. Predictably, I suppose, all three adverts at the top of the page were for digital organs or keyboards.

Nor me.

Ah, that makes more sense. That would provide 1,073,741,823 possible sounds then. Quite an acceptable choice!

Thanks, I suspected as much. I have seen a cross-section image of a soundboard on which sit two adjacent strings including a celeste rank, so I assumed it must work.