John Robinson
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Posts posted by John Robinson
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The questions remain: is the pressure today 3 1/2, or has it in the course of re-builds been increased to either 4 1/4 or 4 1/2?
Our host's company added a Vox Humana to the Swell, but whether this was added to the 3 1/2" chest or the 7" chest is not clear. In either case, I wonder whether John Mander would have this information to hand.
Personally, I'd bet on the wind pressure not having been raised during the rebuild.
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According to an undated (but subsequent to the Mander alterations) booklet:
Great = 3 1/2" and 7"
Swell = 4 1/4" and 7" (so you're both wrong!)
S. Choir = 2 3/4"
N. Choir = 3 1/4"
Solo = 7" and 15"/17"
Chancel Pedal = 6" and 12"
Dome = 8", 17", 20"/25" and 30"
Dome Pedal = 6", 12" and 20"
West = 6" and 15"/25"
This booklet is a little old now, but I can't imagine anyone changing the wind pressure of such a highly regarded Swell.
Of course, the booklet could be wrong...!
John Mander would know.
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I'd like to echo that.
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You know the solution: an enharmonic organ! But where to put all the extra pipes?
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Yes, an excellent day. I particularly liked John Mander's response when asked (as a panellist) for his opinion on the replacement of pipe organs with 'toasters': 'Organ builders like to see the installation of digital organs as they can look forward to a new contract in twenty years' (or words to that effect)!
There was another amusing anecdote from him about King's, Cambridge, but I'll leave that for another day.
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Following up on my post regarding the Schubert Mass in G, I have ordered a score with 3 stave organ accompaniment from this company in Stuttgart - www.carus-verlag.com. Their website has an English (and French) translation option and once you've found the solo organ music section in search it seems to me that there is a host of interesting stuff that would repay a little examination. I'm sure it's ignorant of me, but I don't believe I have come across this publisher before.
Is it just me, or have our posts got a little bit dull lately? I'm so tired of seeing that "Leather or Talc" (or whatever it is) coming up on the discussion home screen every time I look. I think we all need to try a bit harder for a while to bring up a few new topics.
For example - I'd love to hear more about recitals and new organs that people have heard, new discoveries in terms of music, comments or articles in things like Choir and Organ, etc. Have we all just got too busy? Do let's try a bit harder!
I'd like to see much more in 'Nuts and Bolts'. I could contribute, but my contributions would be mostly questions!
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I have never heard CC in action and I agree that the RAH organ should have a better airing than it gets. BBC Radio 3 will be the broadcast channel and I believe that all 3 are to be broadcast. May be wrong with that though.
Dave
Thanks.
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At the risk of sounding a bit dim, are this to be broadcast and, if so, on which channel?
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An excellent article.
As for 'swooning', perhaps the likes of Jane Parker-Smith! As for male organists, shall we say I respect them highly and envy their talents and abilities.
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I know of a lady who had been an exemplary teacher for the best part of 40 years or more, a role that did not require her to have a CRB certificate. When she retired she offered and was accepted to return to her school as an unpaid person who listened to children with reading difficulties and helped them overcome their problem. She was unable to fulfil this role until she had been CRB checked and was in possession of the appropriate certificate. How utterly ridiculous!
I couldn't agree more, Unfortunately, these days the only thing that seems to matter is ticking the appropriate boxes!
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Some original lamps still exist but in order to minimise accelerated ageing of the stopheads by heat I am generally in favour of converting to LED, for which purpose we are testing a new substitute that is almost indistinguishable from the filament lamp, even in its speed of response.
Lucien.
And, of course, they are much less likely to fail than incandescent lamps.
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Yes songs of praise is a fine hymnal as is the New English and we use them for the traditional hymns instead of playing the inaccurate HO & N versions. You will be pleased to know that not all of the "Yuff of- today" worship that garbage being 21 myself I love hearing and playing good old tradtional hymns. I find the problem lies within the schools, they insist on teaching children this rubbish so they go on to think that it is perfectly acceptable material.Getting slightly off topic one of the reasons why I never formally studied music when I attended School was that the syllabus seemed to focus more around music of different cultures. Now I believe it is imperative that we should embrace music from different cultures but perhaps they should look at teaching them music of our OWN culture before we look at anybody elses. Getting back to the point ( I do apologise for that rant) I often find that the congregation at our place belt out the traditional stuff yet when the contemporary stuff is requested you hardly hear a whimper.
Liam
Yes, indeed. I teach at a primary school and encounter these trite offerings at every assembly, almost invariably accompanied by happy clapping. The simplest tunes and the simplest lyrics, usually constantly repeated, presumably because it is assumed that anything more complicated will be well beyond the comprehension of children's little minds. Funny, I was a child once (a long time ago, admittedly) and the 'old fashioned' hymns that we sang didn't seem to confuse me.
Which came first I wonder, the cerebrally-challenged composers of this rubbish or the cerebrally-challenged children it tends to produce?
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I don't know why this suddenly sprung to mind, but perhaps it was the fact that institutions, by their very nature, tend to be exclusive and evil.
However, Stephen Fry tells the story about the time he visited the Mormon Tabernacle, and joined a group of people on a tour. The lady guide, (of a certain age), suggested that the Mormons believed that in the after life, families would be re-united in heaven.
Stephen Fry raised his hand and asked, "What happens if you're good?"
Everyone was trying not to laugh, and turning on him, the lady said, "Would you leave please."
MM
Excellent!
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This extract from 'The Great Cathedral Organ Series Remembered' by Brian Culverhouse, from the CD-ROM that comes with the boxed set recently discussed on this site, made me laugh. It describes, of course, the Tuba Mirabilis:
"A famous recitalist and obvious candidate for our second LP was Francis Jackson at York Minster: also a composer in his own right, he had charge of a fine instrument that J. W. Walker & Sons had rebuilt in 1960 with some fascinating stops. This led us to include Cocker’s Tuba Tune as a demonstration piece. As soon as Francis started to play it for the balance tests, the needles on the mixer flew in all directions and we had to grab the microphones and retreat towards the west door. But we coped, and the result was a sound unique in the entire series."
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I would also like to wish everyone all the best for 2012, and to add my thanks to John Mander, Rachel and the team for providing this discussion board. Whilst I'm not a regular poster, I do read the board several times a week and have gained a lot from the informative and informed discussion on so many topics over the years.
Me too, every day in fact. May I, also, thank the Mander team for the provision and maintenance of this site, and wish all contributors a very happy new year.
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King Jesus Hath a Garden
In Dulci Jubilo (Latin + German version with descant)
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The Organist Entertains
20 December, BBC Radio 2, 6.30pm
Presenter Nigel Ogden talks about the history of the Chapel organ at King's and its importance in the Christmas services. He interviews the Director of Music at King's, Stephen Cleobury, and Organ Scholar Ben-San Lau.
Just a 'heads up'. According to my EPG, the programme starts at 9.30pm.
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It may be a sign of my advancing old age, but I really appreciate the larger font.
Control +, at least in Firefox! I don't know about IE.
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I, too, have been wondering why no-one has been posting. It can't be that they don't know about the move; I'm sure everyone must have received the same e-mail as I did.
I have been able to bookmark the front page and, in fact, it still forms one of my 'tabs' in Firefox.
The poster info. on the left is OK so long as people don't write a complete tome about themselves!
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I've heard them in the Cologne Dom, they're ok, but found the (acoustic) 64' WAY more impressive ;-)
I haven't heard the Vox Balaena 64' live, but I believe I may have heard it on a recording (yes, I know that defies all logic!) and I, too, thought it very impressive especially as the source (32' wooden Principal) isn't particularly large, is on a relatively low pressure, and there is no separate 21 1/3'.
As for the tubas, I agree. I wonder whether these were 'experimental' in a way, as Klais (and as far as I know no other German builders) have no real experience with such high pressure reeds as have firms such as Willis and others. They're not unpleasant (to me at least), but I'd rather they'd asked Manders to put in something like the Royal Trumpets at St Paul's!
On that point, I'd like to say that all the tubas at St Paul's are, in my opinion, the prime examples of 'party horns' that I have heard, and there is such a variety as well:
- the Willis tubas 8' and 4'
- the new Mander tubas in the dome section - 16' 8' 4' *
- the Trompette Militaire 8' discussed recently on this board which, of course, came from America, and
- the Royal Trumpets 16' 8' 4' I mentioned above.
* I haven't heard these live either, but I remember many years ago hearing their predecessors (by Willis). I can't even remember who the organist was on that occasion, but the naughty man began his recital with a chord played on these causing me to jump out of my skin.
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Of course Francis should be given a knighthood – and we should lobby the Prime Minister's office to make sure that he gets one!!!
...before it's too late. I'm serious.
Unfortunately, in the days when organists were (occasionally) given knighthoods, the organ was rather more popular than it is today.
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Which church was it then?????
The (many) clues are in the text!
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Why on earth hasn't he been given a knighthood yet??
Don't you have to be a footballer or a pop singer these days?
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Not so sure, they didn't struck me as impressive as eg. the Royals in St.Pauls, nice yes, but in a 'Oh stand up, it's the Queen' way ...
I suppose they're tubas rather than free-toned trumpets and, as PWH says, the recording's rather crap. Also, the Royal Trumpets at St Paul's are, in my opinion, exceptional.
St Paul's Swell
in Nuts and bolts
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Is it possible that the Swell wind pressure could have been increased at some time since 1945 (and before the Mander rebuild)? For example, I believe the Lewis pipes for the Dome Diapason Chorus were installed in 1949. Could other minor alterations have been made then or at other times since?