John Robinson
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Posts posted by John Robinson
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Sennheiser HD 25-1 II (but do not confuse with the HD 25-SP II).
I think mine cost about £100 a few months ago.
Excellent sound (using hi-fi - the only toaster I possess makes toast) and keeps out/in most of the sound.
John
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I was sure that the Dome department already had a cymbal (though not of the Polish variety!). So I checked.
In my booklet which, I believe was published not long after the Mander alterations in 1977, there is a Mixture IV and a Cymbel III.
Now, on the Mander web-site specification, are two stops called 'Mixture', one of IV and one of III (the latter 22 26 29).
So, yes, I think a bright cymbel would do nicely - perhaps even the untuned Polish type. Although I have never heard one, MM has described them as powerful.
Why was the original Cymbel III changed to a Mixture, anyway?
John
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I always remember my first visit to Germany (1978) when we attended a service at Stade. I was impressed with the fact that the clergy and choir processed in, sat down, and then the organist played (I think) a Buxtehude P and F while all listened. At the end of the service the clergy and choir and congregation all remained seated while a voluntary was played - THEN the clergy and choir processed out. Nobody said a word until then. How civilised. Does this still happen? It's a long time since I've been.
And, as has recently been mentioned on this forum, organ music appears to be much more popular amongst the general public in Germany than it has been for a long time in this country, if attendance at organ recitals is anything to go by.
John
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I think we're being a bit precious about this.
The voluntary after a service is not part of that service: the final dismissal after a eucharist goes something like: "let us go forth in peace" not "let us sit down and listen to the organ". It is very important that members of a parish church congregation do talk to each other after a service and there is no reason why they should have to sit and listen to an organ piece unless they choose to. I think that for us to expect them to is rather arrogant on our part. By all means choose not to play a voluntary at all if you prefer. There is no analogy with the last piece in a concert.
I'm not convinced that organists are much better than other people in listening to the voluntary. In how many cathedrals do the choir and DOM listen quietly as opposed to scuttling away and disrobing?
Stephen Barber
I disagree.
If an end of service voluntary is merely background music to accompany the congregation departing/having a chat, why not put on a CD of some typical 'supermarket music'!
If someone is making an effort to produce something of artistic merit, it would be nice if people did him/her the courtesy of listening (or at least keeping quiet so that others may). Whether it is 'part of the service' is, in my opinion, irrelevant.
John
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I am not an organist, but if I were, and if people started to chatter during my final voluntary, I should immediately cease playing and leave them to it!
I agree that it is the height of bad manners - would you expect the audience to begin to converse during the final piece of a symphony orchestra's concert?
Sadly, bad manners now seem to be commonplace in this country.
John
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My only experience is of being there with the IAO Congress two years ago. Admittedly, the audience was augmented by 350 or so British organists; but, even had we not been there, the cathedral would have been full. With us there it was full and standing. One of the staff told us the place seats 3,000.
It's obviously quite common for all the seats to be taken, because people were arriving with folding garden chairs. Imagine trying to get into St Paul's or the Abbey so equipped!
I would say that if you want a decent seat, get there no later then 7.15. Later than that and you will be at the back of the nave or stuck in a transept with no idea where the sound is coming from. Expect to be seated shoulder to shoulder. Take something to read - and perhaps a cushion.
Thanks, Nick. Sound advice.
I think, bearing in mind that this is really the sole reason for our visit, we shall go as soon as they let us in!
I don't know whether it is anything like many places in the UK, where they close up for daytime visitors, kick everyone out, then re-open for the recital.
If possible, we'll go in for a look round in the afternoon, then pitch our tent right at the crossing! I don't know about the feasibility of cushions, though. Thankfully, both my wife and I are quite well padded where it counts.
Also thankfully, my wife doesn't visit this site!
John
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I have persuaded my long-suffering wife to accompany me on a three-day break to Cologne this summer, specifically to attend the organ recital on Tuesday 5 August.
According to their web site, organ recitals are held every Tuesday over the July - August period, starting at 8pm and finishing at 9pm.
On the web site, one is advised to arrive early because of the popularity of these recitals.
If anyone is familiar with these events, could you tell me what an 'early' time would be?
Also, I'd be interested to know who is performing and the programme: these details are not provided on the web site.
Many thanks for any advice.
John
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It doesn't say who built it, someone out there will know, but note the 'Septnon' a septième and ninth, giving a difference tone of a fifth (I think?
).David
No, B flat and D.
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For instance, if one is using spring-steel (maybe phosphor-bronze), why does the design assume that some sort of end-pivot is desirable, as in traditional pallet design?
If designed right, it would not require a separate pallet spring at all; being held in place at one end by a clamp or groove (with a 90 degree bend in the pallet material and a locating groove and retaining plate). The spring would be under-tension at all times; open or closed, but when closed, it would be almost de-tensioned. So it wouldn’t be any more powerful than the usual pallet spring. Your relief V-shape (or other suitable bleed arrangement) could be in the centre of the spring-pallet; the spring itself free to slide at one end in a guide-channel; thus allowing the spring to move and bend naturally along its working “curve”. This also has the added advantage of entirely vertical motion at the pull; thus eliminating one of David’s concerns about diagonal movement.
MM
No, my design does not, in fact, assume an end-pivot. The spring pallet is fixed at the distal end and 'peels' away from the opening. I must apologise for the lack of quality in the diagram which may not make this clear (try clicking on the diagram and enlarging - it works with Firefox, anyway!).
The addition of a separate pallet spring was an afterthought. Initially, I thought that the pallet would possess enough 'spring' to close itself firmly - assisted by the pressure of wind, of course. However, I added a separate spring just to make sure! As I mentioned earlier, such things would have to be ascertained by experimentation, and I do not have the means to do that. Also, the shape and position of the 'V'-shaped cut-out would have to be determined empirically. The inclusion of a 'V'-shaped cut-out, incidentally, was not to ease the opening of the pallet, but to provide greater control of attack and release.
As for the diagonal movement of the proximal end of the pallet, I did not think this important as there could be a flexible connection between tracker and pallet.
I am grateful for your interest in this proposal, and your comments. Whether it would work or not, I found it an interesting hypothetical exercise!
John
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Usually called split pallets.
I refered elsewhere to an HNB idea of using variable numbers of pallet magnets, dependng on how many stops were in use, which caused tuning problems because of no consistency of wind supply to the pipes. I suspect that your idea may have the same effect. Be fun to try it though - perhaps on an old instrument that is due to be taken down?
Regards to all
John
Yes, indeed. I should love to experiment in this way - given the necessary facilities.
Anyone got an old organ (or a bit of one - I only need a small windchest, a blower and a few representative pipes!) they don't want?
John
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A "dark" Willis isn't as dark as a Harrison !
Pierre
I can't think of anything that is, except a Harrison Tromba!
John
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But the "tubas" at the west end of Cologne Cathedral are nothing like an English Tuba. They have more in common with the horizontal trumpet at St John's College, Cambridge, or even the west-end trumpets at St Paul's. They have transparency and lots of brightness - not something you will find in (for instance) a Harrison Tuba.
Back in June 2006 I asked the builders, Klais Orgelbau, about the (then) new west-end tubas at Cologne Cathedral. Their reply was:
"The two Tubas in Cologne are different in tone color. One is rather on the dark side like an English Tuba - in the direction of a dark Willis. The other one is much brighter, rather like a bright Skinner. The two* high pressure reeds in the transept organ are again brighter than the two new horizontal ones. So we have four Tubas in the entire instrument ranging from very dark to very bright."
(* There are actually three here: 16' 8' 8')
So at least one of the west-end tubas is voiced to sound English. I'm afraid I haven't heard them, but I hope to ... one day!
John
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Many thanks for the feedback, David.
I should have realised that all methods of lightening the touch would have been fully explored by now!
My intention was not to remove all traces of any 'pluck', as I realise how important this is, but that by varying the degree of flexibility of the spring-steel pallet and also the shape of the 'V'-section of the opening it might be possible to reduce the weight of touch at the expense of some of the 'pluck'.
I suppose my idea is just an extension of the 'pallet-in-two-parts' (sorry, I don't know the correct name for this!), whereby initially just a short section at the end of the pallet pulls down, equalising pressure on both sides and allowing the rest of the pallet to be opened more easily. Presumably, this system works effectively.
Moreover, I realise that in many situations a 'traditional' pallet works perfectly well. I was thinking more of the bottom end of the compass or, perhaps, with higher wind pressures.
John
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I should be very grateful for any comments on this idea for an improved design of pallet in which the conventional wooden pallet is replaced by a strip of spring steel with a felt backing to seal the opening to the channel when closed. A refinement to this opening is a 'V'-shaped extension at the end adjacent to the tracker.
Its operation is as follows:
1. The pallet is closed and the spring holds the pallet firmly against the opening.
2. Slight pressure on the key pulls down end of pallet, which begins to bend. At this stage, the pallet is just beginning to uncover the 'V' section of the opening, allowing a small flow of wind to pass into the channel.
3. Further movement of key causes the pallet to bend further, admitting a greater wind flow.
4. Key fully depressed: pallet fully open.
(Release of the key reverses this sequence.)
Because the pallet 'peels' away from the windway the force required to open the pallet, and the 'pluck', are lighter.
Due to the 'V'-shape of the front of the opening, and the fact that the pallet gradually curves away from the opening, it should be possible to more easily control the attack and release of the note.
As this design of pallet is probably of a lower mass than a conventional one, it is likely to possess lower inertia, permitting quicker response and repetition.
Note that only the front quarter or so of the pallet (the end nearest to the tracker) needs to be flexible: the remainder need not be so.
To summarise, the innovations I have in mind are:
(i) a spring steel pallet, being wholly or partially flexible;
(ii) a 'V'-section to the proximal end of the opening to the channel.
Unfortunately, I do not have the facilities to try this out in practice but, intuitively, I imagine that it could work successfully. I should be most grateful for any comments or criticisms, especially from those familiar with organ construction or repair.
I hope this works: I have never tried to post images on here before!
John
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There are plenty of free-to-join image-hosting websites such as imagecave.co and villagephotos.com. Bascially, you open an account with them then upload a photo, needs to be small filesize, typically less than 250kb, so make sure you can shrink it down first. Then just upload your photo, and it automatically creates a unique web address (URL) for the picture that you link as you would any other site. Keep photos small for the benefit of people with slow internet connections,k remember to relog in every month so they don't delete your account and off you go.
If you are having problems send me a message and I'll try to stick your picture up myself.
Contrabombarde
Many thanks.
I shall do that when I have a few minutes.
John
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Click on the fourth icon from the left just above the "reply" field. ("insert image")
You get a pop-up in which to enter the URL.
But we should be rather sparingly with it, since it takes much space
Mr Mander pays for.
Pierre
Thanks, Pierre
Ah, I see that the image needs to be on another web site. That could be a problem.
Its just that I would appreciate comments on an idea I have for a pallet whose design could provide both a lighter touch and more control of the onset of speech. I haven't come across anything similar in existing designs. It would be completely tracker - that is, no electric or pneumatic assistance. I have no means of trying it out to see whether it would work and, of course, I could be barking up completely the wrong tree.
I think it would be best if I could provide an image to accompany the explanation of function. I have drawn a CAD image which I have saved as a bitmap.
Any ideas?
John
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Sorry to stray off-topic, but how did you get these pictures on here? (I'd like to do this for another topic).
John
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Howard Goodall's programmes came after Dame Gillian and were, I thought, exceedingly good. And don't forget John Scott Whiteley. But I agree: I'd love to see a repeat of "The King of Instruments". I have a couple of episodes preserved. One of them includes a cracking performance of Eben's Moto ostinato from somewhere in Stockholm and the other Franck 3 and Dieu parmi nous from St Ouen. Wonderful stuff.
Of course! I had forgotten the John Scott Whiteley (how could I? I bought the CDs and can't wait for the next series to be issued - still haven't heard anything, though.)
The Howard Goodall programmes were excellent, but were done by Channel 4, I think. (Some amazing throw-away lines too: I don't know whether you remember the "He is six feet, going on seven feet" description of the rather tall nobleman possessing a table organ in a 'Sound of Music'-type alpine castle?)
I'm afraid that other posters on this thread are quite correct about the unlikelihood of the BBC ever repeating the Gillian Weir, hence my reference to flying pigs. What a shame. All part of British 'dumbing down', perhaps?
I'll just have to be content with my old recordings. Maybe they'll be worth a fortune in a few years!
John
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Interesting that so few people seem to have 'got' the Gedeckt/Gedacht pun
Speaking as the one who first mentioned the "Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts" matter, it certainly sounded to me like a mistake rather than a deliberate pun.
Nevertheless, I did not intend a major criticism; I just wanted to point out a minor mistake that, if anything, I thought was slightly amusing. I should like to echo the sentiments of others that the BBC did themselves proud in providing (at long last!) such a programme. Thank you BBC.
The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.
(Watching out for porcine air travel)
John
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Starting from the 23rd, and every night up until the 30th August, the complete organ works of Messiaen will be performed at York Minster. La Nativité du Seigneur will be performed by some chap called Richard McVeigh, on the 24th, I believe!
Who?!!!
Seriously, I am sure it will be brill! (although Messiaen isn't really my cup of tea).
John
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Yes, a good programme. Anything that publicises the organ has got to be good.
BUT...
"Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts". Eh?!!!
John
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Did anyone see tonight's programme from St George's Hall, Liverpool?
A young man who works for Willis was featured, having brought along some photographs of the organ pipes in 'storage' along with an original Willis nicking knife. (As an aside, would two of these implements be known as 'a pair of knickers'?)
His name wasn't mentioned. Did anyone recognise him? (Dr Wylde?)
John
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At last! Another Star Trek fan (it seems) on this forum. How many more out there? Come on, own up, don't be shy!
Make it so!
Peter
Me too, but only Star Trek TNG and Star Trek Voyager (principally because of 'Seven of Nine'!)
John
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the DVD from Liverpoool - what's the reference for that, please?
Martin.
PRDVD1
Priory Records Ltd, 3 Eden Court, Eden Way, Leighton Buzzard, Beds., LU7 4FY
Tel: 01525 377566
www.priory.org.uk
sales@priory.org.uk
John
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Recitals
in General discussion
Posted
Whether you like Carlo Curley's Style or not, there is no disputing the fact that he seems to fulfil his stated aims of encouraging the interest of the general public in the organ.
John