Peter Clark

It happened yesterday at a funeral - a wasp buzzing around the console light .... I hate the bloody things (though I don't think I would kill one ). The fact is that there is NOTHING one can do about this. The hymn was Abide with Me which I could get away with by playing right hand and pedals for a verse while I shoo the beast away with Karg-Elert's Cathedral Windows (which after all has to be useful for something) except that I have a slightly poorly left leg (accident a couple of weeks ago though much better now thank you very much). That's what hell will be like if I land on the wrong side of the fence. Non-stop organ playing with non-stop wasps. Peter

A friend is PP in an Exeter church (Blessed Sacrament) where a Hele is installed. I know very little about this builder. The organ needs work, lacking anything above a 4' (though it has a Swell super octave) and needing a mixture of some kind for body. Ther church is comparatively small but quite resonant, so a large instrument is not needed. The congregation, unusually for a Catholic setup, sings quite enthusiastically. Peter

I'd agree with that: I played it a few times when I stayed in the College - as I recall it hs a crescendo pedal (?) - but it was somewhat out of tune when I was there last (Holy Week in the late 70s - it may have been tuned by then!). Peter

Riff-Raff: isn't that the one with dynamic changes every half bar or so which must be done without recourse to expression pedals? Peter Barry this is a quote from a previous post of mine about Mad Rush - do you agree with me? P

As I wrote earlier, I was unable to purchase a copy of Jenkins Trumpeting Organ Morgan as it is now out of print or rather only available in an album. This is not the first time a publisher has withdrawn a piece and reissued it in album form so that you have to pay about £15 more than you would have wished for one piece. OUP did this with Matthias Toccata Giocosa. In both cases fortunately people came to my rescue as they had spares ... but is this really a fair way of doing things? I imagine that students especially, being on a tight budget, would find it particularly annoying. :angry: Peter

Buxtehude and Langlais - that's quite a pairing, Barry! But delighted to see you are playing Mad Rush - have you played it before in a recital? I played it at a recital a few weeks ago and it went down well. Peter

Is that the one from the 20th Century Light Church Music Group or whatever thay were called - responsible for, among other calamities, Living Lord, O Lord all the World belongs to You and an atrocious Te Deum which sounds like a 40s dance?* We had Nicea but I had to play it on a Roland electric job downstairs as I had a fall in the week, damaged pretty severely my hip, am on crutches and cannot (a) negotiate the spiral stairs to the organ gallery (be) even if I could, play the pedals This partly explains my absence from this forum over the last few days but all good things must come to an end! Peter * edit: or was it Psalm 150? Possibly by G Beaumant?

Just discovered his website where you can print off a sample of the score and hear a section of it... http://www.adwammes.nl/index2.php?lng=_en&...n&id=Miroir Peter

No, never heard fof it but would like tol earn more - is it published? Who performs it on the recording? Thanks, Guilmant Peter

I quite often solo the tenor - is this as common a practice as it was when I first started playing in churches? Peter

Martin Baker (Westminster Cathedral) is giving a recital on 6th June at St Peter's, Roath, Cardiff at 7.30pm; music includes Bach Beethoven and Borodin. £8.00 with £5.00 concessions. Yours truly will not be there alas as I am playing in Exeter for a friend's 25th anniversary of his ordination. Peter

Horrors! Having read on this forum that this piece was a good end of- recital send-'em-away-happy type of piece (especially living in Wales I thuught), I ordered it from Musicroom and the order was accepted but I now on checking my account discover it is "no longer available" . Does anyone know of any other source? Thanks Peter

Here it is.... http://cgi.ebay.com/Allegro-Board-Game-Mus...bayphotohosting Peter

So has A Whiter Shade of Pale. I'd definitely take TT's Messe de la Pentecote (although I have heard that TT himself is not a huge fan of Messiaen). Langlais' own recording of his Incantation pour un Jour Saint; The Bach would probably be the old Weinrich recoding on MFP I wrote about a couple on months ago - for sentimental reasons really. Spyrogyra Roads Scholars (some organ sounds on it) Some Cabezon &c played on authentic Spanish organs (once again sentimental as well as musical reasons - I lived in Spain for a few years). Buit frankly I'm glad not to have to make such a choice because whatever I don't take will be the first one I want to hear when I get there! P

Live long and prosper!

Try this! http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/8598 Peter

Does anybody recall a musical board game with an educational twist called Allegro? I had one about 20 years ago... Peter

Unfortunately it is Camberwell by popular demind! As you say, Barry, it is a ood tune though he interlude is a little vulgar (a bit Blackpool Tower! ) for me. Where do the fanfares go, Patroick? BTW I was chastised by a fellow organist yesterday for not playing BWV 630 after today's Mass but I pointed out two things: that I had played it every year (Sunday after Ascension) for the last 10 and also that Herr Triumpheret (however spelt), so say some, is more properly an Easter prelude. Hmm.... Peter

Are you referring to the Barry Memorial Halls, Steve? Peter

Does anybody know this piece? It's a calypso-type treatment of the geat Ascension hymn which I'll be playing tomorrow as the outgoing voluntary. Oh, talking of tomorrow (Ascension in the RC church now, by the way) At the Name of Jesus - which tune?!! Peter

We are going to Blackpool this year (cheap holiday at sister's) and as usual I try to get to play some organs. The one I really wanted to play, in the Sacred Heart, was being renovated while I was there last so I never got to play it though I did play one in St John Vianney church wich was an average parish intrument needing work (!) Now my two questions: 1) What are the must see/play organs in the area? I read of a Copeman Hart which can be played either as a traditional instrument (er... without the pipes! ) or at the flick of a switch can become a theatre organ. Anyway, if anybody has any recommendations please let me know. 2) The Blackpool Tower Organ - has anybody played this? I suppose it is something I'd like to say I had done, but according to the website they want £200 for an hour with £50 more for a recording option (which I can't really afford anyway!). Is this worth the money - would I have enough time to get to know the instrument well enough to make a worthwhile recording (which I assume would only last about 10 minutes)? (editing: just loked up the website: http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ballroo...nexperience.htm ) Thanks, looking forward to your thoughts. Man U or Chelsea? Peter

I ssed to play (20 years ago) a Walker '65 job (I loved it!) in Holy Trinity Dockhead London SE1, and as far as I am aware the organ is hardlly if at all used these days. It had the bananas you talk about so might be worth contacting them. There again my info may be completely wrong, hence this disclaimer!! Peter

I'm hoping to play it in a few weeks time so I'll report back then. Peter

Nothing to do with The Organ and its Music, but does anybody remember/own the Star Trek (NG) version of monopoly that came out about 10 years ago? Peter

Ascension has been transferred to Sunday in the Italian Mission. We get to do "God goes up with shouts of joy" on Sunday as the responsorial psalm. Not sure which setting to use though. On a general level, yes, I love accompanying psalms as long as the cantor follows the music! Peter