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Peter Clark

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Posts posted by Peter Clark

    ABRSM new organ syllabus

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Has anyone been involved in any of the localised trials of the revised syllabus for organ (grade) exams which are being introduced later this year? Am I alone in thinking that the present syllabus is pretty awful? I remember there being a far better choice of pieces some years back when I had several students taking these exams.

     

    Malcolm

     

     

    I haven't seen the organ exam syllabus but my youngest (8 years) chorister has just taken her grade 3 piano in which one of the set pieces was the theme tune to the TV cartoon series Top Cat!

     

     

    Peter

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Personally, I don't have a problem with your showing posts to your priest - and that includes the private ones I have sent you. I know that the organist you spoke to last evening feels he did some good for you and that is encouraging. Obviously, I don't know details.

     

    Malcolm

     

    Yes he was very helpful - brilliantly so. He seemed to tap into my concerns with uncanny insight,

     

    Peter

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I had another "pep talk" this morning from one of our priests; I explained that I had sought advice on the problem and that information was well recieved - he said it was "courageous" of me to do this. I also had a lengthy conversation last night with an organist, well known to many here, who provided sound advice. With members' permission I should like to show this thread to the clergy - on an anoymous basis so no names will be revealed.

     

    Once again many thanks for kind, helpful and comforting responses, including of course those by PM &c.

     

     

    Best as ever

     

    Peter

     

    ps funeral today was fine except there was a pedal cypher so manuals only! Not my church but one up the road. The organ has a "great melodic bass" feature which can convey the impression of pedals in that it delivers the octave below on the lowest note played on the great. I should have played the GTB Paganini! :blink:

    " Mystery " Programmes comments

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Too true! Finishing after leaving time should be a criminal offence for concerts! And not say anything of the poor recitalist! Anything over 1hr 20 is a lot of playing! But a concert lasting over 1hr 30 (including the interval) is more than enough for most people to take - especially on pews. I do wish some recitalists and concert organisers would take this important point on - it drives people away from coming again if they have to sit through a gruelling marathon. But this problem is not limited to organ recitals, which are not the worst offenders by far. I hate to say it but amateur groups, usually ones with younger members or leaders, are worst. If I see a programme that'll go on for hours these days, I'll usually try to avoid it...

     

    I try to keep mine to 50 minutes - that's based on when I was a lecturer and 50 mins was the length of each lecture and the maximum attention span. That is usually enough for me and the audience! And I NEVER compromise on closing time. That is a mortal sin!

     

    Peter

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Bananas and paracetemol it shall be! The first recital I ever gave, some 30-odd years ago was done on a small scotch and several cigarettes. Now I've just about quit smoking (I confess to the odd fag now and then but not a word) other relaxants seem appropriate. GP tomorrow (followed by a funeral!).

     

    Thanks again, people

     

    Peter

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Anxiety is never, ever a good sign and needs prompt professional treatment. You should certainly go talk to your GP; you have nothing to lose by doing so. You need to get to the bottom of what is causing it.

     

    A couple of thoughts to be going on with, which may or may not be relevant. If you were formerly able under normal circumstances to play hymns in time and without mistakes, then, believe me, you will still be head and shoulders above the average organist to be procured by the average church these days. In this part of the world you would be adjudged positively brilliant and would be eagerly sought. If (big if) yours is a self-confidence issue, then there is no logical reason for it. I realise things may well not be as simple as this though.

     

    Also I would venture to suggest that it is probably not unusual for any musician to go through the odd bad patch - singers singing off pitch; oboists losing their lip, pianists with memory issues, etc, etc. For a musician to give the best possible musical performance, every physical and mental faculty needs to be in peak condition. Very few can keep that up 100% of the time, so is it really surprising if one sometimes finds one's self performing below par? However, since you describe the anxiety as causing the mistakes rather than vice versa, this may not be directly relevant.

     

    Once again, very grateful for your comments.

     

    Best as ever

     

     

    Peter

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Thanks for that - I have, in darker moments, had thoughts of throwng myself off the gallery - it is not good, this feeling of inadequacy. It having been suggested earlier today that I was not doing m job properly was a real blow.

    P

     

    but of course i won't

    Signs of panic

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I have been aware recently of increasing nervousness in the organ loft, but only under certain circumstances. Some of you know the instrument I play; it is in a fairly high west gallery. What I have been experiencing recently is what might be described as mild panic attacks but ONLY when I am on my own up there playing for weddings and funerals, causing me to make errors in the simplest (and lousiest) of hymns such as I Watch the Sunrise; I have also apparently been speeding up at such times. This has, unfortunately (or perhaps fortuitously), been noticed and commented upon by members of the congregation, but this has had a knock on effect so that I received a kind but pointed dressing down today when I was told that two people complained about my tempi at yesterday's Mass. I have also begun to experience slight feelings of unease at the sung Mass, whereas previously this had not been the case as the choir is there as well so I had human contact rather than being on my own.

     

    Curiously, when I am doing my daily practice (usiually an hour or two) I am in a completely empty church and find myself totally relaxed.

     

    If I am playing for a funeral or wedding and Jane is with me I am similarly relaxed.

     

    To recap - on my own but with a congregation downstairs I get nervous.

     

    On my own but nobody there except me I am OK.

     

    Any reason for this? Have I thought myself into a psychogical problem?

     

    Your thoughts would be very welcome because at this point I am getting quite worried.

     

    Thanks

     

    Peter

    " Mystery " Programmes comments

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Agree with you absolutely. However the point I am desperately trying to make on this thread; and I can see I am failing,is essentially " would one attend a recital/concert, or anything else for that matter to which one is not a party to the content".

     

    Personal qualities/abilities, or even the complete lack of them even, do not form my original question.

     

     

    I only give recitals now and then and I generally put a notice in the appropriate church bulletin or newsletter along the lines of "Peter Clark will be giving an organ recital at St Ogg's Church, Anytown on Spetember 12th at 7.30pm. The programme will include music by Bach, Ligeti, Brahms & Liszt".

     

    I also put posters in the local library, neighbouring churches (they don't usually object) and my local pub(!).

    The local paper has free advertsing (in a listings page) for non-profit events.

     

    Peter

     

    ps Vox what's a foghorn recital?

    " Mystery " Programmes comments

    in General discussion

    Posted

    No no no no no, really.

     

     

    It is so much nicer when an Organist comes down from his lofty position and tells us all about the piece he is about to play, and of the private life of the composer. All this information is of utmost importance and needs to be conveyed to the audience so that they understand the piece better.

     

    It also gives one a break from an otherwise long recital and stops one having to look at ones watch quite so often, because of the welcome distraction.

     

    R

     

     

    It might depend on what the audience expects and indeed console location. I gave a rercital a couple of years ago at which I introduced each piece as this was the "house style" of the church I was playing in, and it was one of a series of recitals given by local organists to benefit a charity of their choice.

     

    At a recital in my own church later, in favour of the same two charities I had nominated previously, I provided programme notes. The two recitals between them raised about £300 shared between the charities.

     

    In the first church the console is at the front and so I could easily go from the organ bench and say a few words. I was told this was appreciated.

     

    In my own church the console is in the west gallery; the notes I provided were equally appreciated and two of the audience told me that they had learnt something from the notes.

     

    So I don't think there is, or should be, a "rule" about this.

     

    Peter

     

    ps in case anybody is wondering the collections were divided between the St Peter's Brownies and Rainbows and the Cardiff Chaemeleons.

    Recitals

    in General discussion

    Posted

    We did the Southwark Monday lunch one last year. If you've not been before, sit as close to the front as you can, organ sounds best there!

     

    Indeed; I was taught on that organ by Harry Bramma - possibly the least satisfactory place to sit to hear the organ is at the console!

     

    Peter

    Nearer my God to Thee

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Has anybody got a copy of either tune to this hymn - Bethany is the one I think I need - for a funeral this Wednesday? There is another tune as well and the family don't know which one they want. All PDFs gratefully received! Thanks

     

    Peter

    Dr Allan Wicks

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I'm very saddened to read that. Dr Wicks was one of my heroes of the organ loft.

     

    I would second that - his was one of the first organ LPs I bought, in EMI's Great Cathedral Organ series. May he rest in peace (though he may be in demand "upstairs" to help out with the heavenly choir!).

     

    Peter

    Dupre - Cortege et Litanie (again!)

    in The Organ

    Posted

    If you mean who I think you do, it came out last year and is actually very good. The whole disc is excellent to be honest, even if I am biased! :rolleyes:

     

    If you do not mean who I think you mean, but you actually mean someone else that I did not think you meant, because in fact you mean someone else that I do not realise you mean, then ignore the above statement. It's meaningless.

     

    You'll have to enlighten me.

     

    R

     

    No, it is who you think I think you think I think you mean.

     

    I'll check his website.

     

    By the way, check out the Albright I was raving about a couple of weeks ago. (Also check out my newly redscovered favourite rock band Procol Harum in Denmark.)

     

     

    P

    Bristol Association

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I am not a member of the Bristol Assn but know that they are also visiting:

    St German's, 3 man William Hill 1885, Willis 1964

    St Augustine's 3 man William Hill 1895, HN&B 1967, H&H 2000 and

    Trinity Methodist 3 man HN&B 1909, Roger Taylor 2000.

     

    PJW

     

    Three fine organs but Trinity Methodist (the one near me) is a fairly ordinary 2-man, unless you mean Conway Road Methodist (which may also be dedicated to the Trinity) which is a fine organ. Come to think of it, lots of Methodist churches seem to be "Trinities"! St German's is a great organ but being acrophobic I cannot play it - the organ is placed south of the sanctuary but the balcony behind the organ bench is very small; the only time I played an (informal) programme Jane had to stand behind me and told me at the end that I was white as a sheet, sweating, shaking and (God bless her) in need or the customary resoratives.

     

    P

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