Peter Clark

The Bristol Association is visiting St Peter's in the morning and then I assume on to other instruments pm. Peter

If any members of the Bristol Association read this and are coming to Cardiff on Saturday I look forward to meeting them! Peter

I have just downloaded what I think is a somewhat eccentric performance of this, by Todd Wilson. The tempo seems erratic as does the registration. Some speeding up towards the merging of the two themes is evident and he seems to release the pedal octaves on the last page throughout, between some bars, having no pedal about five bars before the end, bringing them back for the final three chords. Any thoughts? Or am I about to find myself the subject of a lawsuit? Peter

Thanks Martin.There is a letter about this in the current issue of Private Eye. I am trying to think of the last time I heard the organ (live) and I think it was a recital by Peter Planyevsky is the (very?) early 80s. Peter

Yes Patrick but you are a priest and I just an organist - the authority vested in the former is not often recognised in the latter. A good example is that one year. on Adevent 3, I played Wachet Auf at Communion, after the communion hymn had been sung, and by arrangement with the celebrant who thought it a good idea. The piece took us into that period after communuion before the closing prayers and blessing and I was told off by a parishoner - in fact a CHOIRISTER - for "keeping Father waiting". I pointed out that the piece was appropriate to the season and that its inclusion in the liturgy had the full approval of the celebrant. Response? Oh that's OK then if Father said so. That's what I come up against. HW's suggestion of playing them the YouTube video - thanks for the idea but it would make no difference I'm afraid. Thank you anyway! Peter

I have just downloaded from Amazon - an increasingly disturbing habit - the Procol Harum concert in Denmark. A wonderful blend of the best of rock music and the best of the "classical" style. The orchestra and choir really enhance the music of PH, and Gary Brooker's voice, though not trained as such, really evokes a degree of emotion rarely found in rock. Peter

The trouble is that they are both "big cheeses" in the parish, both on the Parish Advisory Council, he's a server, she a reader - well you get the picture....

I have it from the man himself, 10 mibutes ago - 303 Peter

Well we had the meet the couples session on Saturday and I gave them my usual talk - choose hymns that are most likely to be known by the congregation, consider the appropriateness of entance and exit music (I had a bride who wanted to come in or go out the the Titanic theme tune but pointed out that the film's storyline hardly communicated the optimism which a wedding ought to suggest) and then asked if anybody intended importing a organist; only one couple did, and stated that the bride's brother was an organist. Further enquiry - in private, after - revealed that he "used to play when he went to church", and that he would be coming over from France the day before the wedding when he could try out the organ. If he coudn't manage the organ he would use the keyboard. Hmmm.....

I have written to Fredrick asking for clarification. I'll post here as soon as I get a reply. Peter

That's odd because when I wrote to him about this (on Facebook) he didn't suggest chaging the title. So what is it I wonder, 103 or 303? Not a major problem though as it is great piece. Peter

I tried Dupre but to no avail! I would also have liked the Bach double violin concerto BWV 1043 but that didn't come up either. Curiously Messiaen's Apparation did come up, which I would not have imagined a CFM favourite! Peter

I already asked him. Psalm means hymn in the Swedish hymnal and the Tango is based on that hymn tune. Peter

I wonder if this particular video (which links to another equally bad) is what I call an "Auntie Mary Moment" - that is where a friend of either the bride's or groom's family plays the piano and therefore it is imagined thatr he/she can also play the organ. I have heard worryingly bad wedding and funeral playing just in the past 6 months because of this (oh and I make no claim to be FRCO standard but just, as I have remarked earlier here, a competent organist capable of putting in a decent recital about once a year and accompanying Mass and other services to most peoples' satisfaction.) Patrick and other clergy here can probably advise as to the pastorally best way to deal with the Auntie Marys of this world - but quickly please as I have the annual meet this year's couples session this Saturday!! Cheers Peter

I'll second VA's recommendation of Wine of Peace. I find that by playing the right hand on the positive and the left hand on the swell, and by coupling up the pedal to a great soft 8 & 16 stops (with no pedal stops drawn) I thumb down the final f#. Peter

Flights of Fancy just set me back almost £30.00 - Edition Peters - but I think worth it. What Albright do you play?: Peter

Prompted by a frequent contributor to this forum I recently downloaded the CD of this suite (the composer calls it a "Ballet for Organ") from Amazon and now I have ordered the score - which ain't cheap folks! - and wonder if any others play it? It seems a strange yet wholly succesful mixture of jazz, ragtime, "churchy" music, theatrical burlesque and modern American - hints of Copeland it at least one movement. Worth checking out. I also commend the music of Fedrick Sixten as discussed on another thread. I've just got his Tango and Toccata Festival. Incidentally I can't be the only one whose expenditure on music has increased considerably since joing this forum! Peter

O Little Town of Bethlehem also! P

Our instrumental group, with which I am not associated, sang Come Thou Long Expected Jesus to the tune of Now the Carnival is Over in Advent. And really, I'm sorry I haven't a clue why. Any improvement on that? P

If you mean that hymns must take second place to the proper liturgical movements (Kyrie, Gloria, Sancus, and other euchristic acclamations and Agnus) I agree from my own Catholic perspective , but there are those members of this forum who come from a free church background where hymns are often the embodiment of doctrine, and who would not find use for the Kyrie &c at every service they attend or at which they preside. Worshippers in the Catholic tradition often find spiritual and theological comfort (in both senses of the word) in hymns coming out of the non-conformist experience. And quite franly, thecongregational hymn singing that I have witnessed in such churches knocks the socks off that encountered in my own church! As to upset and argument, the late Cardinal Basil Hume said he often dreaded going back to his monastery (Ampleforth) as the liturgy caused too much bickering! Peter

Three persons in one God and one God in three persons but those persons are not each other. Suggest end of this discussion or continue by PM? Best Peter

Tony this may not be quite the place for this but I wonder if "Jesus as Creator" is theologically sound? It sits uneasily with kenotic christology and anyway the understanding in trinitarian theology is that "Jesus" (son) is not "Father" (creator) - and indeed neither are "Spirit" (sanctifier) though each participate in the divine economy. If Kendrick indeed runs his stuff past theologians I wonder how much notice he takes of their advice? Cheers Peter

Tony I am not sure what you mean by "theological nuances". Could you explain? Thanks Peter

An interesting discussion today about hymns between Ann Harrison of the RSCM and Timothy Dudley-Smith. The question was about whether "traditional" hymns were still being sritten. TD-S cited what he thought two good modern hymns: Be Still for the Presence of the Lord" (which I agree is a fine piece) but then lost a bit of credibility when he cited Kendrick's "From heaven you came" aka The Servant King - in my opinion one of the most atrocious pieces of word setting in the last 30 years. It is worth doing a listen again if you missed it. Peter

Thanks for the encouragement! Incidentally when The Great Dame played it as her opener for the inaugural recital st St Peter's Cardiff she only played the Toccata, deeming this to be historically accurate no doubt. I love the Ad Wanmmes Toccata Chromatica - one of those great pieces which unfortunately sounds a lot easier than it is - and you can detect Wammes' background as a rock musician in parts of the work. I started this when I found Miroir to be a swine (do you play it?). Incdidentally Wammes is a very nice and encourging man. When I ordered the Toccata from him he wrote a nice note on the inside cover and wished be success with learning it. Peter