Paul Walton

The two Clarions at Bristol used to have two flue pipes per note in the extreme treble, but the second ranks mysteriously disappeared sometime between 1975 and 1989! Paul Walton

There's a little more here: http://www.bdoa.org.uk/ under organs in and around Bristol - though it may be out of date as I'm sure a Great Trumpet has been recently added. I don't know who wrote the 'history' but how a Swell Hautboy can be considered superfluous on a Willis organ and how on earth anyone could possibly want a 22nd instead of it makes the mind boggle! Paul Walton

There is a Messiaen series at Bristol University Great Hall on the next three Thursdays from 1 - 2: October 16: Paul Walton (extracts from Livre du Saint Sacrement, Messe, and Combat de la mort) October 23: David Bednall (La Nativite) October 30: Jennifer Bate (L'Ascension, extracts from Livre d'Orgue, Corps Glorieux and Meditations) Admission free (I think!) Paul Walton

It's not in the published score, but it's pencilled in in the composer's copy (now in the possession of Naji Hakim) from a recital at Ste. Clotilde. Also evident from this copy is the addition of the 32' flue for the last chord of the first movement, and the division of the dreaded Recit chords in the middle of 'Transports' between the Recit and the Positif (with no stops, just Recit coupled) - so much for those teachers who (I'm told) insist it should all be played on one manual! Paul Walton

Just for the record, I played the Cochereau Adeste Fideles after Nine Lessons on 23rd and 24th December, and the Briggs In dulci after the Christmas morning service on 25th December. Paul P.S. You might get another Cochereau (Venez Divin Messie) this year, Dave, but I haven't decided yet - plus, being Messiaen year, Dieu parmi nous will have to get an outing somewhere.

So soon!

The Jeremy Filsell disc. Incidentally, the sleeve notes mention that the first recording of the Carillon was Wills himself at Ely in 1976, but give no further details. Paul

And leave a Cathedral organ without a 32' flue - this isn't Gloucester

Some shameless plugging: Tuesday 1st July at Bristol Cathedral, 1:15 pm Organ recital by myself Langlais Suite Brève / Messiæn Prèlude / Vierne Reverie / Mulet Tu es petra Saturday 5th July at Bristol Cathedral, 7:30 pm The Black Dyke Band Music to include Elgar Severn Suite (which Atkins arranged as Organ Sonata No.2) and the last movement of the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony (arr. Philip Wilby) with Mark Lee at the organ. Paul Walton

The straightforward hymn version is in Common Praise - separate copies can be obtained from Cathedral Music (who also do several more hymn tunes by Maurice Bevan). The extended version is in 4 Extended Hymns and New English Praise, but to me this is more of an anthem version as the introduction and links between verses don't, in my experience, give enough of a clue to the average congregation for when to start singing. Paul Walton

Played by Jeremy Filsell on 'Wondrous Machine' (organ music of Arthur Wills) - Guild. Paul Walton

Dave, Permission has to be sought from all performers. If you cannot obtain it, for whatever reason, you cannot put the clips up. I don't know whether Graham is happy for the voluntary to be there - however, permission may be required from the Cathedral to make a recording of the organ. The anthem involves a conductor, organist, and professional singers, all of whose permission has to be obtained and all of whom would be quite justified in charging you a fee. The Cathedral are aware of the presence of the clips and someone is likely to be in touch! Paul Walton (Assistant Organist, Bristol Cathedral)

There was a Corbett Sumsion, but I can't remember exactly what relation to Herbert - possibly older brother. Paul Walton

Except that Cynic has said: I gathered that he was happy with the standard combinations of the time - H&H's pistons at Gloucester (his favourite organ) included the old Willis Mixtures with 17.19.22 composition. He liked these. Put it this way, he said he greatly preferred them to the 1970s style - 19.22.26.29. Paul

I helped out here while at school but haven't seen the organ since about 1997. I'd be interested to hear what you think of the additions, as I've heard mixed feelings. Paul Walton

Was Durham the second favourite only post-1970 or before? On the face of it, everything you would want for Howells was there before (except the second 32' reed) and, judging by the earlier post, he would have preferred the Great mixture at the original (15?-)17-19-22 rather than the new 19-22-26-29. I know he liked Redcliffe (another organ with two 32' reeds . . .) - did he ever hear/play Bristol Cathedral, that anyone knows of? Paul (Asst, Bristol)

Tony Cawston traded as E A Cawstons until his associate took over the business, the company then being called Cawston Organs. This company took over Percy Daniels and, not long after, went into receivership. The Clevedon Organ Company was then set up, and employs some of the former staff of Percy Daniels, but under completely new management. Tony Cawston now works on his own again, as E A Cawstons. He still looks after (or should I say does battle with) Bristol Cathedral organ. Clear as mud! Paul Walton Assistant Organist, Bristol Cathedral

It's Sonata No.1, which is on the Priory 4-disc set of Jackson's organ music, played at Blackburn. I have tried to order a copy of it - do you remember the publisher? Paul Walton

Other duets are: Samuel Wesley (3 movements, just called Duet, I think) Hakim: Rhapsody (5 movements, based on 'popular' tunes, the 5th mvt combines all the tunes from the previous 4) P.D.Q. Bach: Toot Suite (3 movements: Preloud, OK Chorale, and Fuga Vulgaris) the American Chenault duettists have published a book which includes an arrangement of Stars and Stripes also see http://www.ohscatalog.com/sheetmusforo1.html though I don't know any of them except the Rutter. Paul Walton

Later.....here's something - but still only 3 manuals! This is very intriguing, since I played it on a trip in my last year at RNCM (2001) and it had just had some restoration work done which had finished, if not the day before we got there, then very recently. Madame Langlais said that it was to recapture the spirit of the Franck organ (while retaining the later additions) and, if I remember right, involved some relocation of pipework. But, according to the above, 2 years later it seems to have gained a chamade, 32' reed and various other things that weren't there in 2001. If anyone has any info / links as to what happened and why, I'd be very interested! Paul

David Bednall

This is probably the Bach chorale prelude (Heut triumphiret from the Orgelbuchlein) from, I think, Lincoln. The first pedal note was wrong, so he got off the bench, said 'wrong pedal note, I'll start again, can you edit that?' It was the pre-recorded and not the live one, but as it was recorded straight through as if live, no-one edited it! There is a tape with this and other gems from (mostly) live broadcasts of which some copies still float around. Somewhere I have one! Paul Walton Assistant Organist, Bristol Cathedral

so just to continue it, we had 'Holy and immoral one' in Holy Week a few years ago, and a church I used to play for had the end of verse 2 of Away in a manger as 'stay by my side until morning is night' The best one from Bristol, though, has to be the time the office didn't realise we were joking when we listed the organ voluntary as Back to the Future, Dr. Emmet Brown, arr. McFly so that's how it was printed. Brewer in D was in the same service, for those wondering why we should do such a thing. For those still wondering, compare the theme music to the film with the recurring tenor and bass passage in the Magnificat!

If you can get hold of the complete Suite from which the Clarke Prince of Denmark comes, that often goes down well. There's A Prayer of St Gregory by Hovhaness, and Okna (Windows) by Eben. I've played the Clarke and Hovhaness but don't have copies so can't tell you publishers, I'm afraid. If the season is right, Hakim also wrote a Rondo for Christmas. Paul Walton Assistant Organist Bristol Cathedral