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Justadad

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Posts posted by Justadad

    Cameron Carpenter/nathan Laube

    in General discussion

    Posted

    In the circumstances I am sure Nathan will not mind me reproducing his e-mail here.

     

     

    "Dear Barry,

     

     

    "Thanks for your note and concern. I was so disappointed indeed not to be able to be at Truro this weekend, and other concerts as well in London, Exeter, and Torringon. I was denied access because of a new Immigration law of which I (and my colleagues) were unaware, requiring me to have a specific "Certificate of Sponsorship" in order to play my recital tour. As I did not possess that, and so I was sent back to the US, and spent the week at the British Consulate General in Chicago working with representatives to figure out an alternative. We were able to do so, and I am happy to report that I will be in England on Monday morning to perform the last four recitals of my tour!

     

     

    "I'm sorry that I was unable to be with you at Truro, and I am most indebted to Jane Parker Smith for gallantly stepping up to play several of those missed recitals! What an adventure indeed!!

     

     

    "All very best wishes to you, and thank you again for your note.

     

     

    "Nathan"

    Recitals

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Justason is playing at the Three Choirs Festival on Monday, August 10th.

     

    13:00, Holy Trinity Church, 166 Whitecross Rd, Hereford, HR4 0DH

     

    J S Bach Selections from Clavierubung III

    Prelude in Eb BWV 552i

    Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam BWV 684

    Aus Tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir BWV 686

    "St. Anne" Fugue BWV 552ii

    César Franck Prelude, Fugue et Variation

    Herbert Howells Psalm Prelude no. 1, set 1

    Maurice Duruflé Choral Varie sur "Veni Creator Spiritus"

     

    £5

     

    Cameras and screen are threatened.

     

    http://www.3choirs.org/2009-hereford/progr...ence-thain.html

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

    Swine Flu

    in General discussion

    Posted

    My wife and I sang in a choral society performance of Karl Jenkins' Armed Man one Saturday back in May. On the following Monday we (and the rest of the choir) were advised that one treble had confirmed swine flu and two others were suspect. We all had to attend for assessment, counselling and Tamiflu prescriptions. One tablet a day for ten days. No side effects.

     

    I wouldn't have minded if we'd been doing the Verdi Requiem or Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, but having had to sing bass for the Armed Man I thought I'd suffered enough.

     

    Justason was standing-in, this morning, at a Chelsea church with a Compton organ. No chalice, but still The Peace. Beautiful service.

     

    Aaatishoink!

     

    J

    Weddings

    in General discussion

    Posted

    As a non-organist (pause whilst cries of "Yes, yes, we know," diminish) something strikes me as vaguely rum about all this; that is, the distinction between 'organist' and 'visiting organist' as though the two refer to separate species.

     

    I assume that were Vox, Guilmant or Basdav invited to play at friends' weddings in each others' churches, they would a ) explain to their friends that, whether they wanted paying or not, the resident organist would have to be paid, and b ) check with the resident organist to make sure they were happy with the arrangements. This is what 'organists' would expect of other 'organists'.

     

    That the 'visiting organists' complained of here seem to have no appreciation of the way 'organists' behave, suggests they may be 'visiting', but not be 'organists' at all in which case, perhaps they could be required to audition, just to be on the safe side.

     

    Justason accompanied a mixed choir including a visiting Polish choir at Blenheim Palace recently. (Incidentally, I think the pistons may be in better repair than previously mentioned.) When the 'visiting Polish organist' saw what an amusing instrument it is to control, he chose not to play his prepared solo.

     

    I don't really suppose Peter or anyone else has time to audition "visiting organists," let alone the desire to say "I'm sorry, but you're not good enough," but it does seem to be the case that those who don't know the score are not proper organists (and from whom your instruments may well need defending).

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

    Does Lack/loss Of Of Faith Colour The Way You Play?

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hello Hector

     

    In my day job, I'm a couch-pilot. I wouldn't usually conduct this dialogue in public, but as you've invited it ...

     

    I wonder whether you have lost your faith (in God) or your enthusiasm (in playing the organ). You think it might be the former. I think it might be the latter.

     

    How are you (or, how do you think you might be) with recitals?

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

    Free Organ Music

    in The Organ

    Posted

    I don't know much about this sort of thing, but

     

    https://urresearch.rochester.edu/handle/1802/4439

     

    looks to me like an extraordinary collection of music which could be useful to a student in terms of granting exposure to a wide range of different styles. I cannot speak for the editing and so on but I hope some will think it was worth mentioning.

     

    Perhaps as other members become aware of similar resources you could add to the thread.

     

    J

    Cesar Franck: Final

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    It's had 330 views even if it is in the 'wrong column'. That's pretty good.

     

    Maybe people were busy in the week calculating the impact of the 50% rate :mellow: and were waiting for today to get their metronomes out.

     

    J

     

     

    SNIP

    All observations welcomed, pity not many seem to have found this topic (lurking in the wrong column as it does).

    Grant, Degens And Bradbeer...

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    I spoke with Lawrence this morning. As far as he knows there are no plans for any recitals on the GD&B at New College. Stephen Grahl (the Assistant Organist) is, indeed, playing recitals next term, but not at New College.

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

     

     

    Thanks for the suggestion. I have since been in touch with New College and the very helpful Chapel Administrator tells me that the Assistant Organist is planning a couple of "big recitals" very soon, so I will keep an eye open and let you know. It should also be advertised on one of the NC websites.

     

    Mark

    Wedding Fees

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Ummm ... this is just my opinion but, I think you may have confused yourself.

     

    You are not proposing to charge for rehearsing the instrumentalist. Unless I have misunderstood what you wrote, you were quite prepared to rehearse the instrumentalist "before or after rehearsals and services at the church," without any extra fee.

     

    You are proposing to charge an additional fee because the instrumentalist cannot make any of the several rehearsal times you have offered. The additional fee, therefore, is so the rehearsal can be held at the instrumentalist's convenience (and your inconvenience) rather than the other way around. If that means you have to give up earning money elsewhere in order to attend the rehearsal and, or, that you incur additional costs then there is a good case to be made for compensation.

     

    But I think Patrick is right about being flexible. You know what weddings and funerals a like. Some are a doddle and others are a bit more complicated. I expect you have a fee for weddings and something similar for funerals. I don't suppose you volunteer to refund any of it where there is relatively little work involved.

     

    So the key here, I think, is to make sure your fees are set at a level that takes account of the variable nature of the demands placed on you. Then you can stop worrying about individual cases.

     

    Of course if the appropriate fee is not 'setable' then you might question whether you want to be doing it at all.

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

     

     

    Is it reasonable for an organist to charge an extra fee to rehearse with a young instrumentalist who is expecting the organist to accompany him in several pieces he is playing at a wedding? The instrumentalist is unable to make any time before or after rehearsals and services at the church which have been offered and wants the organist to attend a separate rehearsal. The rehearsal will probably entail some coaching too. The instrumentalist is a young offspring of one of the choir who thinks that the organist is unreasonable to expect the bridal party to pay an additional fee, as does the Vicar.

     

    The fee paid to the organist for weddings is slightly below the RSCM recommended minimum too.

     

    Your opinion is sought again, please, folks! :)

     

    Thanks! :)

    Olivier Messiaen

    in The Organ

    Posted

    You share your birthday with God? :)

     

    J

     

     

    According to Wikipedia [yes, I know.....] César Franck was born on this day in 1822. I shall play some of his music later....

     

    I, in February, share a birthday with Widor, Segovia and Delibes, not to mention W.H. Auden, Douglas Bader (to whom a sort of semi-uncle of mine was batman during WWII), Nina Simone and Wish Bone, an American rapper. Mmmmm

     

    Oh God, and Robert Mugabe.

    Spot The Toccata

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I wonder how many times Andrew Carter's splendid toccata on Veni Emmanuel will be played this Christmas?

     

    I heard my first one at the wonderful service of Readings and Lessons for Advent at the Chapel Royal (Hampton Court Palace) last Sunday, played brilliantly by the organist, Rufus Frowde.

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

    Clockwise

    in General discussion

    Posted

    When I went to Emanuel Grammar School (Battersea Rise, near Clapham Junction) in the 70s it was a voluntary-aided, state boys' school with a chapel, chapel choir and organ. Christian Strover was DoM and Philip Weaver the organist for all the time I sang in the choir (as treble, alto and poor excuse for a tenor). I don't know anything about the organ except it always sounded good to me and I think had two manuals. I do remember Phil Weaver saying he could play anything Rick Wakeman played on my Six Wives album. I've had a look at the school's website and whilst the Chapel is mentioned I couldn't find any reference to the organ. The school is now an Independent Co-Ed.

     

    My son went to Hampton School which has an R&D two-manual organ in the gallery of the assembly hall. It was never a very pleasing instrument and died a couple of years ago during the playing of the National Anthem at the end of a Prize Day ceremony when it dulled to a poor imitation of a concertina, belched black smoke and gave up the ghost. Rumours that any staff from the music department grabbed the insurance policy and used it to fan the flames are utterly unfounded.

     

    Though an unloved and unlovely instrument, it begat three Oxbridge organ scholars (though in truth that probably had a lot more to do with the teacher, Julie Ainscough).

     

    They now have a three manual Makin, and a two manual Peter Collins which can be seen here http://freespace.virgin.net/michael.harrol...ges/organ_1.jpg

     

    Hampton was also a voluntary-aided boys' grammar school, and is now an Independent Boys' School.

     

    Best wishes

     

    J

    Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are!

    in General discussion

    Posted

    The fact is:

     

    Vox Humana = Christopher Robinson

    PCND5584 = Olivier Latry

    Pierre Lauwers = Hercule Poirot

    Musing Muso = (Tricky, this one) Virgil Fox reincarnate in Cameron Carpenter, and

    Holz Gedeckt = Lieblich Gedeckt (masquerading as her father).

     

    Best wishes

     

    Justadad (= insignificant father of student organist)

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