Davidb

What i've done in my experience is to play over the whole of the tune prior to the hymn. If this is only done for unknown hymns, the congregation is normally well receptive to it. Normally done on Gt 8,4,2 + Trumpet with a full swell coupled down, for the tune and the 'inner parts' played on the sw

Similiar thing where i am. There is now 13 boys singing in the front line, all from non-church families who are now used to a staple diet of stanford etc (not quite vittoria but very few are going to have issues with it) Upon the clergy putting down 'shine Jesus shine' - the head chorister promptly asked the vicar when the proper hymns were going to be returning. His face was priceless.

I like it there are some old warhorses in this respect such as 'Sit down sit down for Jesus, cause the people at the back can't see' and 'all things bed and breakfast, all things in a hotel.' etc

i was under the impression they hadn't finished recording them all

Can anyone give me any advice on learning this piece? i'm thinking of trying to learn it over the half term week as i have the time to devote to learning a 'serious' piece, and its something i've always enjoyed listening to. Any advice appreciated, David

This is happening as the assistant (Julian Thomas) is leaving for family reasons. The present cathedral organist (David Dunnett) has decided that he 'misses playing' and so wants to have a playing post... hence the appointment of a DOM to oversee the Cathedral Boys Choir This leaves three paid people on the music staff, DD, the new DOM and the Organ Scholar, who will be in his third year in September. I'm not sure if that has answered your question as there is more to do it that i don't think should be totally public. If you have any 'more direct' questions though please feel free

I learnt this about 6 months ago. as with most things work through it slowly... it is quite easy for the first section to run away with itself, liberal stacatto solved that problem for me, as well as leaning on the first semiquaver of each group. The 2nd section is quite slow, but i've heard organists play this and it become turgid. Bach should never be dull, and if it is it's your playings fault (even in the most 'depressing' chorale preludes) Keep it constant and bright The 3rd section, work on it manuals alone before adding in the pedal. Thats a brief guide from what i learnt. But all the usual shebang for the middle section like lh/ped rh/ped etc

Just curious as to what other members of this board get annoyed about in the world of organ playing / choral music etc : I'll kick off with The lords my shepard i'll not want he makes me down to lie *huge breath* in pastures green he leadeth me etc and Vicars that have a need to interupt preludes with pointless announcments Over to you guys.

I thought this had been settled as a typing error, and should be 'clay' and that the Manuscript could mean either, but 'transforming clay to souls alive' makes a hell of a lot more sense than 'transforming day to souls alive'

The Widor UMP that you describe has had the biggest error 'sticky taped' over ( the pedal part on page ?4? - its definitely before the Recit section comes in) I think the problem is that a lot of modern music doesn't always follow a strict 'scale' so it is (i would assume) very easy for wrong accidentals etc to slip into music. The worst thing of course being, that it is the modern music that is the problem, but equally we have recordings of the composers (vierne,messiaen,langlais etc) playing these works, so the articulate can hear the printed mistakes.. can't argue with the composer after all. Another one to add to your list is the Hymn d'laction de graces by Langlais - the ?durand? version (blue cover) is ridden with mistakes

Yeh i suppose the hands etc must devlop diffrently when you've been playing since the age of 6/7

It is far easier - last year during the 'gcse - a level gap' i learnt a dupre p+f and the first two bits of the durufle suite. I spose it's a case of having the time that you don't have at a later age.

When i first played a cathedral evensong a few years back (2 or 3 ) i just played what at the time were my top pieces. If you're totally comfortable in the pieces, then you aren't worrying about the notes etc and you can focus on everything else (after all, notes are less than 50% of a piece to me) What did i play? well, as it is stuff i love: Langlais - Ave marias stella JSB 'St Anne' Fugue (BWV 552) Parry - Elergy (this is so simple but my is it beautiful) and because i had ran a bit early, an improvisation on the introit hymn but thats not relevant to you i suppose! Though the first is definitly not suited to a 'casual' audience

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/010307/details.html does anyone have any experience of these? In particular, how hard is the 'jupiter' transcription?? Any help greatly appreciated

RIP I came across his 3part mens voices responses last year.... what a pity they aren't more widely known, a very nice set of limited difficulty.

Being as im doing my A2 levels this year, i have no solid practice. Though i always learn one new outgoing voluntary for christmas + easter that are marignally more technically difficult than a previous piece i learnt, but with technique i can incorporate into other works. For example last easter i learnt the Langlais Te Deum. Throughout the year i learn other pieces as and when, varying between 'standard sunday repetoire' and that for more specialist events. I haven't got anything new to learn at the minute, but might have a look at the Widor Haec Dies first movement

Gordan Slaters toccata on easter hymn was popular a few years ago when i first got passed a copy by my then organ teacher. Never have learnt it but might do for this year. I think novello also published a book of 6 hymn tune preludes etc - its part of their series (there is a fantastic christmas one on Divinium Mysterium in another book)

If you go on Amazon, all gas and gaiters has all its surviving episodes on dvd for £15

it depends on the piece. a bach trio for instance needs an extra mind just to play, without holding a conversation, whereas a slower piece you normally have enough time to hold a conversation as well. Agree with an earlier poster, messiaen is a definite no-no

If you are concerned about the longevity of the recording, what about purchasing the CD-R, and copying the tracks to your computer? they can be copied in flac which has no audio loss, and won't degrade over time. A simple solution

I understand your point, but i suppose it depends how scared or secular your carol service is. Ours' gets a lot of people from the town who won't come again for a year, so I always play a Christmas piece, but maybe it's diffrent where you are. I normally play the bach in dulci jubilo (?729?) then another piece (This year its Garth Edmundson on Von Himmel Hoch) When do you play the Messiaen then? Midnight Mass?

Where i am, which used to be high-anglican but is now sadly quite a bit lower the tradition is there are no voluntarys on Maundy Thursday after the Bairstow Lamentation, Good Friday and Before Easter Eve. Apart from that everything has voluntarys - the previous assistant/organ scholar to myself tried to omit on Palm Sunday once but got met with a decidely flat response. This week is St Nicholas, which means Boy Bishop etc (at the Church of St. Nicholas) Before hand is normally 10 minutes of whatever i feel like at the time which at the minute normally means a lot of the orgelbuchlein and Vierne Pieces en style libre, nothing to taxing. Post (Morning) Unsure, possibly one of the Dubious 'Sept Pieces' Evening (Our evensong congregation is quite musically 'intelectual' so the playing of 'proper' music is always a must) Before : Cortege et Litanie - Dupre Afterwards: Litanies - Alain (For no real reason other than I know someone who likes it who has a birthday near the service)

How ironic you say that Oh Jesus i have promised works to the muppet show theme. and match of the day

Shine Jesus Shine - Though playing the Chorus entirely in 2nd inversion chords can be amusing (using the 'tune' as the root note.) Amazing Grace i have always had a passionate dislike of The usual happy-clap brigade tripe such as one more step / make me a channel / the servant king (This deserves to be ripped out of the annals of history) And going for somethin that resides in the English Hymnal... God is working his purpose out because i don't have a congregation that ever signs it right. Ditto Living Lord.. the words are nice, and the four part harmonised version does make up for it, but its such a 'wet' tune. Favourite Hymns?? Well... Alleluya Sing to Jesus How shall i sing that majesty (Coe Fen) O Love how Deep, How broad how High My God, I Love thee not because

that Toccatina deserves to be known. I like it, and very accessible