handsoff

Just in case anyone doesn't have this set of three CDs, Selections.Com are selling it for £7.99. It's worth buying a separate set just for the car at that price.

This may of interest to MM, and others. http://www.discovery-records.com/product/d...htm?pno=DUX0707

It worked for Jane Parker-Smith and I'm sure that the photograph of her on an LP sleeve (Blackburn Cathedral) was one of the reasons I was keen to play. I might have met her...

Here's an image of one in use. I've never seen a football match but the sound is familiar.... P

Ah, thank you Philip. I'd missed altogether the news that there is to be a new addition at Gloucester. Do you have any details please? I'll be going to at least one of the 3 Choirs recitals later in the summer which should give a chance to hear it. P

Not the "chamade on a turntable" as mentioned elsewhere on the forum, if I remember correctly, by pcnd ?

"Thirded", especially one or two of his Cornet voluntaries. I used to play a lot from those books and the Novello "Early Organ Music" series, and still do on the occasions that I play for my own amusement. Benjamin Rogers (b. 1614) wrote some good stuff too and is worth a look. I think that manuals only music has a valuable part to play in the repertoire to get away from the seemingly omnipresent 16' tone and enjoy the times that such items are included in a recital programme. On one of the organs that I used to play, the Pedal Bourdon (the only pedal stop) was much too boomy for quiet music so tended not to use the pedals unless just coupled to the manuals.

Thomas Trotter is a guest on Radio 3's "In Tune" from 5pm tonight and will talk about the new organ at Llandaff Cathedral. Given Sean Rafferty's almost total lack of knowledge of the subject ("I understand, Thomas, that the organ in Birmingham Town Hall sounds like a fairground instrument...") it might be fun to listen. P PS I was sent this link yesterday. Passed on without comment. P

The last thing my teacher said to me before I took a position (my first) at a small parish church was "Turn the blower off before the sermon if you're going to fiddle...".

There's a programme about choral accompaniment at 18.30 on Radio 3 tonight (Sunday 18 April) dealing with the "challenges and highlights of this under-appreciated job." Sarah Baldock, Iain Farrington and Jeffrey Howard are featured. I'm sure that it will be on the BBC play it again system for those accompanying their own choirs at that time. P

I've just listened, via the BBC i-Player, to parts of the Sunday Morning service from Westminster Cathedral. It's well worth a few minutes, including the last verse of the final hymn, starting at about 47.00. A clue; no descant... The voluntary was, of course, curtailed. Even as an Archers fan, I would have been happy to have had a late start to the omnibus edition to have heard all of it. P

D'oh - I was listening to the Youtube clip from New York at the time - it'll be on the good old BBC Play It Again device

The new organ was featured on Radio 3's "In Tune" tonight. I caught about 50% of the Final from Widor VI - very fine it sounded too. There's something on R3 tomorrow (Saturday) - I think it may be Music Matters at 12.15 but I was busy cooking and missed most of the announcement. P

I have Guildford Cathedral's and St John's Cambridge's recordings. I marginally prefer the former - has anyone noticed the way that it sounds as if the trebles sang "Sorrerful Road"? A great piece and one which has been with me all my life ever since my late father sang the tenor solos at a local performance in about 1963.

I've just been listening to Ban van Oosten's recording from Église Sainte-Madeleine* of Lefébure-Wély's music and found myself singing the words of "All Things Bright and Beautiful" to the theme of his Communion in F Major... I know that a lot of people are sniffy about L-J-A L-W's music but I love it *Am I showing my almost childish love of 32' reeds or does this organ and its wonderful acoustic just cry out for another 12 pipes to be tacked onto the pedal Bombarde 16' woodwork?

Cooked on the chamades, which by this point will no doubt be glowing?

I once attended, as a guest, a wedding in a large and quite well known church in Northampton. The organist* was improvising the music before the bride's arrival and when she was around fifteen minutes late the theme of a popular Christmas Carol started, intermittently, to appear. Before she arrived some 20 minutes late it had become much more obvious, to the clear amusement of the choir and quite a large proportion of the audience. *Not the regular, but an uncle of the bride lest it be thought impolite! I gather that he was auditioned before agreement was given for him to play.

I've only just got around to watching this, and what a revelation! Absolutely stunning all round. I have spent the last hour watching several of the "Related Videos" and feel that a new world has opened... Thank you for posting it... P

...and organ blowers pumped away all day for a flagon of small beer.

I think that it might depend on the expected audience. If it's likely to be a knowledgeable and enthusiastic bunch then I'm sure that the juxtaposition would work, but if it's a "Oh he's a nice chap, let's go and hear him play" group, it may be less apparent what you're up to. Bear in mind though that I've never given a recital, my experience being purely as a listener. There are many who should be grateful for that... Edit I've just remembered that I did actually give a very short recital in my school's chapel in about 1969 as part of some school/Shakespeare celebration. I've no idea what I played but it's a fair bet that John Stanley, John Bennett and JSB figured. The audience would been teachers, some local dignitaries and my teacher, who was probably more nervous than I!

I enjoyed the service and thought that the organ, especially the Swell, sounded marvellous. It's a Compton, n'est ce pas?

No, I would not.

Ah, thank you. I wasn't aware of the LP and shall order a CD now. What treasures M & Mme Carbou have in their vaults... P

This looks interesting, especially given the performers and venue. P

I have these, incidentally bought from Ebay for 1/2 the Amazon price, but don't much play them. The playing is fine, the recording quality is fine, but I just don't like the sound. It may or may not be "authentic", it matters not to me, but it grates on my ears. I'd much prefer to hear the music played on something like the instrument in Birmingham Town Hall...