handsoff

...and very fine it sounded. What a versatile instrument it will surely prove to be.

Mrs H and I were planning to go; we (I anyway) wouldn't have missed it for the world under normal circumstances, but I have a really irritating and frequent cough at the moment and I wouldn't want to sit next to me... I'm just glad that I heard Daniel Hyde play Guilmant 1 at the Town Hall last week. It was S T U N N I N G and required three "curtain calls" - even TT rarely gets that from his regular fans...

A chance for us all to hear it this Wednesday at 4pm on Radio 3 when Choral Vespers is broadcast...

...and which was, until about 5 minutes ago, for sale on Ebay.

Tuesday 9th February - not tomorrow! http://www.thsh.co.uk/9-Feb-2010

I was very sorry to have been told, in the changing room of my gym/swimming pool of all places, of the death of Allan Wicks at age 86. P

This one? http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=N02288

This is just so true. In my case a lack of basic talent despite hard work and enthusiasm, rather than reluctance, stopped my progress before the point that I should have liked, but I shall never, ever forget the huge thrill when I was allowed a few minutes on the organ on one of our major cathedrals. The organist let me choose a piece (Karg Elert's Nun Danket) and registered it for me, ending with full organ. My first handson experience of a huge tutti with Tuba and 32' Bombarde gave me so much inspiration that I worked much, much harder than ever before. I'm sure that any reluctant organist, maybe with a village 2P 16, 8, 8, 8, 4 and little idea of how to use the available stops would gain enormous benefit from the chance to play something a little more colourful and be given tips on how to make his instrument sound better than he thought possible. P

I thought that it was one you can reach during the sermon!

I have very recently been in correspondence with the utterly charming Yvette Carbou of Solstice about a quite different matter and mentioned that I had just bought the LPs of Pierre Cochereau playing Dupré. This is her thought on the recording... agree with you about the FY020/021 (Dupré). Most of Cochereau's fans consider that recording as one of the best Pierre has ever done ! With my best wishes ! Yvette Carbou P

Oh good! Our small band is growing

{Remembering the aching sides I had after hearing the words of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" sung to the tune of "My Old Man's a Dustman"}

I'm glad that someone else out there likes Pierre Pincemaille's recording and have always been slightly afraid to admit to it for fear of being scorned! I must admit that I bought it more to hear the St. Sernin instrument in music from that period than anything else but I do like his possibly cavalier interpretation which, I think, is given adequate justification both in the CD notes and the document to which you have linked.

I would chain myself to it!

There is a bit of a treat on Thursday 21 January; Performance on 3 at 19.00 comes from St Giles, Cripplegate and includes the BBC singers and David Hill performing Widor, Tavener, Langlais, Gabriel Jackson, Petr Eben, Arvo Part, Bob Chilcott and Thierry Escaich. There is also a 20 minute interval filled with "Tales from the Loft". Full details are in the Radio Times on page 132. Having two organs makes this an ideal venue for the French Masses. Shame it's the BBC Singers (IMO only...) as I dislike the warbling from the sopranos and altos which they seem unable to restrain whatever they're singing.

A slightly late response, but yes, I am fairly sure that it is. After reading about this recording I tried to find it and, as luck would have it, there was on Ebay the 2 LP set (FY20/21) which I "won" for quite a modest sum, the CD being long since discontinued according to the Solstice website. The organ, playing and recording quality are quite wonderful. I haven't fully assimilated the discs yet, but I have never heard a Cortege & Litanie quite like it and as for the Symphonie-Passion, what Passion is in the playing! I'm so glad that I kept my record deck. Next job is to back-up the discs onto tape at 7.5 ips, just in case... Edit, later... The end of Evocation III is absolutely stunning. Words almost fail me...

Voila...

Tewkesbury - The Grove... P

To return, probably briefly, to the topic of the organs in Tewkesbury Abbey, this thread brought to mind the Advent Carol Services held there in the 1970s. These were organised by Hugh Shelton and sung by his choir of trebles from the Chapel Choir of the Blue Coat School, Birmingham augmented by altos, tenors and basses from various establishments in the area. In the years that I attended, John Pryer played the Milton organ and Nigel Morris the Elliott. The 1975 service was recorded by John Ankcorn, the father of two of the trebles and a slightly edited version was produced as an LP which was sold to raise funds to 1) help the Blue Coat School choir give concerts outside Birmingham and 2) for the Abbey appeal. The microphones were placed high on the screen and were thus well situated to capture the sound of the Milton organ and John's wonderful playing, including improvisations when the choir was moving around and interludes in such carols as "The Cherry Tree". I've just played this LP for the first time in about 30 years and the organ does indeed sound wonderful. There is also what is probably quite a rare recording of the Elliott used to accompany "Prepare Thyself Zion". From memory, it was placed just to the west of the screen with the choir a bit further east. They were great occasions, very good natured but with a pretty good standard of singing, with Hugh's very individual style of conducting, a bit like brushing his hair downwards, sticking in my mind. There was a three hour rehearsal during the afternoon followed by a hot meal, usually baked potatoes, sausages and beans (umm, maybe not ideal but very tasty!), a quick break over the road for the men and then the service. On another year, there was a bit of a surfeit of tenors and I ended up turning pages for John and being at amazed at his improvisatory skills, mostly carried out while chatting to me about the organ. He also very kindly let me have a quick play between the rehearsal and our meal. Did any other members ever attend?

Hear hear. I really look forward to the Autumn series of recitals at Tewkesbury. The Apse section sounds delicious from the Nave when used as Ian suggests and the effect from there is quite beautiful. The whole organ works perfectly in the splendid acoustic of the Abbey. It's a shame that the Grove isn't used a bit more for recitals as it's a real revelation and speaks much better into the Abbey than its position would suggest. At the short recital given by Carleton Etherington at the launch of a new book on the organs of the Abbey, during which he played all three instruments, the Grove sounded exceptional from the Quire. Perhaps it may be used at the lunchtime set later this year? {Please...}

I caught a few minutes of Radio 4's morning service broadcast from Dublin and a new arrangement by David Hill of Peter Warlock's carol was performed. It amalgamated the original unaccompanied setting and and the solo version with organ. The effect was rather beautiful with none of the charm of the original being lost and with some luscious harmonies for the organ. A bit late for this year but maybe someone would like to look it out for next time. {OK, it's probably been around for a while and I'm the only person not to have heard it...}

The subject of "Building a Library" on Radio 3 next Saturday morning is as the topic title suggests. P

Paul, I've just tried to send you a PM, but your inbox is full... {Sorry for off-topic message!} P

This is from the KCC order of service. I don't recall having previously heard it, but as we've already established on this thread, the memory portion of my brain is reverting to its lime jelly state... Whatever, I thought it was pretty impressive. Hymn: Once in Royal David’s City ( Words: Cecil Frances Alexander Melody: Henry John Gauntlett Harmony: Henry John Gauntlett and Arthur Henry Mann arr: Cleobury ) P

Thank you all for the details. I know what you mean, Vox, about some Eric Whitacre. I like his "When David Heard..." very much, but whereas I could listen to the Tomkins setting of the same words over and over, the Whitacre is better served as an occasional treat. I'm sure that the Lauridsen would feel the same after repeated exposure. It just goes to show that I don't go to church often enough these days as I'd never heard it before. Mind you, I thought that about the George Baker. When Mrs Handsoff is out of earshot I'll play the St Sulpice recording of that again. P