handsoff

T-shirts for classic music fans were highlighted on a R3 message board so I just had to have a search... This, designed by Churchmouse, of book fame, is my favourite of those listed. Maybe it would be useful for an organist deputising in a church new to him; rather nicer than the kipper tie with black & white keys depicted on it.

I would imagine that Organ Tuning Services of Stratford-upon-Avon would have some spares suitable for Nicholsons' instruments. I believe he acts as a sort of spare parts dealer...

Neither of Birmingham's cathedral organs have 32' reeds. St. Philip's has a 32' flue although I believe that the bottom octave is electronic. I really enjoy the regular lunchtime recitals there; it's a super sounding organ and the cathedral is a wonderful oasis in the maelstrom that is Birmingham city centre.

I tried once!

Indeed, some of the pipework of which is now present in the organ of Église Saint-Vincent de Roquevaire as played by David Briggs on the new CD (Hommage a Cochereau) highlighted elsewhere on the forum. DB's track is the only one of the four on the CD which I have played more than once..

Thank you for posting that link. It was fascinating to see and hear PC talking and to see the original console at ND de P in use.

My copy arrived yesterday and I also find that David Briggs' contribution to be much more to my taste than the others. It is simply thrilling and catches perfectly the spirit of Pierre Cochereau and his music. As was mentioned when the subject was first mentioned in another thread some months ago it does seem strange that nothing from ND de P was included. Is today's incarnation of the organ so far removed from that in PC's day that it wasn't considered suitable?

I went back to the same church yesterday as I've just started to learn the 2nd movement of Guilmant's Sonate 1 (maybe the other two movements much later... or maybe not) and in the organ loft were a fan heater, a radiant heater of the halogen variety and best of all, a hot water bottle in a nice furry case. I assumed that the kettle is in the vestry as it wasn't in sight. I shall take a teabag, milk and a mug next week! The Pieta mentioned in Nigel Allcoat's reply is stunning. It's in white marble and standing on a beautiful honey-coloured marble plinth; the whole being an anonymous gift to the church.

Excellent. See you there; Mrs Handsoff may even come too....

I've just returned from two weeks holiday in Dulverton, Somerset where there is a Walker organ of 1860 - 1870 vintage, restored by Geo. Osmond of Taunton. I did not manage to hear the organ played although there is a recital on Monday next. Typical... The Open Diapason pipes above the console are a delight but I apologise for the poor quality of the picture; I did not take a sufficiently wide-angle lens. One is to hope that the tea lights in the little jars are not to be used! P

When I was organist at a small but thriving parish church with a reasonable choir we had the usual problems with the congregational singing in all of the hymns mentioned in this thread. The DoM and I discussed it at length and decided that we would ask the vicar if he had any objection to us asking if members of the congregation if, as we were introducing a new Eucharist setting with a unison part for the congregation, they would like to have a short rehearsal after a couple of morning services so that they would feel included from day one when the setting was live, as it were. The setting was one that I had written based on plainsong using quite simple 4 part harmony for the choir but with, by and large, the themes left intact so that the congregation were able to sing along if they wished. We ran the first rehearsal to a surprisingly large congregation and went through the setting a couple of times with me soloing the theme and then with the DoM, a fine baritone, singing the words to them. They picked it up pretty quickly and we were asked if we could repeat it the following week. This is when we hit them with the hymn tunes... After the setting had been rehearsed the DoM said how valuable he thought the exercise had been and wondered if they would like to go through "a couple of other tunes". This is when we taught them the correct sequence of notes in Abbots Leigh using the same technique as we had used for the mass setting. In the end we had four sessions in consecutive weeks with other tunes, all in a light-hearted vein, and which everyone enjoyed. Most importantly, they never sang another wrong note in the tunes that we had covered. When we introduced anything new in which the congregation were to be involved we did the same again. I do appreciate that something of this sort wouldn't be practical in a lot of establishments but doing something to involve the congregation in the music, even using something as simple as hymn tunes, gives everyone a nice warm feeling. In smaller churches, I'm sure that something could be achieved.

I received the brochure and booking forms for this yesterday. Among an absolute feast of terrific music is a recital in Hereford Cathedral by David Briggs at 11.00 on Wednesday 12 August. Mendelssohn Overture to St. Paul (arr. W.T.Best) Bach T & F in F BWV 540 Haydn Three pieces for musical clocks Franck Chorale No.3 in A Minor Demessieux Attende Domine Dupré Le monde dans l'attente du Sauveur ** David Briggs Hommage a Marcel Dupré David Briggs Three Preludes & Fugues (UK Premiere) Mrs Handsoff and I will be there; it's a pre-birthday treat for Mrs H... **I've recently been listening to Symphonie-Passion as recorded in St. Ouen by Ben van Oosten and it brought to mind the post elsewhere about the scaling of the 32' Contre Bombarde on that organ. The end of the fourth movement, Résurrection, shows this unmatched stop off to great effect; it is absolutely stupendous. P

Oops! Thank you Ian; I thought it looked familiar but blamed it upon the early hour... I suppose the numbers 2,0,0, & 8 in the heading were the clue My coat is waiting

I've just had a very quick scan of the 2009 Prom schedule. There is a reasonable amount of organ music this year, albeit including an inordinate amount of Messiaen (again), but with one highlight on the Sunday afternoon in week3. There is also a Bach day later on with Simon Preston playing a goodly set. Saint-Saens No. 3 appears at the end of a Messiaen programme with Olivier Latry doing the honours.

Browsing the Encyclopaedia of Organ Stops, as one does, I may have found a use for the blank stop knob at St. Paul's.... http://www.organstops.org/f/Fuchsschwanz.html

There are 3 PDF files here with details of the work and some photographs of the pipework in various stages of repair.

Off topic, but the groom at a wedding for which I once played just loved the Holst version and, with the Bride's agreement, had it sung on the day. "Now, even now........"

Cor! I just played and heard the Tuba (with sub and super couplers) from Stratford-upon-Avon...

Didn't Stevie Wonder sing "Ebony and Ivory"* It could be appropriate for an organ piece at a wedding on at least 2 counts (depending on the expected period of marriage if feeling cynical). * I'm quite prepared to be shot down if wrong!

I would be happy to see if a visit to Tewkesbury Abbey might be possible if enough are interested. P

At the end of my final assembly as school organist after falling out with the impossibly pompous headmaster over his dislike of final verse reharmonisations, I played the "Wedding March" as he and the almost equally pompous deputy paraded side by side down the aisle. The chapel virtually erupted as they left the building...

I add my thanks to those already expressed. It was a real privilege to be given such a great tour of the capabilities of this wonderful instrument and I am most grateful to Simon Johnson for arranging it and taking time from his busy schedule to play for us, and to John Pike Mander for his fascinating insight on the recent work. That Claribel Flute is gorgeous! Peter

Another recording of Vierne's Messe Solennelle appears to be in the offing. I should like to have seen more of Daniel Roth's playing... There is no mention on JAV's website of it yet being available but I shall email and ask for a release date. P

Chris Allsop, whom some of us met at Worcester Cathedral, is giving the Friday lunchtime recital at Birmingham (CE) Cathedral this Friday at 13.10. Harry Bramma is appearing tomorrow (Ash Wednesday) lunchtime at Bradford Cathedral.

These may help... http://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/97...rks-of-JS-Bach/ http://www.alibris.co.uk/search/books/author/J%20S,%20Bach P