As a new member, albeit one who has been reading and enjoying the forum for some time, I thought I should introduce myself.
My name is Peter and I live in Stratford-upon-Avon. My musical career started with piano lessons from age 7 to 11, when I started to play the organ at my school's chapel. My piano teacher was also the organist at a local church so I switched instruments but kept my teacher. From age 15 to 19 I passed a few exams and ended up as organist at a village church near Stratford along with regular deputising at various other establishments. Through various circumstances revolving largely around a change of tenure at The Rectory, I left, stopped playing (lack of talent may just have been another factor - hence the "handsoff" alias!) and after auditioning was accepted into Andrew Fletcher's choir at St. Mary's Warwick, where I sang tenor for around 7 years. Other, more shapely, diversions took over and that was the end of my active involvement in church music. In the last year I have started playing once again although only at private sessions at a couple of local churches, purely, for now, for my own amusement.
I have maintained my interest in organ and choral music and when I was fortunate enough last year to achieve retirement from my career at age 51, I found plenty of time for listening and been busy expanding my CD collection. My tastes are quite wide-ranging but my current favourites are French Romantics, especially Vierne, Guilmant, Widor, Bonnet etc along with Howells choral and organ music choral music from the Tallis era. I absolutely adore the sound of the big French instruments and don't find much to beat the experience of a Cavaillé-Coll tutti with the amazing 32' Bombardes supporting everything.
I don't ignore the English tradition and have a goodly selection from around the country.
I've started to go to the lunchtime recitals in Birmingham and have just returned from Stephen Cleobury's offering at the Town Hall. What a wonderful sounding instrument with great subtlety as well as enormous power. The Symphony Hall organ is simply stunning; to look at as well as to hear.
I shan't be able to contribute a great deal in the way of learned discussion either about the intrument or its music but shall certainly enjoy my daily delves into the fora.
Kind regards
handsoff