sbarber49

If you send me an email for John Dexter (PM me) I will forward it to him.

PM me your email address and I will do so.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the New Novello. If you end up having to use the Ricordi with the chorus I can send you a list of the changes that need to be made for it to work with orchestral parts (including one complete replacement page).

Just registered for the afternoon - it looks fun!

I'm thinking of going to this - what's the organ like?

But there'll be a television screen. Mind you, you can turn those off!

But if you play for a cathedral choir (or even a visiting choir in a cathedral) you may well have to put up with it.

Having just watched the Boris Ord Carol service, I must say that I found it beautiful. Okay, the hymns are sung the way people did then - gathering notes and all. How refreshing, though, not to have a conductor flapping around in them. Why do hymns have to be conducted now? (A discreet beat at the beginning of each verse is one thing, but those conductors who conduct hymns as if they were conducting the Hallelujah Chorus rather than a congregational hymn annoy me.) Tuning seems pretty good to me but it's impossible to tell with this quavery sound. Certainly doesn't sound like King's College Chapel. I think the boys' tone is many times more lively than it became under Willcocks (much as I respect him). Plenty of drama for me - listen to A Virgin most pure. Beautiful phrasing. I don't think cathedral choirs these days (however beautiful a sense of line they may have) phrase in such a musical way. Just as, in my view, no choir has approached the Temple Church choir in musical and sensitive hymn singing. Of course, in those days, choirs sang carols rather than "carol arrangements". Seems a bit dull now, but I think the balance has swung a bit too far - although I'm probably in a minority of one. The Carols for Choirs books are great (especially No. 1) but perhaps a bit of simplicity isn't a bad thing. But what I really, really like is that it is a service, not a production staged for the benefit of television cameras. That's partly due to the minimal conducting. I think I would have been very moved if I had been there.

I'd never heard of this organist. Entertaining improvisation though.

I played Sortie from the Petite Suite in Blue (by J M Michel - in one of the Jazz Inspirations books) on Sunday. It was one of our "All-age" services, after which I indulge in this sort of stuff. The congregation loved it!

Though sadly, Bach and Franck apart, mostly not of the same level as the greatest piano music. Certainly not of equal interest to non-organists. And we could have done with a few more decent concertos, of course.

Although the petition itself doesn't seem to make the claims to which Ian Bell alluded.

The French Wikipedia says (courtesy of Google translate!): In 1803, the Rouen City Hall moved into the former monks' dormitory, or "dormitorium" of the eighteenth century. The abbot's house was demolished in 1816. The church itself, after serving as a factory at the time of the French Revolution, then returned to the Catholic faith but without becoming a parish church. It is now used for exhibitions and concerts. So, presumably it was used as an important church in the 19th century, just not a parish church. Incidentally, Google translated the stop list of the organ pretty well, but I liked these: Watch 8 ' Unda husbands 8 ' Bugle 4 ' Bumblebee 16 ' Clairon in racing 4 ' Voice Wind 8 ' Supply V 2 2 / 3 '

Are they still available?

Loved these recordings - I had some EPs from the series as well as one or two of the LPs. Have any of them been re-issued on CD?

It's still in copyright, of course!

Sadly, although I agree completely with the first half of this sentence, HON does have a huge selection of hymns and songs - hence its popularity among the clergy. Common Praise is good, but doesn't have the same range.

Though, of course, Goss has already done that for each verse!

Didn't see a rope in the organ loft and no-one gave me safety instructions! Still find it very scary to look over the organ loft.

Yes, I was. I never found it scarey, though. Bury St Edmunds is much worse.

Going tomorrow! The old console was certainly high, and, for me, a bit frightening.

Not available here due to copyright, though. (At least I don't think so)

Perhaps children in 1848 were more intelligent! I'm sure the words would have been read over to a young child first anyway, and the stress would make the meaning clear.

Superfluous commas?

Nor did Cecile Francis Alexander say that. I admit that this is a difficult area. However I can't think why you pick out this hymn for its theology when there are so many others! From the 39 Articles: Article XXXI: Of the one oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross The offering of Christ once made is the perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual, and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. I think the word "price" covers that adequately. Especially since it was from a book of "Hymns for Little Children". (I am straying out of my comfort zone here!)