DouglasCorr

I'm puzzled and shocked! Just a few years ago I remember an appeal for the organ - to which I contributed - I thought it was undergoing a complete restoration?

When I mentioned (below) your amazing research earlier on the Message Board there were very few replies! I'm not sure why? May 22 2006, 07:39 PM Post #1 I don’t know if someone has already reported this information here and I missed it, but I have I’ve just come across these astonishing sites: Larips Bach tuning They describe how the embellishment at the head of the title page of Bach’s Clavierubung is actually an explanation of how to tune the keyboard! Much more intriguing than da Vinci code puzzles!! It was in everyone’s face all the time….. There is much else of interest on both sites! This seems to me such a wonderful breakthrough that it deserves more publicity. However, harpsichords can be tuned relatively quickly; I wonder how useful it would be for organ tuning – organs are generally out of tune most of the time to some extent – would the effect of the fine adjustments be lost?[/i] Since Christmas I've been playing the Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1 - Peter Watchorn CD, whose harpsichord is tuned according to the Bach scheme you have revealed, and what a beautiful refreshing sound it is. I recommend it to all Message Boarders.

My late toaster really was a toaster! I think it was 1960s vintage and it came from St Marks Middleton Square London. Unlike many electronic organs that derived most of their notes from a single oscillator - it had a separate oscillator for each note. From 16 ft to 2ft for a 56 note range, I think it was, resulting in around 80+ vacuum tubes. These all glowed and generated much heat - as good as any toaster! Appropriately I kept it in my kitchen...

Hang on! You've got to think about your essential repertoire - Dupre Variations on a Noel.....

This is a dangerous and heretical topic on this site but look here -link on bottm left

I recently went to hear: Dimanche 20 Janvier 2008 (Sunday, 20 January 2008) - Deuxième dimanche du Temps Ordinaire, Solennité de Saint-Sulpice 10h 30 Messe Solennelle - Organiste : Daniel Roth Prélude (10h 15) : Marcia (3ème Symphonie), Ch.M.Widor Offertoire : Allegro cantabile (5ème Symphonie), Widor Communion : Adagio (3ème Symphonie), Widor Postlude : Final (6ème Symphonie), Widor Audition : Choral (7ème Symphonie), Widor Intermezzo (6ème Symphonie) It would have been worth the trip just for the Choral - but all this in one service! Widor on Widor's organ....

There is an overwhelming case for the construction of a free and instantaneous teleporter to St Sulpice on Sundays .

I agree - the spontaneous comments from the congregation made this a highly memorable Sunday worship.

I wonder if any other Message Boarders share my disappointment at yesterday afternoon’s event at the Turner Sims Concert Hall? Billed as 'Vaughan Williams And The English Hymnal' and described as Ralph Vaughan Williams was the Music Editor of the English Hymnal, a book described in its preface as ‘A collection of the best hymns in the English language’. As a tribute to the composer fifty years after his death join David Owen Norris, choir Cantores Michaelis and a raft of special guests to find out more about the immense musical impact which the book has had. You can also discover how its contents help paint a picture of Vaughan Williams’ life, his friends and interests. The concert includes performances of many of the book’s hymn tunes on an array of instruments including the Turner Sims organ as well as works associated with them including the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis for string orchestra and the Three Preludes So I expected something of a lecture with musical illustrations. There was much for a learned institution to talk about – what lead to the production of the hymnal- what the musical objectives were - what lead various composers to make their contributions – why the tempi so carefully assigned by VW are now largely ignored…. But instead, apart from a few short anecdotes, the audience was largely invited to sing through a jumbled selection of hymns from the EH. This luckily was a moving experience – the audience seemed to be packed with choral society singers – and the organ sounded magnificent. There were all the right ingredients- the excellent Cantores Micaelis, the string orchestra – but there was no plan or serious information content. It became a Tabernacle style hymn singing event and a missed opportunity.

I would have thought Carlo Curley has done a considerable amount to bring the organ to the ordinary listener, particularly in the UK. He effectively follows on from Virgil Fox, but in a more dignified way (without resort to the Pablo Lights effects team....!!).

I'm sure that that is because you remembered that a number of French words beginning with "e (accute) t" turn up with English counterparts beginning with "st" etoil star etude study etranger stranger etc - one of the few things I remember too about French..

On several occasions I noticed that Ralph Downes sat just above the middle gangway, on the right (facing the organ) - so I imagine that was the optimal place to sit.

Thanks Barry - I had forgotten about UMP - I've now found their extensive catalogue here (PS thanks also for help on Stephen E T Lloyd)

Are the Bornemann Dupre editions still in print?

At the St Albans Organ Festival this year the Fantasia and Fugue in g min was an alternative choice to the D maj P&F for the Finals - I would have thought there was more music in the g min compared to the (boring) sequences in the the D maj....

My son has pointed out a USB roll up keyboard - as a potential present! (needless to say he ignores the real thing....) Does anyone think these are good for anything for anyone? I've only seen a photo of one - are the black keys raised, or are they just flat - I suppose they need to be flat to roll up????

A Christmas letter from Roy Stoddard, who previously conducted the Cantores Medicini Choir, asked whether I could find a contact address for Stephen E T Lloyd, who was organ scholar at St Johns, Oxford, in the 50s. I would be very grateful for any information please - perhaps use the mail option. Thanks.

I wondered if you had heard Daniel Roth's CD of it (and Liszt's other works) played at St Sulpice - an organ and performance to match the scope of the compositions!!! Motette CD 12021

I used to practice in a hospital chapel - pyjama temperature 24/7

What a morning I've had at Manders !!- such interesting displays, including pipe making, pipe metal casting - enough metal cast for a thousand organs! - and all the tools you could ever imagine! Thanks very much to Manders and all their craftsmen !!

I thought Healey Willan was a Canadian organist...?

I think this is a very sad and depressing topic - best not dwelt on. In line with (Bomber) Harris's policy, virtually every major German town centre was on the RAF target list. Including Lubeck, Rostock, Hamburg, Nurnberg... Along with the distruction of historic town centres with their churches and organs there was an massive loss of bomber crews for debatable strategic gain...

.... people were too polite to say?.......

Yes - no need to go - best to sleep on it. Douglas

I've come across print on demand in scientific publishing. Artech House have been doing this for a number of years now - they have a very large number of out of print titles that they are prepared to reprint - I think the price was much the same as off the shelf books.