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Organs On Screen (not The Screen!)


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Guest Roffensis
I have just been watching the hokum war film, The Eagle has Landed. German commandos arrive at a Norfolk village (actually Mapledurham in Oxfordshire) to kidnap Winston Churchill. One of the commandos with a spare moment in the church starts to play the organ. There's a comment about Bach, but it seems that he was playing the film's theme. He returns to the organ later as the Americans storm the church, ignoring the old advice that one shouldn't shoot an organist who is doing his best.

 

The exterior of the church is real, but the interior was a set which isn't a close copy of the real interior, and the 'organ' looks rather like a fake. I wish that I had recorded it so that I could go back and watch the organ scenes again more carefully.

 

 

That film is actually a spin on "went the day well", which for 1944 was very graphic in it's portrayal of the use of axes! I saw the film you mention today and thoroughly enjoyed it, and noted the rather splendid organ with its magnificent case :D It looked like a bad 60s rebuild of something didn't it!? I imagine only the best plywood was used of course!

 

R

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Guest Roffensis
Dear Peter,

 

I suspect that it was deleted along time ago.

 

it may be that permission could be obtained for a CD from the LP. Please send me an email if you wish me to follow this up.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Barry

 

 

This compares to a LP on "Decca Phase 4 Stereo" of Eric Rogers no less, playing the Organ at Kingsway Hall. Look no further for film music on a pipe organ. It has the theme from The Magnificent Seven on, and the Can-Can.

 

:D

 

R

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Just found another one, although not a playing instrument this time.

 

In "The Copper Beeches" episode of the Sherlock Holmes series with the incomparable Jeremy Brett, there is a scene at about 30 mins where the main characters meet in an upstairs room at an inn. In the left background can distinctly be seen a rather plain flat fronted Georgian organ with three towers of three pipes. The flats between the towers have no cloth or fretwork so I assume this is an empty case. The inn is a half timbered Elizabethan affair with a coat of arms in relief in the plasterwork over the fireplace on the other side of the doorway. Although this part of the story is set in Hampshire, the filming of the main house was evidently done in the north to judge by the construction of the main house, but the inn looks distincly Cheshire-esqe.

 

Any ideas?

 

JE

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Just found another one, although not a playing instrument this time.

 

In "The Copper Beeches" episode of the Sherlock Holmes series with the incomparable Jeremy Brett, there is a scene at about 30 mins where the main characters meet in an upstairs room at an inn. In the left background can distinctly be seen a rather plain flat fronted Georgian organ with three towers of three pipes. The flats between the towers have no cloth or fretwork so I assume this is an empty case. The inn is a half timbered Elizabethan affair with a coat of arms in relief in the plasterwork over the fireplace on the other side of the doorway. Although this part of the story is set in Hampshire, the filming of the main house was evidently done in the north to judge by the construction of the main house, but the inn looks distincly Cheshire-esqe.

 

Any ideas?

 

JE

 

 

A screencap can be found here: http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee11/He...;current=68.jpg

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Chavenage House, just outside Tetbury in Gloucestershire, has been used as a location for a number of films and television episodes. It has a 7-stop chamber organ in a gallery above the great hall. I don't recall ever seeing it played, but it certainly appeared visually in "The Mysertious Affair at Styles", one of the earlier of the David Suchet "Poirot" series.

 

Details of the organ are on NPOR, photos of the organ in situ in the great hall gallery can be found on the Chavenage House Interior Photos page.

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  • 1 month later...
Derek Bourgeois is credited as Conductor on IMDb, but there is no reference to a composer. His own website indicates he wrote a piece called 'A Barchester Choral Suite' which was published two years after the programme was first broadcast. The first broadcast was 1982.

 

Jonathan

 

I e-mailed Derek Bourgeois and his PA replied to me. The Barchester Choral Suite is still in manuscript and according to her has not been published - but Bourgeois made a small anthem out of the main theme tune for boys'/girls'/womens' voices called Come Holy Ghost and this is available as a download from Sibelius.

 

www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=1693

 

 

 

Peter

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I e-mailed Derek Bourgeois and his PA replied to me. The Barchester Choral Suite is still in manuscript and according to her has not been published - but Bourgeois made a small anthem out of the main theme tune for boys'/girls'/womens' voices called Come Holy Ghost and this is available as a download from Sibelius.

 

www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=1693

 

 

 

Peter

 

The music was indeed composed by Derek Bourgeois. The choral music was sung by Peterborough Cathedral Choir, conducted by Christopher Gower. The organ of Peter Cathedral certainly featured, as accompanying instrument, played by Simon Lawford.

 

I was singing in the cathedral choir then and remember the filming fondly – including hearing “Slope's” sermon quite a few times, owing to passing planes etc. The music had some extremely high passages for the boys – often in thirds, I seem to remember, and the high pitch of the organ didn't make things any easier. In one scene Donald Pleasance is seen conducting the choir: his gestures were, to be polite, a little imprecise - needless to say, Christopher Gower was standing behind him out of camera shot.

 

Wonderful adaptation – now on DVD!

 

Stephen Barber

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Chavenage House, just outside Tetbury in Gloucestershire, has been used as a location for a number of films and television episodes. It has a 7-stop chamber organ in a gallery above the great hall. I don't recall ever seeing it played, but it certainly appeared visually in "The Mysertious Affair at Styles", one of the earlier of the David Suchet "Poirot" series.

 

Details of the organ are on NPOR, photos of the organ in situ in the great hall gallery can be found on the Chavenage House Interior Photos page.

 

We visited Chavenage House last year, and were told by the guide (the daughter of the owner, if I recall) that the instrument was unplayable, and not likely to be restored as the cost was beyond the family's means. She also commented that none of the family had any musical ability whatever, which makes restoration even less likely I would think.

 

Regards to all

 

John

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The music was indeed composed by Derek Bourgeois. The choral music was sung by Peterborough Cathedral Choir, conducted by Christopher Gower. The organ of Peter Cathedral certainly featured, as accompanying instrument, played by Simon Lawford.

 

I was singing in the cathedral choir then and remember the filming fondly – including hearing “Slope's” sermon quite a few times, owing to passing planes etc. The music had some extremely high passages for the boys – often in thirds, I seem to remember, and the high pitch of the organ didn't make things any easier. In one scene Donald Pleasance is seen conducting the choir: his gestures were, to be polite, a little imprecise - needless to say, Christopher Gower was standing behind him out of camera shot.

 

Wonderful adaptation – now on DVD!

 

Stephen Barber

 

I bought the DVD yesterday - a bargain at £9.99 - and the opening scene is of the choir "conducted" by Donald Pleasance. So which one is you, Stephen? (The series was made in 1982....!)

 

Peter

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I bought the DVD yesterday - a bargain at £9.99 - and the opening scene is of the choir "conducted" by Donald Pleasance. So which one is you, Stephen? (The series was made in 1982....!)

 

Peter

 

I was the short one at the back, with a beard (long gone) standing between (I seem to remember) 2 tall singers - a bass and a tenor. I was singing tenor at the time (as an acting lay-clerk) but just for two terms. After that I sang alto as a supernumerary. (I had only just moved to Peterborough in 1982.)

 

It's a wonderful adaptation.

 

Stephen Barber

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I was the short one at the back, with a beard (long gone) standing between (I seem to remember) 2 tall singers - a bass and a tenor. I was singing tenor at the time (as an acting lay-clerk) but just for two terms. After that I sang alto as a supernumerary. (I had only just moved to Peterborough in 1982.)

 

It's a wonderful adaptation.

 

Stephen Barber

 

Srephen, having now sat through all 7 episodes (and the "bonus" track about Peterborough Cathedral) I agree that it is a superb production. The BBC really does these things well. What is the music during the closing credits of each episode, though? Another Bourgeois piece?

 

Peter

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Guest Roffensis
Srephen, having now sat through all 7 episodes (and the "bonus" track about Peterborough Cathedral) I agree that it is a superb production. The BBC really does these things well. What is the music during the closing credits of each episode, though? Another Bourgeois piece?

 

Peter

 

 

Wasn't that a version of the Jubilate? Superb piece whoever wrote it.

 

I thought Ms. Proudie was a hoot!!

 

There must be at least one equivalent of her today.

 

And a wonderful line "may you both live, for ever"

 

A superb series, I loved it.

 

R

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Wasn't that a version of the Jubilate? Superb piece whoever wrote it.

 

I thought Ms. Proudie was a hoot!!

 

There must be at least one equivalent of her today.

 

And a wonderful line "may you both live, for ever"

 

A superb series, I loved it.

 

R

 

Yes, Bourgeois's Jubilate. Can't say I liked the piece myself and it was far too high and screechy for the boys to sing (especially at Peterborough pitch!). I liked some of the other music. I watch the series on a regular basis (though not frequently) and love it, though I want to hiss every time Slope appears.

 

Stephen Barber

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Barber

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  • 7 months later...
Wonderful playing..I would have thought that the organ console is more like c.1915 than c.1875. Also, was the piece being played the Ives Variations on 'America'.(1891)?

 

Maybe even Allcoat 1984....

 

A

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  • 10 months later...

I haven't seen the film, but apparently there's a starring role for the seven-decker console of Atlantic City Hall in "The King of Marvin Gardens" (1972).

 

Just out, a pivotal scene in "Salt" has the heroine/villain machinegun the innards of the organ of St Bartholomews New York during a service. If you ever wondered what would happen if you fired into the action and reservoirs of a pipe organ whilst the blower is running, the effects are quite impressive.

 

Don't try this during the sermon.

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  • 1 month later...

I've just been watching The Good Wife (American legal drama series) Series I/17 (Heart). There's a very nice looking modern case and pipes on view in the church where the main character is seeking forgiveness. I thought the series was set in Chicago (and it may be), but the usual internet sources say it was all filmed in New York. Any ideas?

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I've just been watching The Good Wife (American legal drama series) Series I/17 (Heart). There's a very nice looking modern case and pipes on view in the church where the main character is seeking forgiveness. I thought the series was set in Chicago (and it may be), but the usual internet sources say it was all filmed in New York. Any ideas?

 

I saw that part a couple of weeks ago on the Prosieben channel (Germany). The organ looked familiar to me right away (and I've also read before that the series was being filmed in NY) - it is the Klais organ in St. Peter's Lutheran Church, built in 1977 with 32 stops on two manuals. See a photo and the stoplist here.

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