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Songs Of Praise - The Organ


notanorganist

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I may be grumpy, but there is a serious point to be made. There are many people around who are knowledgable about organs, and if any one of them had been invited to view the programme at a late stage in editing, most of the errors would have been identified and removed. I am sure that there was plenty of other good material available which could have been spliced in to fill any gaps.

 

WE know that there are errors, because it is our particular interest, but when we watch programmes on other topics we don't always question what we are told. One can't expect the production teams to know a lot about all of the programmes that they work on, but I think that it is reasonable to expect that people who know the subjects should check programmes for accuracy before they are broadcast.

 

I can enlighten you as to the fact that at least 3 professional organists (who shall remain nameless) were given sight of this programme's script for checking technical facts. You'll find with most TV programmes that 'experts' are consulted as you suggest, but of course no mere mortal can claim to be omniscient and with the added dangers of electronic cutting-and-pasting and subbing-down, the odd 'rogue' addition or subtraction often works its way in and is missed by everyone at every stage.

 

Sometimes the presenter's availability means that a 'take' where he/she didn't quite stress the right emphasis ends up having to be used, and given the tight schedule and tiny budget, the producer has to judge whether the result is trivial or a serious misrepresentation. Sorry to sound like an anorak, but I have worked in TV and Radio production for years, and once something has been recorded in a particular acoustic, audio can't just be 'spliced in'.

 

Interesting that so few people seem to have 'got' the Gedeckt/Gedacht pun - I've made recordings of many organs over the years and I have heard this joke made by organists both in England and Germany (especially the latter where, given our love of the 'Wortspiel', there are linguistic reasons for believing that the spelling 'Gedackt/Gedacht' is deliberate).

 

This programme on the Organ was first suggested in 1999; and thereafter several times yearly until it was finally commissioned. Despite its early transmission time (resulting in low audience figures) I am happy to report that it seems to have been greatly appreciated by BBC1s non-organist audience.

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I read with interest the comments from "we, who know better". It is easy to knock walls down but I wonder how many of us have contacted the BBC to tell them how splendid it was to have an enjoyable and interesting programme about organs and when can we have another one?

 

If I were a BBC producer, having read some of our gripes it would be pop groups, pianos and guitars and even combs and paper from now on.

 

It's joe public we need to get interested. Lets launch a `thanks' campaign and ask for more.

 

FF

 

Did you know that Songs of Praise is the only religious music programme, and the only weekly music series on BBC TV? The 'pro-organ-only-accompaniment-minority-of-one' on its staff wasn't dissuaded by nearly 9 years of complete lack of interest in an organ programme, nor by the enforcement of unusually tough budgetary, staffing, and scheduling 'compromises' - so I don't think that the pedants' (entirely predictable) nitpicking will result in any retaliatory comb and paper vendettas. I'll make sure your generous remarks and thanks get passed on to the appropriate people!

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But hopefully not the pedants' nit picking! :(

 

Funny creatures, pedants - not altogether sure I don't quite like them most of the time, as we all make slips-of-the-brain and typo's so should all help one another to get it right - but it's when it seems motivated by the assumption that it's because you're either ignorant, arrogant or haven't checked with an expert that I find it a bit disappointing.

 

Some of it's just people being a bit too literal (i.e. not 'getting' the Gedeckt/Gedacht play-on-words, which was about the only 'in-joke' in the whole piece);

 

some is correct - like the Trumpet tune/voluntary mix-up - seemingly caused by a cut & paste error;

 

some is just nit picking of titanic, stratospheric, universal proportions - worthy of masters, nay, very gods of Pedantry..................!

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I have just watched the programme and, with minor reservations, I thought that it was good - bearing mind that it was directed, not at the cognoscenti, but at the average 'man-in-the-street'.

 

I would agree that the descant to Coe Fen was a mistake - it added nothing to the tune and some of the organ re-harmonisation simply did not 'follow' well, a few chords apparently being forced into unhappy juxtaposition with unrelated neighbours.

 

I would further agree that the segment involving Malcolm Archer was a distraction from what I perceived to be the point of the programme. Whilst I acknowledge that there are those amongst our number who like both the church (and town hall) organ and the cinema organ; I do not - and I know many others who share a similar apathy towards this style of instrument. I suppose that one might say that it was a little like expecting an art collector who specialises in canvases by Rembrandt and Vermeer to be enthused by a Hockney. (By this, I intend to infer a contrast in style - not quality.)

 

(On a purely incidental point, I thought that the Lieblich Gedeckt translation sounded less like a joke than a mis-translation; however, this could be due to the fact that it was not always easy to appreciate the facial nuances of Huw Edwards through the medium of BBC's 'Watch Again' iPlayer.)

 

I would still take issue with the somewhat throwaway remark which was made by Anne Marsden-Thomas, regarding the unwillingness of church authorities to entrust church keys to children (this was clearly the age-group to which she referred), saying "Big mistake." I am afraid that I could not agree less. Even around fifteen years' full-time teaching has allowed me to observe that children often lose things - even important things. The expectation is that adults will always deal with the problem for them. (I am not thinking merely of lost music books, here.) Yes, of course students (of all ages) need access to instruments in order to practise; however, I would suggest that Ms. Marsden-Thomas may have made the assumption that any church refusing to entrust children with keys in order to practise, is acting in an un-trusting way and therefore could discourage someone from learning the organ. I think that this is an over-simplification of the matter - which may do more harm than good. However, I have already written at length on this matter, so I shall return to the rest of the programme.

 

With the exception of the reservations given above, the programme seemed to me to be a good introduction to the mysteries of the instrument. I cannot but wish that Huw Edwards had been given a larger instrument on which to demonstrate some of the sounds that an organ can produce. (Obviously he had to draw a Cornopean instead of a Trumpet, since the former is the only reed on the organ at Saint Sepulchre-without-Newgate.) Rather, I am considerably more interested to learn why, in 1932, the organist of the church apparently wished to replace this:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N17579

 

with this:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N17580

 

I can think of no other instance (aside from Queen's College, Oxford) where an incumbent organist has desired to reduce an instrument to around a quarter of its size. (And, yes, I did notice the splicing of the toaster into the last line of Jerusalem....)

 

In any case, I should far rather have this programme than nothing - it surely served as a good initiation into matters of the instrument. After all, we are already hooked on the organ - for those who are not, I very much hope that it may excite further interest in the instrument.

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Guest Barry Williams

Picking up only on the point of who might be permitted keys to a church, it is, of course, inappropiate for children (i.e. under the age of sixteen years) to have unsupervised access. I did not see the programme, but I hope that Miss Marsden-Thomas was not suggesting that they should have such access. There are all kinds of liability problems arising.

 

Barry Williams

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Picking up only on the point of who might be permitted keys to a church, it is, of course, inappropiate for children (i.e. under the age of sixteen years) to have unsupervised access. I did not see the programme, but I hope that Miss Marsden-Thomas was not suggesting that they should have such access. There are all kinds of liability problems arising.

 

Barry Williams

 

Unfortunately this was what she appeared to mean. She said:

 

"It's quite a problem when you're young, also getting access to practise; because you're young and people don't want to trust you with church keys, perhaps - great mistake."

This may not have been what she meant, but it was what she said and I think that it perhaps betrays a lack of forethought regarding this problem - if not being actually a little irresponsible, given that immediately prior to this an eight-year-old and a slightly older boy had both spoken with regard to learning the organ. It is difficult not to conclude that this was the age-group which Ms. Marsden-Thomas had in mind.

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snip

 

I can think of no other instance (aside from Queen's College, Oxford) where an incumbent organist has desired to reduce an instrument to around a quarter of its size. (And, yes, I did notice the splicing of the toaster into the last line of Jerusalem....)

 

Certainly qualifying, if Queen's College, Oxford does...

St.Mary's Nottingham

Hexham Abbey

there will be others too.

 

I remember reading about the H&H rebuild at St.Sepulchre's - probably in The Organ. I seem to remember that the present (very effective) scheme was devised by Sir Sydney Nicholson, and apparently this major reduction in size was down to that familiar problem: lack of funds.

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Certainly qualifying, if Queen's College, Oxford does...

St.Mary's Nottingham

Hexham Abbey

there will be others too.

 

I remember reading about the H&H rebuild at St.Sepulchre's - probably in The Organ. I seem to remember that the present (very effective) scheme was devised by Sir Sydney Nicholson, and apparently this major reduction in size was down to that familiar problem: lack of funds.

 

Ah - I had forgotten about Nottingham *, although I can understand this particular change even less.

 

 

 

* And Hexham....

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Ah - I had forgotten about Nottingham *, although I can understand this particular change even less.

* And Hexham....

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, there used to be a 4 manual organ in Glastonbury PC (Somerset) - it is now 2 manuals, so that could be added to the list as well....perhaps a new thread on this?

richard

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One of the instruments which I used to preside over was built c. 1820 by Bishop as a large and comprehensive 3 decker. I saw a letter, written in the 1960s by the then vicar, who wrote to HN&B whom he wanted to rebuild the organ to say that the church wanted it rebuilt as a "mini organ". I know this was the age of the mini car (hmmph) and the mini skirt (lovely), but why the mini organ? The organ was thus reduced to a 2 decker.

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Interesting that so few people seem to have 'got' the Gedeckt/Gedacht pun

 

Speaking as the one who first mentioned the "Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts" matter, it certainly sounded to me like a mistake rather than a deliberate pun.

 

Nevertheless, I did not intend a major criticism; I just wanted to point out a minor mistake that, if anything, I thought was slightly amusing. I should like to echo the sentiments of others that the BBC did themselves proud in providing (at long last!) such a programme. Thank you BBC.

 

The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

(Watching out for porcine air travel)

 

John

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Speaking as the one who first mentioned the "Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts" matter, it certainly sounded to me like a mistake rather than a deliberate pun.

 

Nevertheless, I did not intend a major criticism; I just wanted to point out a minor mistake that, if anything, I thought was slightly amusing. I should like to echo the sentiments of others that the BBC did themselves proud in providing (at long last!) such a programme. Thank you BBC.

 

The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

(Watching out for porcine air travel)

 

John

 

Howard Goodall's programmes came after Dame Gillian and were, I thought, exceedingly good. And don't forget John Scott Whiteley. But I agree: I'd love to see a repeat of "The King of Instruments". I have a couple of episodes preserved. One of them includes a cracking performance of Eben's Moto ostinato from somewhere in Stockholm and the other Franck 3 and Dieu parmi nous from St Ouen. Wonderful stuff.

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The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

Yes please. :lol:

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... The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

(Watching out for porcine air travel)

 

John

 

There have been a few things since then: Arthur Wills playing Franck's Troisième Choral at Ely Cathedral, Jennifer Bate playing Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur (intégrale) from Norwich Cathedral (not perhaps the most obvious choice of instrument for this repertoire) and of course, Howard Goodall's Organ Works.

 

However, I second the request for a repeat of The King of Instruments. It does not appear to have been released in DVD format as far as I can ascertain; although searching for 'The king of instruments' on Amazon brought forth some interesting results: The Lord of the Rings on DVD (predictably), a few audio CDs which share this title, Anthems from King's, also on DVD (understandable) and also a wall clock apparently constructed using a Gibson Les Paul copy (where did that come from?) :lol: After this, the remaining selection prepared by Amazon's search engine becomes more wild and not a little desperate.

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The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

These programmes were produced by BBC Wales' then Musical Director Huw Tregelles-Williams. What may not be generally known is that two versions of each programme were shot back-to-back, with Dame Gillian presenting the BBC network version, and Huw presenting a version in Welsh (DGW of course still played) for transmission on S4C!

 

This would have been in the mid-1980s, but back in 1979 BBC Wales transmitted another series of four programmes under the same title which was presented by William Davies. The four programmes took in the Cathedral Organ (Llandaff), the Chapel Organ (a selection of three different instruments exhibiting tracker, pneumatic and electric actions - don't remember where two of them were, but one was Tabernacle, The Hayes, Cardiff - 3m Griffen & Stroud), the Electronic Organ (shot at the home of enthusiast Dr. Ian Watts near Caerphilly. He was a friend of Davies) and the Theatre Organ (the former Astra cinema, Llandudno).

 

These programmes were never repeated, and never received a network airing. Recently - given the corporation's enthusiasm for making archive material available online - I decided to track them down, in the hope that what I assumed would be the original 2" Ampex tapes had been transferred to D3 or at least a VHS viewing copy. That's when I discovered that, having been shot on 16mm, they were actually transmitted in that format from Telecine, and have never been electronically transferred!

 

However, the library were very co-operative, and are quite happy for me to take the films out. I am currently trying to track down someone who can do a good enough transfer to DVD locally, as you can imagine that the cost of getting this done internally would be astronomical.

 

Steve

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Guest Barry Williams
Unfortunately this was what she appeared to mean. She said:

 

"It's quite a problem when you're young, also getting access to practise; because you're young and people don't want to trust you with church keys, perhaps - great mistake."

This may not have been what she meant, but it was what she said and I think that it perhaps betrays a lack of forethought regarding this problem - if not being actually a little irresponsible, given that immediately prior to this an eight-year-old and a slightly older boy had both spoken with regard to learning the organ. It is difficult not to conclude that this was the age-group which Ms. Marsden-Thomas had in mind.

 

 

Thank you for this clarification.

 

The problem of giving access to youngsters (especially those below the age of sixteen years) is a major one that needs to be resolved if those who aspire to learn the organ are not to be discouraged by lack of regular access to an instrument. We have elsewhere on this forum discussed those churches that attempt to make siginficant profit from the young who wish to learn the organ, by charging exhorbitant sums for the use of rather ordinary instruments. It is a real problem that is not easily resolved in these difficult days.

 

Even so, there are still large numbers of well qualified organists and relatively few who wish to take posts in churches. The current repertoire is clearly a discouragement, for there are large numbers who apply for posts with a very traditional set up.

 

However, this forum is not, happily, about providing organists for churches, but about the instrument. Churches tend to get what they deserve.

 

Barry Williams

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Speaking as the one who first mentioned the "Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts" matter, it certainly sounded to me like a mistake rather than a deliberate pun.

 

Nevertheless, I did not intend a major criticism; I just wanted to point out a minor mistake that, if anything, I thought was slightly amusing. I should like to echo the sentiments of others that the BBC did themselves proud in providing (at long last!) such a programme. Thank you BBC.

 

The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

(Watching out for porcine air travel)

 

John

 

John, I got in touch with BBC wales ( a while back) and they had no plans to put the "king of instuments" back on. Gillian Weirs website feedback also produced the same results, also no plans for it to be released on dvd. Have you looked at the American Historical Societys web site?? it has some intresting dvd releases, and on PAL (so we can view it)

regards

Peter

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Speaking as the one who first mentioned the "Lieblich Gedeckt = lovely thoughts" matter, it certainly sounded to me like a mistake rather than a deliberate pun.

 

Nevertheless, I did not intend a major criticism; I just wanted to point out a minor mistake that, if anything, I thought was slightly amusing. I should like to echo the sentiments of others that the BBC did themselves proud in providing (at long last!) such a programme. Thank you BBC.

 

The last time I remember seeing anything on the BBC of interest to organ buffs was Gillian Weir's 'The King of Instruments', of which I have an old, grainy recording on VHS. Now I have a brand new PVR and DVD recorder, could we have a repeat of that series, please?! Better yet, how about more organ programmes of the same kind.

 

(Watching out for porcine air travel)

 

John

 

Extremely unlikely that The Great Dame's excellent show would be repeated.

 

'Excuses' might include:

"Would look dated as it was made before the days of 16:9 'widescreen."

"All those musicians' repeat-fees would be prohibitively expensive."

"Not 'accessible'** enough for a general audience."

**buzz-word of the moment in broadcasting generally - actually means, "Even though we make sure we don't actually mix with any of them, we know our audience have neither intelligence nor taste, and as we're not allowed to broadcast the 24-hour public executions and pornography they really want, we'd better at least not alienate them with anything that might involve thought."

 

'Reasons' might include:

"Esoteric, bourgeois minority interest."

"Contains no-one featured in the gossip pages of either the red-top tabloids or 'Heat' magazine."

"Couldn't easily be re-titled, 'Celebrity-Strictly-Come-X-factor-Get-My-Millionaire-Fat-Organ-Swap-Out-of-Here-On-Ice."

"Our audience probably don't even know what an organ is!"

"Even organists didn't like that Songs of Praise about the organ."

 

There is a slight possibility that Channels 4 or 5 (who now are to culture what the BBC used to be) could show one of Howard Goodall's 'Sideways-Glance-But-Still-Authoritative' -type shows (and even the Beeb might put him on if it were a 'Triumph-Of-Style-Over-Substance-Extreme-Sideways-Glance').

 

Realistically, there's not much danger of incoming pigs at one-o'clock - though spare some (sweet) thought for those of us who intend to continue with our mission to feed the hands that bite us!

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Extremely unlikely that The Great Dame's excellent show would be repeated.

 

'Excuses' might include:

"Would look dated as it was made before the days of 16:9 'widescreen."

"All those musicians' repeat-fees would be prohibitively expensive."

"Not 'accessible'** enough for a general audience."

**buzz-word of the moment in broadcasting generally - actually means, "Even though we make sure we don't actually mix with any of them, we know our audience have neither intelligence nor taste, and as we're not allowed to broadcast the 24-hour public executions and pornography they really want, we'd better at least not alienate them with anything that might involve thought."

 

'Reasons' might include:

"Esoteric, bourgeois minority interest."

"Contains no-one featured in the gossip pages of either the red-top tabloids or 'Heat' magazine."

"Couldn't easily be re-titled, 'Celebrity-Strictly-Come-X-factor-Get-My-Millionaire-Fat-Organ-Swap-Out-of-Here-On-Ice."

"Our audience probably don't even know what an organ is!"

"Even organists didn't like that Songs of Praise about the organ."

 

There is a slight possibility that Channels 4 or 5 (who now are to culture what the BBC used to be) could show one of Howard Goodall's 'Sideways-Glance-But-Still-Authoritative' -type shows (and even the Beeb might put him on if it were a 'Triumph-Of-Style-Over-Substance-Extreme-Sideways-Glance').

 

Realistically, there's not much danger of incoming pigs at one-o'clock - though spare some (sweet) thought for those of us who intend to continue with our mission to feed the hands that bite us!

 

Wow!!

 

Want to swap nommes-de-guerre? You're more cynical than me!!!

Don't despair. The wider recording industry is in difficulties, but one section that remains active is that of organ music. There have never been so many people busy documenting, recording and broadcasting via u-Tube and small-release CDs. Frankly, we don't need the BBC. If they did do anything, they probably wouldn't give us sensible programmes.

 

I make no complaint about the technique or musicianship of the gentleman concerned, but one organist (and one organist only, it appears to me) has broadcast several times on Radio 3 in the last four or five years: David Goode. I'm sure that he did not choose one of the programmes I heard him play.

 

It was from St.Alban's Holborn (an instrument that used to be affectionally known as The loudest organ in London) and it consisted of a series of pieces in minor keys, I seem to remember that (for no obvious reason) Brahms featured largely. If ever a programme was devised that would come off second best to an amateur tape of half-cut morris dancers cavorting in the open air, this was it. My theories - either it was free (i.e. a recording offered to the BBC ready made) or someone, somewhere wanted to prove for the last time that the organ has nothing to offer as a broadcast medium.

 

I tell you what, if I were a performer, asked to choose between preparing for a CD which would go out entirely under my supervision, edited by people I trust with decent notes and interesting presentation or record a further recital for the BBC, I know which I would choose.

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Howard Goodall's programmes came after Dame Gillian and were, I thought, exceedingly good. And don't forget John Scott Whiteley. But I agree: I'd love to see a repeat of "The King of Instruments". I have a couple of episodes preserved. One of them includes a cracking performance of Eben's Moto ostinato from somewhere in Stockholm and the other Franck 3 and Dieu parmi nous from St Ouen. Wonderful stuff.

 

Of course! I had forgotten the John Scott Whiteley (how could I? I bought the CDs and can't wait for the next series to be issued - still haven't heard anything, though.)

 

The Howard Goodall programmes were excellent, but were done by Channel 4, I think. (Some amazing throw-away lines too: I don't know whether you remember the "He is six feet, going on seven feet" description of the rather tall nobleman possessing a table organ in a 'Sound of Music'-type alpine castle?)

 

I'm afraid that other posters on this thread are quite correct about the unlikelihood of the BBC ever repeating the Gillian Weir, hence my reference to flying pigs. What a shame. All part of British 'dumbing down', perhaps?

 

I'll just have to be content with my old recordings. Maybe they'll be worth a fortune in a few years!

 

John

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Rather, I am considerably more interested to learn why, in 1932, the organist of the church apparently wished to replace this:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N17579

 

with this:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N17580

 

I can think of no other instance (aside from Queen's College, Oxford) where an incumbent organist has desired to reduce an instrument to around a quarter of its size. (And, yes, I did notice the splicing of the toaster into the last line of Jerusalem....)

 

Here's another one, this http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N03754

was replaced by this http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=K00731

 

Whilst the former had some extension, it also had six spare slides, the latter is a Walker extension organ, the majority of which is enclosed in a swell box fitted under the arch at the front of a very large and substantially built organ chamber! It is about to be significantly enlarged in the forthcoming rebuilding.

 

Jonathan

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Thank you for this clarification.

 

The problem of giving access to youngsters (especially those below the age of sixteen years) is a major one that needs to be resolved if those who aspire to learn the organ are not to be discouraged by lack of regular access to an instrument. We have elsewhere on this forum discussed those churches that attempt to make siginficant profit from the young who wish to learn the organ, by charging exhorbitant sums for the use of rather ordinary instruments. It is a real problem that is not easily resolved in these difficult days.

 

Even so, there are still large numbers of well qualified organists and relatively few who wish to take posts in churches. The current repertoire is clearly a discouragement, for there are large numbers who apply for posts with a very traditional set up.

 

However, this forum is not, happily, about providing organists for churches, but about the instrument. Churches tend to get what they deserve.

 

Barry Williams

 

I think Barry's latter point is absolutely right. The issue I have experienced over the years has not been to give (or lend) keys to persons under sixteen but to their parents, because in most cases those that learn the organ are often chaperoned by parents/grandparents, even during lessons, and rightly so. Not only does that help us all feel more secure, but also ensures parents have a stake in what their child is doing, surely a good thing. I think the point I was making was, I have had a pupil, who's mother is a long standing member of the church (since birth!), and who still isn't permitted access when the church is locked, i.e. between dusk and 9.00 a.m. I think this is sad, especially as the pupils grandfather has been in that church's choir for over forty years as well! I also know of another boy, who lived next door to a church, but as he was a chorister at the local cathedral, where his dad and younger brother sang/sing too, had permission withdrawn upon departure of the incumbent, who supported him. This boy, now in his late teens his currently organ scholar at a major parish church in the south west, and on his way to big things, despite the attitude of some. The some being those at the church who said he should be allowed to practice, because as a teenager he was likely to be disrespectful to the church and people, and even might break the organ. Sad!

 

Jonathan

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I remember how when I was a teenager I had access to an organ, on which I practised one Saturday. On the following day, part way through the service, there was a cipher. The trustees blamed me, although still I can't think of anything that I could have done from the console of an electric-action instrument which could have caused it.

 

The moral of this story, is that if something goes wrong, the teenager is likely to get the blame.

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