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The Organist's Last Night Of The Proms


gazman

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Another one which would fall into this category is Sidney Campbell's Pageantry. A very brash piece, it has the flavour of pomp and circumstance with a modern edge and a whiff of cheese. You could probably transcribe it effectively for a military band. Anyone play it?

 

 

No, I do however play his Gaudeamus which is also quite brash.A good opener or it can be used as an extended fanfare if you ever feel the need to want one.

 

 

Peter

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What about something like Walton's Crown Imperial March? A bit 'Land of Hope and Glory'ish.

 

I recall in the late 60's early 70's? Simon Preston released an LP of popular organ music under the title of Crown Imperial. It had things like the Walton peice, the Purcell Trumpet Tune, March on a Theme of Handel, Pince of Denmark's March etc. Some time after Nicholas Danby also did some popular music from Eton called Music for an Occasion. It included Elgar's Nimrod, Pomp and Circumstance March No 4, and Imperial March, the Whitlock Paean, Weitz Fanfare and Gothic March and Harris Flourish for an Occasion.

 

Around the same time at the end of the academic year at New College, Oxford they tried a few Lollipops concerts. I think Paul Hale led the 3 or so organists (from the front to the organ loft sucking big Lollipops) and on one occasion we had the Spitfire Prelude on the Chamade Trumpet and by way of a choral interlude a version of In a Monastery Garden with singers rising up above the gallery rail to sing their bit complete with bird song. (I'm sure we must have had the Lost Chord as well.)

 

Whether such things are popular now I don't know. I suppose it depends on the age of the audience.

 

PJW

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I've always found that the arrangement of Sibeluis' 'Finlandia' works well for this sort of event, especially as you can get the audience to join in the choruses. I did an arrangement for organ and brass quintet (Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Horn in F, Trombone and Bass Tuba) which (quite literally) blew the bloody doors off , to quote Mr. Caine!

 

Such fun!

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Anyway Gareth, whatever your programme is do post it here please!

 

Ok, here goes, but I'm expecting everybody to say what a tasteless blighter I am! Bear in mind, though, folks, that I'm out to try and win friends for the organ in my part of the world, and to bring in people who would normally probably prefer to read a telephone directory or to watch paint dry than attend what they would normally consider to be an "organ recital". And, hopefully, to get them to return too....

 

This evening's concert attracted a full church of people with Union Jacks and all manner of instruments to make noise which they used at appropriate moments (and some inappropriate moments too!) with great gusto.

 

And we were fortunate to have an excellent soprano perform as part of the concert as well. Here's the programme....

 

Liberty Bell - Sousa (arr GLP)

 

Toccatina for the flute - Yon

 

Laughing song (Die Fledermaus) - J Strauss

 

Mimi's solo from Act 1 of La Bohéme - Puccini

 

Prelude in Classic Style - Young

 

Jerusalem (with audience participation)

 

Jewel Song (from Faust) - Gounod

 

Gigue Fugue - Bach (á la Virgil Fox, with the audience clapping in time, sounding hooters, blowing whistles, shaking rattles &c as soon as the first pedal entry arrived. And, yup, I'm told we had several people spontaneously get up and dance!)

 

Interval

The Entertainer - Scott Joplin (arr GLP)

 

Berceuse - Godard

 

Land of Hope & Glory + Extemporizations (With audience singing along and waving flags. We had the first verse in G, followed by an extemporization on various submitted themes (Skye Boat Song, Waly Waly, Greensleeves, National Anthem (in G minor!), Auld Lang Syne, Londonderry Air, all of which the audience joined in singing), before singing another verse (in B flat this time), followed by yet more submitted themes for extemporization (There'll always be an England, O God our help in ages past, English country garden, Sailor's hornpipe and the Prince of Denmark's March, and lots more singing), before finishing off with Land of Hope & Glory in C!

 

Waltz song from Romeo and Juliet - Gounod

 

Nimrod - Elgar (arr Harris)

 

Rule Britannia - Arne

 

Hornpipe Humoresque - Rawsthorne

 

(Encore:- O mio babbino caro - Puccini. They'd have happily had more than this. They kept shouting "More Organ!" but we'd already booked a table at a local restaurant which stopped serving at 9.30. As it was, we had to send a "scout" ahead to tell the restaurant we were running late and to ask them to keep our table for us!)

I don't think Paignton has ever had such a large number of people turn out for an organ recital, and they seemed to absolutely love it, especially all the opportunities they had to join in. As I type this, I'm listening to the recording we made of this and we're on the Gigue fugue, and it's great fun hearing me trying to manfully battle on whilst they blow whistles, cheer and clap!

 

I can honestly say that I can't remember the last time I enjoyed performing a concert quite as much as this. The audience loved every minute of it, and were incredibly warm and receptive throughout. I hope I've been able to persuade them that it's worthwhile attending organ concerts. Perhaps the complimentary glass or two of wine helped too.....!

 

An added bonus is the hefty amount of money taken at the door which I shall be handing on to the church treasurer. And I've never before experienced an "organ recital" where people have been cheering and shouting "more" quite so enthusiastically!

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Come on, Peter! When did any self-respecting organist get through dinner with only one or two bottles of wine?

 

Seriously, well done Gareth and many congratulations. Sounds like a very good time was had by all. I await with curious anticipation what Roger Norrington may say to the audience at the "other" L N o t P.

 

Malolm Kemp

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Thank you Peter and Malcolm. Yes, I did have a whale of a time and I was stopped by two different people in town this morning who told me how much they'd enjoyed the concert. I hope they'll come back....

 

Come on, Peter! When did any self-respecting organist get through dinner with only one or two bottles of wine?

 

Hic!

 

Yes, the dinner, wine (and beer!) afterwards were all A1 too!

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Congratulations, Gareth. I must admit I don't think I could bring myself to play a programme like that, but I'm sure that's my loss. You obviously got people enthused about the organ and isn't that what it's all about? Good on yer!

 

Of course you'll have to continue being a tasteless blighter for evermore.... :blink:

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Hey, well done and the bravery paid off! The Rawsthorne always goes down quite well. The secret with those type of pieces is in the length. I've heard so many attempts at 'comedy/quotation' pieces, and they nearly all go on too long.

 

I expect you'll be canvassing ideas for the next one soon. How much did you raise....or is that classified information.

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Congratulations, Gareth.

 

Thank you, Vox!

 

Of course you'll have to continue being a tasteless blighter for evermore.... :)

 

That's the danger, of course. But I think there's something to be said for giving them something of "what they want"! If I want to get people to enjoy organ music which they'd normally probably not bother to listen to, it's only fair that I also give them music which will immediately delight them - it can only make them more receptive, and get them "on side".

 

Hey, well done and the bravery paid off! The Rawsthorne always goes down quite well. The secret with those type of pieces is in the length. I've heard so many attempts at 'comedy/quotation' pieces, and they nearly all go on too long.

 

Yes, agreed. Thanks, Guilmant!

 

I expect you'll be canvassing ideas for the next one soon.

 

Well, I'm calling October's one "Autumn Thoughts". We're looking at a colourful programme to reflect the colours of Autumn, so suggestions would be welcome. I'd also be grateful for anybody who might be able to lend a copy of the Jongen to save me purchasing one.......! :)

 

And November's concert - the last in the series for this year - is a request recital, so I know that BWV 565 and THE Widor will be on the cards! :rolleyes:

 

How much did you raise....or is that classified information.

 

Shall we just say that the church's treasurer won't need to worry about where my "salary" is coming from for a number of weeks yet?

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But I think there's something to be said for giving them something of "what they want"! If I want to get people to enjoy organ music which they'd normally probably not bother to listen to, it's only fair that I also give them music which will immediately delight them - it can only make them more receptive, and get them "on side".

Absolutely agree with that. I freely admit that my tastes are a bit too serious for my own good.

 

Well, I'm calling October's one "Autumn Thoughts". We're looking at a colourful programme to reflect the colours of Autumn, so suggestions would be welcome. I'd also be grateful for anybody who might be able to lend a copy of the Jongen to save me purchasing one.......! :rolleyes:

Probably a bit late for "Moonlight and Roses", but they'll love it even so.

 

Shall we just say that the church's treasurer won't need to worry about where my "salary" is coming from for a number of weeks yet?

Ah. So about £10 then. :)

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Absolutely agree with that. I freely admit that my tastes are a bit too serious for my own good.

 

Yup, an "Evening with Messiaen" is unlikely to attract them. Well, they might come once..... :P

 

Probably a bit late for "Moonlight and Roses", but they'll love it even so.

 

Actually, that's worth thinking about....! Thanks! :rolleyes:

 

Ah. So about £10 then. :)

 

Nope, about two and six, actually....! :)

 

Joking aside, I used to give weekly organ recitals at the church, the proceeds going towards the organ fund. My idea was that the money would be reserved for future maintenance work on the organ as and when it needed it. And then, a couple of years or so ago, I read the minutes of a PCC meeting where the "organ fund" was discussed and discovered that the treasurer was using the money from the organ fund - which I had raised in weekly recitals - to pay me my stipend. I wasn't best pleased, as you can imagine.....

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I read the minutes of a PCC meeting where the "organ fund" was discussed and discovered that the treasurer was using the money from the organ fund - which I had raised in weekly recitals - to pay me my stipend. I wasn't best pleased, as you can imagine.....

That's naughty! It reminds me that when the first distant ancestor of The Foghorn was built in 1735, the money for both the organ and the organist was raised by subscription. The major donor left further money in his will and the interest on the fund thus created and invested - which had charitable status - continued to help pay the organist's salary until 1924 when Harry Moreton (I'm sure it must have been he) persuaded the church to blow all the capital on an electric blower for the organ. When in 1951 the Charity Commission demanded to know what had become of the fund, a lot of squirming on the vicar's part ensued. The protracted correspondence leaves an indelible image of toilets and bricks!

 

Back to the music. You might find some suitable material here. I've not tried them, but Rink's variations on the National Anthem look as if they could be stomach-churningly entertaining.

 

 

 

 

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That's naughty! It reminds me that when the first distant ancestor of The Foghorn was built in 1735, the money for both the organ and the organist was raised by subscription. The major donor left further money in his will and the interest on the fund thus created and invested - which had charitable status - continued to help pay the organist's salary until 1924 when Harry Moreton (I'm sure it must have been he) persuaded the church to blow all the capital on an electric blower for the organ. When in 1951 the Charity Commission demanded to know what had become of the fund, a lot of squirming on the vicar's part ensued. The protracted correspondence leaves an indelible image of toilets and bricks!

 

Back to the music. You might find some suitable material here. I've not tried them, but Rink's variations on the National Anthem look as if they could be stomach-churningly entertaining.

 

 

Thanks Vox! :rolleyes:

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