DaveHarries Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Hi all, Just been through the listings for the BBC Proms this year. Organ music features as follows: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wednesday 22nd July, 2000 - 2230hrs | Prom 8 The Wasps Overture (Vaughan Williams) The Genesis of Secrecy (Wigglesworth - BBC Commission, world premiere) Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan Williams) Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A Major (CV Stanford) Come Holy Ghost (Jonathan Harvey) Ascending into Heaven (Judith Weir) Symphony no. 3 for Organ (Saint-Sëans) Thomas Trotter (Organ), Simon Keenlyside (Baritone) Choirs of St. John's and King's Colleges, Cambridge (Stephen Cleobury - Conductor) Choirs of Claire, Gonville & Caius and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge (Andrew Nethsingha - Conductor) BBC Symphony Orchestra (Andrew Davis - Conductor) Saturday 25th July, 1700 - 1805hrs | Prom 11 Organ Sonata no. 2 (Elgar, arr. Atkins) Blue Rose Variations (Peter Dickinson) Organ Sonata no. 1 in G major (Elgar, arr. Atkins) David Titterington (Organ) Sunday 02nd August, 1930 - 2145hrs | Prom 24 From Tumpet (Ben Foskett - BBC Commission, world premiere) Symphony no. 4 in B-flat major (Beethoven) Te Deum (Berlioz) The Bach Choir BBC Symphony Chorus Crouch End Festival Chorus Choristers of St. Paul's Cathedral Trinity Boys Choir Susanna Mälkki - Conductor Wednesday 12th August, 1900 - 2120hrs | Prom 36 - Handel evening Solomon - The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Coronation Anthem - "Let my hand be strengthened" Semele - excerpts Coronation Anthem - "My heart is inditing" Coronation Anthem - "The King shall rejoice" Motet - "Salve Regina" Organ concerto in F major op. 4, no. 4 (Original version) Coronation Anthem - "Zadock The Priest" Carolyn Sampson (Soprano) Alastair Ross (Organ) The Sixteen (Harry Christophers - conductor) Tuesday 08th September, 2200 - 2315hrs | Prom 71 Westerlings (Sir Peter Maxwell Davies) Solstice of Light (Sir Peter Maxwell Davies) Ed Lyon - Tenor David Goode - Organ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In addition, I am more than a bit suprised that PCM 5 has no organ in it. I think I have only ever heard Bach's "Wachet auf" prelude on the organ. The lineup for that concert is this: - - - - - - - - - - Monday 17th August, 1300 - 1400hrs | PCM 5 Prelude and Fugue in E minor, op. 35 (Mendelssohn) Choral Prelude "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (JS Bach) Choral Prelude "Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein" (JS Bach) Choral Prelude "'Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" (JS Bach) Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel (Brahms) Llŷr Williams - piano - - - - - - - - - - Anyway, quite a good lot to choose from organ-wise this year. I note what are (I assume) Proms deuts for Crouch End Festival Chorus, David Goode, Alastair Ross (who I have not heard of), David Goode and David Titterington, plus the Cambridge choirs and St. Paul's Cathedral choir. Prom 8 sounds like it will be spectacular and Prom 36 (the Handel evening) sounds like it will be good. What will you be listening out for? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJJ Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I note what are (I assume) Proms deuts for Crouch End Festival Chorus, David Goode, Alastair Ross (who I have not heard of), David Goode and David Titterington, plus the Cambridge choirs and St. Paul's Cathedral choir. Former DOM High Wycombe and St Margaret's Westminster - prolific continuo player - harpsichord and organ with all the best 'early' music groups for at least the last 25 years. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwhodges Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Alastair Ross (who I have not heard of) A chorister at Christ Church in the same year as me. In this 1957 photo he is one from left in the back row of choristers (I am front right). I also have a privately issued recording, made by a friend in 1977, of him playing the Widor Toccata at High Wycombe, very slowly, because the organ wouldn't go any faster. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cynic Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Former DOM High Wycombe and St Margaret's Westminster - prolific continuo player - harpsichord and organ with all the best 'early' music groups for at least the last 25 years. A He was one of (Sir) David Lumsden's earliest organ scholars at New College Oxford in the mid 1960's, and one of my heroes then: he very kindly used to allow me to watch him practice (while my teacher did not!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Who is the conductor in the photo and is that an Oxford DMus hood he's wearing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Bennett Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Darius Battiwalla is playing the organ with the BBC Phil at proms 9, 12, and 29. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwhodges Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Who is the conductor in the photo and is that an Oxford DMus hood he's wearing? Sydney Watson, who moved to Christ Church in Jan 1956, a term after me, wearing his "Strawberries and Cream" (as he called the corresponding gown) - yes, DMus Oxf. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I note what are (I assume) Proms deuts for Crouch End Festival Chorus, David Goode, Alastair Ross (who I have not heard of), David Goode and David Titterington, plus the Cambridge choirs and St. Paul's Cathedral choir. Former DOM High Wycombe and St Margaret's Westminster - prolific continuo player - harpsichord and organ with all the best 'early' music groups for at least the last 25 years. A Indeed. Very good player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I went to Prom 8 yesterday evening in what was a pretty full Albert Hall. As you may be aware, it was all a celebration of the 800th anniversary of the University of Cambridge, and so the music was by people with connections with Cambridge, the conductor and organist were ex-Cambridge men etc. As an event musically, I enjoyed it. Everything was performed really well (of course!). I can't say I cared much for the commissioned piece by Ryan Wigglesworth, which didn't really seem to go anywhere. The choral pieces by Jonathan Harvey and Judith Weir weren't particularly to my taste either, although they were undoubtedly technically very good pieces of music. The Harvey in particular sounds very difficult. I very much enjoyed the Vaughan Williams, particularly the Wasps and a rousing performance of 'Let all the world'. The Stanford was a setting with which I'm not familiar but was typical Stanford really. The highlight of the evening though was undoubtedly the Saint-Saens symphony which concluded the evening. As I said though, a good evening even if not everything was to my taste. I can't help feeling a little disappointed with the contribution made by the organ though. The organ was only really used to any great extent in the last two pieces - the Judith Weir and the Saint-Saens. I can't help but feel that, given that they had a brilliant organist like Thomas Trotter there, that more use could have been made of the organ. I don't quite know in what way, but good as the symphony orchestra are, we hear orchestras at most of the proms whereas the organ will only be seen at a few. Obviously, the Saint-Saens enabled Trotter to make full use of the organ's resources, which I think is what everyone wanted to hear, but I still feel we could have heard a bit more of it. Of course, the purpose of the evening was a celebration of the University of Cambridge's anniversary, but even still... Just a few thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 ...I can't help feeling a little disappointed with the contribution made by the organ though. The organ was only really used to any great extent in the last two pieces - the Judith Weir and the Saint-Saens. I can't help but feel that, given that they had a brilliant organist like Thomas Trotter there, that more use could have been made of the organ. I don't quite know in what way, but good as the symphony orchestra are, we hear orchestras at most of the proms whereas the organ will only be seen at a few. Obviously, the Saint-Saens enabled Trotter to make full use of the organ's resources, which I think is what everyone wanted to hear, but I still feel we could have heard a bit more of it. Of course, the purpose of the evening was a celebration of the University of Cambridge's anniversary, but even still... Just a few thoughts. Well, this ex-Cambridge man - quite coincidentally - is listening to the concert now on iPlayer. I think your last sentence answers your own question. It wasn't an organ recital, and the sell-out audience (even the organists among them ) were glad to hear the organ at various points, but it shouldn't be any big deal. The organ comes into its own on Saturday at 5pm in the hands of David Titterington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Treloar Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Someone may well correct me, but I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the BBC sound engineers don't like the organ being played as we would like to hear it as it is very difficult to balance for broadcasting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Price Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Just noticed this from the BBC Web site today, regarding the Last Night: Attenborough and Goldie play Prom Not for the purists, maybe, but sounds fun!! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nachthorn Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Someone may well correct me, but I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the BBC sound engineers don't like the organ being played as we would like to hear it as it is very difficult to balance for broadcasting. I thought that, for the first time in many proms broadcasts, the organ sounded very fine in tonight's ('Last Night') TV broadcast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbouffant Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Just noticed this from the BBC Web site today, regarding the Last Night: Attenborough and Goldie play Prom Not for the purists, maybe, but sounds fun!! Tony As many may recall, at the orignal performance it was Dennis Brain (the great horn player) who took the organ part. It was a shame they didn't try the same conceit last night and have a familiar face taking the organ part. Jo Brand perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnR Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 As many may recall, at the orignal performance it was Dennis Brain (the great horn player) who took the organ part. It was a shame they didn't try the same conceit last night and have a familiar face taking the organ part. Jo Brand perhaps? I often wonder each year who is actually plaing on the Proms Last Night. The BBC never ever seem to mention who is playing, which is annoying. I realise it's probably not that technically difficult as the orchestra do all the fast fine detail, even I could do it (gulp), but all the same.... John R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iy45 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 As many may recall, at the orignal performance it was Dennis Brain (the great horn player) who took the organ part. Dennis Brain FRCO, I believe. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iy45 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I often wonder each year who is actually plaing on the Proms Last Night. It was Malcolm Hicks, who is the BBCSO's Organist, and has been playing at the Last Night (and on many other occasions) for years. And very good at it he is, too. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotto Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 A minor point, but the main organ was also used in the Halelluia and Amen choruses during the performance of Handel's Messiah on Sunday 6th. (I was there supporting my daughter who was singing in the chorus.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJJ Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I was there supporting my daughter who was singing in the chorus. So was my 2nd cousin. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 It was Malcolm Hicks, who is the BBCSO's Organist, and has been playing at the Last Night (and on many other occasions) for years. And very good at it he is, too. Ian ...and Malcolm's predecessor as BBC Symphony Orchestra organist was my organ teacher, the late Alan Harverson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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