Martin Cooke Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Does anyone have any reminiscences of Harry Gabb? Hearing him play? What did he play? Lessons with him? What did you learn with him? Recitals, etc? I'm just getting going at Karg-Elert's Pax Vobiscum which was a "Gabb piece." There must be dozens of people out there who learned with him at Trinity - I'd be very interested to hear what pieces he encouraged people to learn and play. I only knew him as a chorister - he wasn't very inspiring as as choirmaster, but made up for it to some extent with his sense of humour, exciting use of the St Paul's organ, and stimulating final verses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geoff McMahon Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I too was a chorister under Harry Gabb, but at the Chapel Royal rather than St Paul's. He had the reputation of being a good choir master, but I think I was probably too young and inexperienced to really know. He certainly had a very individual sense of humour. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 I too was a chorister under Harry Gabb, but at the Chapel Royal rather than St Paul's. He had the reputation of being a good choir master, but I think I was probably too young and inexperienced to really know. He certainly had a very individual sense of humour. John One Saturday afternoon, he told me that I sounded like a donkey looking over a whitewashed wall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Does anyone have any reminiscences of Harry Gabb? Hearing him play? What did he play? Lessons with him? What did you learn with him? Recitals, etc? I'm just getting going at Karg-Elert's Pax Vobiscum which was a "Gabb piece." There must be dozens of people out there who learned with him at Trinity - I'd be very interested to hear what pieces he encouraged people to learn and play. I only knew him as a chorister - he wasn't very inspiring as as choirmaster, but made up for it to some extent with his sense of humour, exciting use of the St Paul's organ, and stimulating final verses. I was taught by him whilst a student at Trinity. I will contribute anything useful which I can recall - however, it may be tomorrow, since I am about to go to the Minster to improvise commentaries on the organ to the Stations of the Cross, read by one of our curates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusingMuso Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 One Saturday afternoon, he told me that I sounded like a donkey looking over a whitewashed wall! ====================== Individual his humour obviously was. I've been contemplating a donkey looking over a white-washed wall, and wondering how that might sound. MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 ====================== Individual his humour obviously was. I've been contemplating a donkey looking over a white-washed wall, and wondering how that might sound. MM Mmm... don't ask. However, a few pieces come to mind for after Saturday evensong... Mushel - Toccata Myron Roberts - Hommage to Perotin - does anyone play this these days Vierne - usual suspects (C de L, C de W, Final from No 1) Jacob - Festal Flourish A wheeze that a couple of us pulled on the organists one weekend involved Harry Gabb playing the Toccata and Fugue in D minor after Saturday evensong. So far so good, but we also persuaded Christopher Herrick to play it the following day after the 11.30 Eucharist. Then, poor Christopher Dearnley fell foul of our sense of humour and played it after the 3.15 Evensong that afternoon and got the full wrath of the Dean for his troubles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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