Liverpool Cathedral Organ Extravaganza!

[DQB123]

I notice that there has been no mention of the upcoming "The Organists Entertain at Liverpool Cathedral" which is to take place this Saturday 26th June 2010 19:30 - 21:30

 

On this very special night, in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal, five celebrated organists including Nigel Ogden, Professor Ian Tracey, Daniel Bishop, Ian Wells & Martyn Noble will be playing on six different instruments

 

This gala concert will be performed in the magnificent setting of the Cathedral, using six different instruments including the Cathedral Grand organ, three Makin digital instruments and two small pipe organs from David Wells.

 

This is a night not to be missed for variety, virtuosity, decibels and sheer entertainment and is held in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal.

 

Admission is £10 per person on the door

 

Further information from Daniel Bishop (Associate Organist, Liverpool Cathedral) at daniel.bishop@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

 

Sounds like fun??

 

QB

[Jonathan Thorne]

I notice that there has been no mention of the upcoming "The Organists Entertain at Liverpool Cathedral" which is to take place this Saturday 26th June 2010 19:30 - 21:30

 

On this very special night, in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal, five celebrated organists including Nigel Ogden, Professor Ian Tracey, Daniel Bishop, Ian Wells & Martyn Noble will be playing on six different instruments

 

This gala concert will be performed in the magnificent setting of the Cathedral, using six different instruments including the Cathedral Grand organ, three Makin digital instruments and two small pipe organs from David Wells.

 

This is a night not to be missed for variety, virtuosity, decibels and sheer entertainment and is held in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal.

 

Admission is £10 per person on the door

 

Further information from Daniel Bishop (Associate Organist, Liverpool Cathedral) at daniel.bishop@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

 

Sounds like fun??

 

QB

 

Do you mean that there has been no mention on this forum about or nothing at all? It's on the Cathedral Website which is where I first heard about it apart from Facebook. It's sure to be a great gig.

 

JT

[DQB123]

Do you mean that there has been no mention on this forum about or nothing at all? It's on the Cathedral Website which is where I first heard about it apart from Facebook. It's sure to be a great gig.

 

JT

I don't usually do Saturday evening gigs but this is VERY tempting - should be a sonic blast!

[Tony Newnham]

I notice that there has been no mention of the upcoming "The Organists Entertain at Liverpool Cathedral" which is to take place this Saturday 26th June 2010 19:30 - 21:30

 

On this very special night, in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal, five celebrated organists including Nigel Ogden, Professor Ian Tracey, Daniel Bishop, Ian Wells & Martyn Noble will be playing on six different instruments

 

This gala concert will be performed in the magnificent setting of the Cathedral, using six different instruments including the Cathedral Grand organ, three Makin digital instruments and two small pipe organs from David Wells.

 

This is a night not to be missed for variety, virtuosity, decibels and sheer entertainment and is held in aid of the Cathedral Organ Appeal.

 

Admission is £10 per person on the door

 

Further information from Daniel Bishop (Associate Organist, Liverpool Cathedral) at daniel.bishop@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

 

Sounds like fun??

 

QB

 

Hi

 

Leeds Parish Church & Makin have done this for the last couple of years (at least) - although under the less than helpful title of "battle of the Organs". I've not yet got to one - maybe one day. I can't get to Liverpool for this one either.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[Contrabombarde]

Hi

 

Leeds Parish Church & Makin have done this for the last couple of years (at least) - although under the less than helpful title of "battle of the Organs".

 

Reminds me of the regular chess matches that UBM(?) used to do, pitching their finest again the world's reigning grandmaster. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief each year - until the year that the computer beat the grandmaster and everyone said it's the end of the world, a machine has beaten a human (as if a human ever stood a chance in a race to pull a train against a steam engine for instance).

 

How are these competitions judged? Will Leeds stop running them if (perish the thought) the day comes when electronic technology advances to the point where the pipe organ is mistaken for the electronic substitute and vice versa? Please don't tell me that's already happened somewhere?

[David Rogers]

By tomorrow, June 26th the Liverpool Organ Extravaganza will be over. How fortunate were those able to revel in such acoustics and musical talent. Did you know that you can have half-an-hour on the Willis organ, plus a tour of the loft, and be given a copy of the Ian Tracey’s DVD at the end? I should add that there is a clause: one must make a £500 donation to the restoration fund.

 

Organists who already own the Priory DVD made on the Liverpool organ will have admired Ian Tracey’s playing of the Bach Chaconne and might themselves have a sought a copy of Walter Henry Goss-Custard’s arrangement. Although his brother Reginald published around forty items, the Liverpool Cathedral organist (1915 - 55) only printed a couple of chants and some settings of the canticles (I don’t think custard in a flat is among them!). W.T.Best (1826 – 97) made an arrangement of the Chaconne (which Menuhin calls “the greatest structure for solo violin that exists” (Unfinished Journey p.38). Then in 1955 John Cook, sometime copyist for R.Vaughan Williams and Britten before emigrating to Canada and taking the post of The Church of the Advent, Boston, produced an edition for organ. Both arrangements are currently listed on the Musicroom website (www.musicroom.com) and are available as part of the print-on-demand service offered by Novello for £13 and £16 respectively. Other than these two there appears to be no published organ transcription of the marvellous Chaconne, which is surprising.

 

Some while ago I tackled the work myself. It took a thousand hours but was a most rewarding project. Although Sibelius 6 is our industry standard, for music writing, I use the American program Noteworthy Composer which prints cleanly. I have my fourteen-page finished version as a PDF file (easily read with Adobe Reader). If any members/serious players/Chaconne admirers are interested I would be pleased to hear from them. As a start I could forward to them a couple of sample pages without difficulty if they sent me an address.

 

David Rogers verdi6@talktalk.net

[Jim Treloar]

I went to Liverpool. Fun indeed, very much a "popular" programme including Nigel Ogden, and raised lots of money for the organ appeal. Three Makins included, not my cup of tea, but added to the occasion. At the end the three Makins, cathedral organ and two chamber organs by Wells doing Crown Imperial; bring on the trompette militaire and the phrase ear shattering took on a new meaning. One very pleasant surprise was the fact that Noel Rawsthorne was there and was persuaded to play the cathedral organ, he did an improvisation on Ein Feste Burg - "Not too many black notes, I see, I don't do many of those these days". Someone will no doubt correct me but it must be the first time he's played in public for very many years, certainly I've not heard him in this area (Chester/Liverpool) for 20, maybe 30, years.

[Contrabombarde]

So may I take it that the final score in the Willis:Makin match was 4:1 to the Willis???

[Peter Clark]

I went to Liverpool. Fun indeed, very much a "popular" programme including Nigel Ogden, and raised lots of money for the organ appeal. Three Makins included, not my cup of tea, but added to the occasion. At the end the three Makins, cathedral organ and two chamber organs by Wells doing Crown Imperial; bring on the trompette militaire and the phrase ear shattering took on a new meaning. One very pleasant surprise was the fact that Noel Rawsthorne was there and was persuaded to play the cathedral organ, he did an improvisation on Ein Feste Burg - "Not too many black notes, I see, I don't do many of those these days". Someone will no doubt correct me but it must be the first time he's played in public for very many years, certainly I've not heard him in this area (Chester/Liverpool) for 20, maybe 30, years.

 

Can you give us a list of the pieces played and by whom, Jim?

 

I wonder of the next OR will carry an item on it.

 

Thanks

 

Peter

[Jim Treloar]

That's a tall order, Peter, a long programme, lasted from 0730 to about 1045 (25 min interval). Organists were I. Tracey, I. Wells, D. Bishop, Martyn Noble (latest scholar) and Nigel Ogden. Joe Riley, arts editor of the Liverpool Echo and now, I gather, news editor of Organists' Review acted as compere. Even already I can't recall who played every piece. Charpentier - Te Deum (all), PDQ Bach - Eine kleine Nacht (?) N.Ogden then played Yesterday (McC) Tomorrow (C. Strouse) and his own England's Glory. Verdi - March from Aida, Rawsthorne - Hornpipe Humoresque, J. Williams - Schindler's List. These by Bishop I think. Bossi - Scherzo (Tracey) Soler a movement for 2 organs (played on the two Wells chamber organs).

Mathias - Processional (Noble), Thunderbirds are Go! - all (!!). After the interval Handel - Fireworks (Tracey), Buttall - The Lone Arr-Ranger (Bishop), another Soler movement on the chamber organs, Gossec - Tambourin, Langlais - Pasticcio (alternating on three Makins). Then Ogden again: E. Coates - At the dance, an Irving Berlin medley. John Williams - Hymn to the fallen (Bishop with a corps of drums up the aisle), Bach BWV 547 (Noble - a good performance for a 19 year old). Then N. Rawsthorne did an improvisation on Ein Feste Burg. W.S. Lloyd Weber - Romanza - Justine (Tracey). Then Walton Crown Imperial with all playing (including trompette militaire!). Finally everyone sang Jerusalem with all playing. Someone else might correct or add to the actual players for each. A good evening, I think the longest recital - or better call it a concert - that I've ever been to.

[pcnd5584]

... Then in 1955 John Cook, sometime copyist for R.Vaughan Williams and Britten before emigrating to Canada and taking the post of The Church of the Advent, Boston ...

 

I have seldom met such dedication to duty - that is a hell of a commute....

[pcnd5584]

One very pleasant surprise was the fact that Noel Rawsthorne was there and was persuaded to play the cathedral organ, he did an improvisation on Ein Feste Burg - "Not too many black notes, I see, I don't do many of those these days". Someone will no doubt correct me but it must be the first time he's played in public for very many years, certainly I've not heard him in this area (Chester/Liverpool) for 20, maybe 30, years.

 

This is interesting - what was it like?

[peeweeel]

 

Organists who already own the Priory DVD made on the Liverpool organ will have admired Ian Tracey’s playing of the Bach Chaconne and might themselves have a sought a copy of Walter Henry Goss-Custard’s arrangement. Although his brother Reginald published around forty items, the Liverpool Cathedral organist (1915 - 55) only printed a couple of chants and some settings of the canticles (I don’t think custard in a flat is among them!). David Rogers verdi6@talktalk.net

 

Tangential!

 

I remember visiting Harry Goss-Custard in 1949 with my uncle who was a curate in Birkenhead at the time and whose father was first Sub-Dean at Liverpool. I don't remember any detail (I was 10) but he lived just by the Cathedral and seemed very old. I realise now that he was 78 and still had 6 years to serve although I expect that Noel Rawsthorne was playing most of that time.

[Jim Treloar]

pcnd - In fact it was very good, although he didn't explore the quieter stops at all, 'twas a bit loud. In spite of his comments about black notes, there were quite a lot of key changes. I mentioned this performance to Roger Fisher, saying it is well over 20 years since I've heard him and RF replied that he hadn't heard him for over 20 years, either. Seems a shame as he's obviously still very competent, just decided to take his retirement seriously obviously.

[Vox Humana]

Buttall - The Lone Arr-Ranger

I'm not sure this piece is at all well known to organists, but I imagine it might appeal to a few forumites. You can see and hear it here if you have Scorch: http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=...;scoreID=156374. It needs a very nifty action and a very nifty organist!

[Tony Newnham]

I'm not sure this piece is at all well known to organists, but I imagine it might appeal to a few forumites. You can see and hear it here if you have Scorch: http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php?sm=...;scoreID=156374. It needs a very nifty action and a very nifty organist!

 

Hi

 

The link appears to be wrong.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[DQB123]

Hi

 

The link appears to be wrong.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

Funny thing is that just lately none of the links on this site (including the Youtube links) seem to work on my computer and I can't for the life of me work out why...

[Vox Humana]

Hi

 

The link appears to be wrong.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

Maybe this will work better: http://tinyurl.com/2ausd2n

[sbarber49]

Organists who already own the Priory DVD made on the Liverpool organ will have admired Ian Tracey’s playing of the Bach Chaconne and might themselves have a sought a copy of Walter Henry Goss-Custard’s arrangement. W.T.Best (1826 – 97) made an arrangement of the Chaconne (which Menuhin calls “the greatest structure for solo violin that exists” (Unfinished Journey p.38). Then in 1955 John Cook, sometime copyist for R.Vaughan Williams and Britten before emigrating to Canada and taking the post of The Church of the Advent, Boston, produced an edition for organ. Both arrangements are currently listed on the Musicroom website (www.musicroom.com) and are available as part of the print-on-demand service offered by Novello for £13 and £16 respectively. Other than these two there appears to be no published organ transcription of the marvellous Chaconne, which is surprising.

There's the Middelschute one, apparently inspired by Busoni's arrangement. It's in Great Organ Transcriptions edited by Rollin Smith (published by Dover)

[David Rogers]

Mr Barber,

 

Thank you for your reply and for the information in it. Ironically it arrived within minutes of a friend having sent a scanned copy of the Cook which he had just acquired. My immediate reaction was 'how sparce has been the giving out of silver spoons'. Cook was obviously talented.

 

This might interest you: It seems there is still such a thing as a free lunch. The number of filmed recordings of the Chaconne on YouTube is quite stunning, ranging from big names of the past such as : Enesco, Busoni, Michelangeli, and Heifetz to a younger generation of exceptional talent from the Orient. There are at least 150 solo violin performances available and over 200 using the Busoni piano transcription, plus some videos of Brahms’ version for the left-hand alone. In addition there are recordings on a flute, a Japanese shamisen, four cellos, marimba quartet, solo trumpet, pan pipes, a carillon and many for guitar. How many personal recorded music collections or public music libraries can equal that?

 

Yet the absence of videos of organ transcriptions continues to be surprising. I have only come upon one; it is by a Marcus Struempe playing a version by A. Landemann (possibly available in Germany).

 

You mention Middleschulte. Try

and note the restless audience which Fox soon wins over.

 

David Rogers verdi6@talktalk.net