Martin Cooke Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I notice that Westminster Abbey (Guest), Coventry (Lepine), Gloucester (Sumsion) and Liverpool (Rawsthorne) LPs are all available on Ebay at the moment. Slightly infuriatingly, I can't find out what music is on the Westminster Abbey one - I know it has the Howells Prelude 'Sine Nomine' - does anyone know what else is on it? I'm slightly intrigued to hear Douglas Guest's performance - does anyone go back far enough to have heard him? Was he good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip J Wells Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I can't find out what music is on the Westminster Abbey one - I know it has the Howells Prelude 'Sine Nomine' - does anyone know what else is on it? J S Bach - Toccata in C maj BWV 564 Festing arr Thalben Ball - Largo, Allegro and 2 variations Tomkins - Voluntary, Fancy, In Nomine Mendelssohn - Sonata no 4 in B flat major Op 65, First movement Howells - Saraband Howells - Preludio "Sine Nomine" Rheinberger - Sonata no 8 in E maj Op 132, Intro & passacaglia PJW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 This was one of the first organ LPs I bought. I've not listened to it for decades, but IIRC the recording sounds a touch distant. The best thing about it is the Rheinberger, which he really does play very well (in the Harvey Grace mould). The LP is worth getting for that alone. I never found the rest of the disc particularly gripping, although the Howells pieces are effective and atmospheric, especially "Sine nomine". The early music, frankly, just sounds plain wrong on this organ, though Guest gets full marks from me for giving the excellent Tomkins an airing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Many thanks to PJW for listing the tracks. Not over exciting is it?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip J Wells Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Many thanks to PJW for listing the tracks. Not over exciting is it?! No, but it was also one of the first LP's I had. I rather liked the Festing but then I thought the whole of the series was a wonderful introduction to lots of organ music and Cathedral organs. My tastes have now changed somewhat over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 No, but it was also one of the first LP's I had. I rather liked the Festing but then I thought the whole of the series was a wonderful introduction to lots of organ music and Cathedral organs. My tastes have now changed somewhat over the years. It was certainly a fascinating and ground-breaking series for its time, and thanks to my local record library, I remember working my way through much of EMI's GCOS when I was of school age. I am sure that many will be aware that selections from the series have been remastered and are available on four CDs (Amphion Recordings). Of all the players heard in the series, Francis Jackson alone is notable for having an entire CD devoted to him comprising pieces from his 1964 GCOS recording and from a 1973 recording for another label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgp Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Many thanks to PJW for listing the tracks. Not over exciting is it?! I beg to differ. When this was released, like most people I suspect, in my ignorance I had never heard of - let alone heard - Tomkins et al. This was a personal Road to Damascus. Would any of us have picked DG as the man to begin the rehabilitation of those wonderful Tudor keyboard composers? MGP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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