That Toccata ...

[Vox Humana 0]

I think the point is that brides, grooms, and non musicians tend to have only a very hazy idea of what they are talking about. If they know the composer it generally is "Veedor" and not "Wighdor"

 

I am pretty sure it was Princess Anne; I also think it was played, bizzarely, at the end of Diana's funeral.

No, that was the great C minor prelude and fugue by Bach.

[Phil T 0]

Since when did batteries write music? Shouild this not be Widor we're talking about?

 

Peter

 

I’m fairly sure contrabordun was, and I definitely was, being a little childish. Sorry.

 

[Peter Clark 0]

I’m fairly sure contrabordun was, and I definitely was, being a little childish. Sorry.

 

 

 

No, childish is OK. Let's face it, grown men who fling their arms and legs around in the feeble hope of sounding vaguely musical and in the slightly greater hope of making a little money can hardly shrink away from the decription with anything like dignity.

 

Peter

[contrabordun 0]

I’m fairly sure contrabordun was, and I definitely was, being a little childish. Sorry.

 

I was just quoting from an order of service of a wedding i did a couple of years ago. Like Cynic, I employed fuzzy matching to identify what to play. With a repertoire much smaller than his, the decision wasn't hard to make...

[Andy 0]

I think the point is that brides, grooms, and non musicians tend to have only a very hazy idea of what they are talking about. If they know the composer it generally is "Veedor" and not "Wighdor"

No, that was the great C minor prelude and fugue by Bach.

 

and again at the Queen Mother's funeral, I think.

[Graham Powell 0]

and again at the Queen Mother's funeral, I think.

 

Not according to this: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1082.asp

 

 

I am pretty sure it was Princess Anne; I also think it was played, bizzarely, at the end of Diana's funeral.

 

Peter

 

It was played at both royal weddings - Princess Margaret set the trend in 1961 at York Minster, and Princess Anne chose the same piece in 1973.

 

G

[Jim Treloar 0]

Surely it was the Duchess of Kent at York Minster, and I thought it was her that set the trend. Anne was at Westminster Abbey.

[Graham Powell 0]

Surely it was the Duchess of Kent at York Minster, and I thought it was her that set the trend. Anne was at Westminster Abbey.

 

Yes, absolutely right! I meant to include this http://www.guildmusic.com/reviews/rev7305z.htm and managed to mix things up

 

Scroll down to "CMQ December 2006".

 

G

[john carter 0]

Life is full of surprises! On stepping into a subterranean passage while changing trains in Lausanne earlier today, I heard a familiar theme. A young busker was playing "that toccata" on an accordion. He played the whole thing from memory with stunning accuracy. It is a sound I normally dislike, but I had to admire the courage and skill involved. At the end I thanked him and put a generous contribution into his hat, but declined the CD. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to discover anything about his background. (And, no, I don't think it was the titulaire from Lausanne Cathedral!)

JC

[Tony Price 0]

Life is full of surprises! On stepping into a subterranean passage while changing trains in Lausanne earlier today, I heard a familiar theme. A young busker was playing "that toccata" on an accordion. He played the whole thing from memory with stunning accuracy. It is a sound I normally dislike, but I had to admire the courage and skill involved. At the end I thanked him and put a generous contribution into his hat, but declined the CD. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to discover anything about his background. (And, no, I don't think it was the titulaire from Lausanne Cathedral!)

JC

 

The music is available here if you'd like to try it out, John!

 

http://www.abnir.co.uk/shop/index.php?productID=307

 

Meanwhile the 'other' Toccata:

 

http://www.komikalem.org/izle_Dmitriev---B...jJQwTKYfd4.html

 

.... and its associated Fugue:

 

http://www.komikalem.org/izle_Dmitriev---B...Bmajjf5WKE.html

 

Not for the purists, but suprising approachable to listen to!

 

If Toccatas are your 'thing' then it's worth having a little dig around on this site.

 

All the best,

 

Tony

[Peter Allison 0]

Life is full of surprises! On stepping into a subterranean passage while changing trains in Lausanne earlier today, I heard a familiar theme. A young busker was playing "that toccata" on an accordion. He played the whole thing from memory with stunning accuracy. It is a sound I normally dislike, but I had to admire the courage and skill involved. At the end I thanked him and put a generous contribution into his hat, but declined the CD. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to discover anything about his background. (And, no, I don't think it was the titulaire from Lausanne Cathedral!)

JC

 

I remember a couple of years back, I was in Paris for a few days rest, and on the way to a recital I heard an accordian playing in the Metro, it was a bach / vivaldi concerto, and it was very very good. I did by a CD and it was ok, but obviously recorded and edited using to much reverb etc. It did make me think, what would it sound like played under the tower in Durham Cathedral,,, the acordian not the CD

regards

Peter