Can we all try a bit harder?

[Vox Humana]

24 minutes ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

Well, I don’t want to appear to be monopolising this thread, but your mention of the Chaire case brought back another memory of my visit to the organ loft at St George’s, Windsor circa 1957.  Among many other things, Sir William Harris told us that for the annual Order of the Garter service the pipes in the Chaire case were temporarily removed.  I don’t now recall his explanation of the reason for this.  He seemed to look on it as only a minor irritant.

How very strange. I can only imagine one reason for this: to spare the royal ears from their inadvertent use. The queen's stall is immediately inside the quire doors on decani side and the chaire pipes would be quite close. Yet removing the pipes because of that seems extreme and, in any case, I wouldn't have thought that they would have been loudly voiced in those days - although I never knew the Walker/Rothwell. And surely Garter Day was not the only one on which the young queen attended the chapel?

[Cornet IV]

On 20/02/2019 at 00:53, Rowland Wateridge said:

Well, we don’t have the luxury of many Cavaillé-Coll organs in England to hear live performance of the Trois Chorals on them.  There has been discussion on other threads about the future of the C-C organs at Manchester Town Hall and the Parr Hall, Warrington.  Manchester is playable, and Jonathan Scott has made memorable recordings there.  Unless I am mistaken, Paisley Abbey has substantial C-C pipework, restored under the direction of Ralph Downes, and the French Church, Notre Dame, Leicester Square in London certainly has some.  Farnborough Abbey in Hampshire has a most remarkable organ - much debated whether Cavaillé-Coll or Mutin - but certainly the authentic instrument for this repertoire.  (To further enhance the French authenticity, the organ stands directly above the Imperial Mausoleum containing the tombs of Emperor Napoleon III, his wife the Empress Eugénie and their son Prince Louis.  Recitals during Summer on the first Sunday of the month.)

But I’m going to make a plug for the English organ.  The performance by Sir William Harris which I experienced at St George’s Windsor, over 60 years ago, was life-changing for me.  That was on the ‘old’ organ, about as English as you could get, but a superlative interpretation.  Under the direction of his successor Sidney Campbell, the organ was rebuilt by H&H with definite French sympathies, and SC made a memorable recording of the first Choral (which you like).  Someone, I forget who, told me that SC scoured the length and breadth of France to locate the ‘best’ vox humana (I suppose that should read “voix humaine”), and H&H were instructed to produce an exact replica for Windsor! 

Our ‘Vox Humana’ may know more.   

I find several interesting things here.

Perhaps I am alone in thinking that there are certain incompatibilities between nationalities of music and instruments. Apart from the afore-mentioned Franck pieces, I'm reminded of the wonderful recordings of the complete JSB works made by Lionel Rogg in the mid '60s. These were recorded on the excellent  Metzler of the Großmunster*,  Zurich which suited the works admirably. I still regard these performances as "definitive".  However, much later Rogg did the same thing on the Silbermann at Arlesheim and I regard this collection as inferior on a number of counts but principally because the instrument is "too French" for the Northern European writing. Andreas had become "corrupted!

Regarding the "English organ", I am curious. My knowledge of the organ hardly approaches that had by you chaps but to me, the "English" instrument immediately conjures vox humana, stopped diapason and the inescapable bourdon. A jaundiced view perhaps borne of too many years in parish churches. Having said that, I remember coming across a visiting American doing Liszt's "Ad Nos" on a small two manual in a country church. It certainly was different. I am a bell ringer and have opportunities to sample many organs; not so long ago I thought I had discovered an authentic English organ - it still had the G compass - and the 16' bourdon. 

Might I have a definition, please?

* Am I clever, or what?

[Rowland Wateridge]

A bell ringer.  I’m intrigued as during my travels in 2018 I met bellringers in the audience at organ recitals in Coventry Cathedral and St George’s Hall Liverpool - incidentally both those places have stupendous English organs!  I think you could realise Bach, César Franck or Naji Hakim successfully on either of them - Reger perhaps better at Coventry.  

The player does, of course, have to interpret his/ her performance on the instrument available to him/ her.  Other members of this Board are far more expert than I to enlarge on that.  Very interesting that you mention the vox humana which I would not consider a ‘typical’ stop on most English organs.  They went out of fashion and were removed from several major instruments where they would now like to have them back!  Leeds Town Hall, St George’s Hall Liverpool (again) and Winchester Cathedral are three examples which I know.

But my ‘plug’ for the English organ was in the context of the performance, more than 60 years ago, when Sir William Harris produced the most wonderful and spiritual interpretation of the Franck A minor Choral on an organ which could not have been more English.  A vindication, if any is necessary, that the artistry of the player will overcome the limitations of the instrument.

[David Drinkell]

Bell-ringing certainly teaches you where to find the finest churches, a tremendous assortment of organs and the best pubs.  By the strange workings of fate, I haven't been organist of a church with a proper ring of bells since I left university.  St. Magnus Cathedral has three bells, chimed from a mighty wooden  armchair up in the tower, with one rope in each hand and a pedal for the third.  There is a unique pattern of ringing which gets quicker as hour of service approaches, so people know if they're late.  There's also a special pattern for Christmas (called the Rejoicing Bells) which in my time was used a bit more often when a mood of general levity seemed appropriate.  Belfast Cathedral has no tower or bells and St. John's Cathedral, Newfoundland has only the bottom few courses of the central tower and one bell.  Fredericton has 15 bells (more than any other Canadian church, I'm told) played from a small keyboard in the Lady Chapel.  I have written out a few touches of change ringing, which is the nearest I've got to proper ringing in several decades.  I sit there on a Sunday playing Stedman Triples and reflect that I was never clever enough to ring Stedman on a real ring of bells.....

Peter King's excellent and amusing piece on registration points out that, when it comes to French music, so long as the organ can kick up a heck of a row, has a thunderous pedal and some sort of full swell effect for the boring bit in the middle, eveything will be fine.  After all, Dupre, Guilmant, et al never complained about playing their music on organs outside France, and some of Dupre's works require a compass on manual and pedal which he didn't have at St. Sulpice.  Peter also points out that, because of the configuration of the St. Sulpice case, the Recit is actually the loudest department, totally contrary to what we normally expect on a Cavaille-Coll Organ.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Even more remarkable, when I told the Coventry and Liverpool bellringers where I live (a small village of 700 souls in Hampshire), I received from both the same instant reply: “Twelve bells” - and they had both rung here.

[Cornet IV]

1 hour ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

Even more remarkable, when I told the Coventry and Liverpool bellringers where I live (a small village of 700 souls in Hampshire), I received from both the same instant reply: “Twelve bells” - and they had both rung here.

Organists are reputed to incline towards the recondite, but tintinabulists are positively anorak!  Of course they knew there were twelve bells; they probably could have quoted the weight of the tenor and recalled how many touches of Bristol Surprise Maximus they had rung.  We certainly are a strange bunch.  Fabian Stedman on the keyboard sounds a challenge - I have this vision of ghostly cries from the loft of "Bob" or "Single".

But I remain confused about the definition of an "English" instrument. I mentioned the vox humana as it remains a stop fairly common in older instruments predating the fall from fashion and often still with straight pedals. It is this modest, small scale and usually rural instrument which I associate with "Englishness". The large public hall and cathedral instruments I do not view in this way. Of course I have very little direct experience of these recital organs.  I have a sort of familiarity with the Truro Willis and I had a couple of sessions on extemporisation with Herbert Sumsion at Gloucester but this was before the HN&B makeover with Ralph Downes which, I gather did not meet universal approval. So the understanding of the phrase continues to elude me.

However, talking of recital instruments, donkeys' years ago, I did a lunchtime gig at St Peter's, Cornhill which had a rank or two from Father Smith - a very English organ!  In the vestry were the remains of an earlier instrument with mother-of-pearl stop knobs and on which Mendelssohn had given one of his London concerts. I have been told that the organ is no more. Does anyone know what happened to it and the fate of the old console?

[S_L]

6 hours ago, Cornet IV said:

Organists are reputed to incline towards the recondite, but tintinabulists are positively anorak!  Of course they knew there were twelve bells; they probably could have quoted the weight of the tenor and recalled how many touches of Bristol Surprise Maximus they had rung.  We certainly are a strange bunch.  Fabian Stedman on the keyboard sounds a challenge - I have this vision of ghostly cries from the loft of "Bob" or "Single".

There is an element of truth here! I have four children. all of them are bell-ringers and all of them have rung peals of Maximus (on 12 bells!). I have six grandchildren and, of them, two are bell-ringers. They have also rung tower-bell Maximus peals - as well as Maximus on hand-bells. My daughter and my son-in-law have rung peals on 16! It doesn't surprise me that the bell-ringers at Liverpool and Coventry (one being one of my sons!) knew about your village bells. I'm told of one bell-ringer who, on watching the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' for the first time disputed the bells ringing "because those are the bells at ……………." 

It's only one step away from the organists. "I come from ……………………….."       "Oh yes, there a nice three manual X & X in the Parish church there, I played it in 19 and frozen to death!!!"

[Rowland Wateridge]

I am delighted to have met one of your sons at Coventry!  A charming gentleman.  Coventry is one of the very finest Cathedral organs and always worth (for me) the long journey to hear it.

This thread has turned into a pot-pourri of subjects, but it was Cornet IV who introduced campanology.  From the background he now gives us - Sumsion at Gloucester and St Peter’s Cornhill - he should know an English organ when he plays one!

[Cornet IV]

5 hours ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

I am delighted to have met one of your sons at Coventry!  A charming gentleman.  Coventry is one of the very finest Cathedral organs and always worth (for me) the long journey to hear it.

This thread has turned into a pot-pourri of subjects, but it was Cornet IV who introduced campanology.  From the background he now gives us - Sumsion at Gloucester and St Peter’s Cornhill - he should know an English organ when he plays one!

With respect, I made no formal introduction of campanology; I mentioned it en passant by way of explaining how I was able to obtain access to a variety of instruments. 

I enjoy more intelligent thread drifts - they often can lead in directions of unexpected interest but I do understand that off-topic diversions usually are to be discouraged.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Gracious.  No criticism or offence was intended by my mentioning campanology.  This thread asked us all to try harder, and it has brought up any number of different topics.  

[Phoneuma]

Another one tempted back into the fold! For various reasons I took a break and It’s great to see some really interesting discussions unfolding now. I’ll be joining in the discussions as and when.

In the meantime might David Drinkell and Martin Cooke check their pm’s? I’ve replied, very belatedly to some messages and, possibly like many, one has to get into the habit. I noticed it’s 3 years since my last post, doesn’t time fly?!

[Cornet IV]

On 22/02/2019 at 18:02, Rowland Wateridge said:

Gracious.  No criticism or offence was intended by my mentioning campanology.  This thread asked us all to try harder, and it has brought up any number of different topics.  

It never occurred to me to take any offence. However, I am new here and know that some sites are touchy about such things;  their sensibilities disturbed by my occasionally  ill-disciplined participations.  But if I might trespass further,. your reference to different topics has emboldened me to ask a further question. Perhaps it involves the elusive character of the "English" organ!

When I lived in West London, I sometimes played Arthur Sullivan's old organ at St Peter's, Cranley Gardens. Who knows - the archetypal English composer well might have played an archetypal English instrument?.  All of which is rather beside the point but for reasons long forgotten,  I recall this instrument/church/Sullivan having a connection with the Victorian composer, Davan Wetton.

I appreciate the matter is a bit esoteric but does anyone know of this connection - I'm very sure I have not imagined it.  I doubt if there is much ;point in approaching the church since I gather it is now the home of some Eastern religion. Not much point in offering a Herbert Howells Rhapsody then.

[Rowland Wateridge]

I can’t offer any connection to Davan Wetton (who had an amazingly distinguished career) but my invaluable 1921 ‘Dictionary of Organs and Organists’ tells us this about the organ at that date in St Peter’s, Cranley Gardens:  “Built 1893 by Willis; rebuilt 1908 by Walker. 4 manuals, 54 speaking stops, 17 couplers, pneumatic action, hydraulically blown.  Organist: E. Read, ARAM, FRCO. LRAM”.  Do those details bring back any memories of the organ?

Note “rebuilt by Walker” only 15 years after Father Willis.  I haven’t checked to see what NPOR might say.

Wetton was Mus D (Durham) and FRCO.  He had Assistant Organist appointments at Westminster Abbey and Wells Cathedral, was Organist and Director of Music (an early use of that term?) at the Foundling Hospital; Professor RCM and GSM; Examiner to Associated Board RAM and RCM; Director of the Royal Philharmonic Society; Faculty member, Music and Board of Studies, London University - the list goes on and on.

[Rowland Wateridge]

The organ is still there, rebuilt and enlarged, and playable according to NPOR E00638.  The church is now St Yeghiche. The latest work on the organ was by David Wells, 2002 so it ought to be in fine fettle.

[Cornet IV]

On 26/02/2019 at 08:27, Rowland Wateridge said:

The organ is still there, rebuilt and enlarged, and playable according to NPOR E00638.  The church is now St Yeghiche. The latest work on the organ was by David Wells, 2002 so it ought to be in fine fettle.

This is good to know; I had half supposed that having become the property of a body not known for its interest in pipe organs or related music, it might have been sold or, worse, allowed to fall into disrepair. I am surprised however, that it has been enlarged - I felt that its resources were more than adequate for St Peter's and not in need of augmentation.

My most recent experiences of London churches go back more than 50 years, so I'm hardly current with the contemporary scene. Indeed, this applies to English instruments generally. I have spent a fair proportion of my life living abroad and as a consequence am more familiar with, for example, Taylor and Boody or Aeolian-Skinner than Harrison or Willis - not that the characters of these builders necessarily are comparable; I'm something of a fan of G Donald Harrison who didn't care much for the symphonic instrument.

But I digress . . . .

Still wondering however about St Peter's upon Cornhill and Henry Davan Wetton in Fulham.  Perhaps my curiosity is not to be satisfied but my recollection of such things usually is reliable.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Well, it’s not much to go on, but Sullivan and Davan Wetton performed together in a substantial Purcell Commemoration Service in Westminster Abbey in 1895.  The ‘programme’ is held in the British Library.  It is said to include drawings for a proposed Purcell Memorial organ case and, without further research, I suspect that this came to fruition in the wonderful double cases designed by J L Pearson which we now see in the Abbey.  For a time (when H&H rebuilt the Abbey organ for the 1937 Coronation) the cases were removed and remained so until after the 1953 Coronation.  Originally plain, when reinstated they received their present splendid decoration to the designs of the architect Stephen Dykes-Bower (a relative of Sir John Dykes-Bower of St Paul’s Cathedral).

I expect you know of Charles Callahan’s book “Aeolian-Skinner Remembered - a History in Letters” containing the lengthy correspondence between G Donald Harrison and Henry Willis III (also Senator Emerson Richards and others)?  This throws considerable light on the development of ‘the American Classic Organ’ which was largely GDH’s creation.  GDH had worked for Willis before emigrating to the US, and the relationship was always a very close one with cross-Atlantic interchanges of ideas in both directions for something like 50 years.  

The organ world is, in many ways, a small one.  I met Charles Callahan three years ago when he travelled all the way from the US for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Edwin Lemare’s birth held at Lemare’s birthplace, Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.  I have read somewhere that E Power Biggs, who figured prominently in the US organ scene and in Charles Callahan’s book, was a later Isle of Wight native as well, but this is contradicted by ‘Wikipedia’ (which gives Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex as his birthplace) - further research on this will be necessary.  Musically EPB and Lemare were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

My only experience of playing an organ in the US was a small Hook and Hastings (1860s or 70s, perhaps - a lovely instrument, tonally quite English, but with a ‘Melodia’ stop and terraced stop jambs) in a small Anglican Church in a very rural part of Pennsylvania - the nearest town, Elmira NY, being 30 miles away.  This was, incidentally, where Robert Hope-Jones first set up in business in the US after leaving England. 

St Peter’s Cornhill:   I suspect that my last visit there was even longer ago than yours.  I do recall that it was claimed to include some ‘Father Smith’ pipework, but no knowledge of the earlier console which you mention.

There are other members here with much more experience of the US organ scene.

Postscript:   I should have read further on ‘Wikipedia’.  This states that E Power Biggs was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex in 1906, but he and his family moved to the Isle of Wight one year later.  

My distant memory (possibly from reading ‘The American Organist’) was that both Lemare and EPB were natives of Ventnor IOW.  The same source said in that context that EPB did not like his name to be associated with Lemare’s!  Lemare had left for the US by 1902, and EPB followed 30 years later.

Correction:   Oh dear, another serious ‘senior moment’.  It wasn’t Charles Callahan who travelled the three-thousand plus miles for the Lemare celebrations at Ventnor.  It was Frederick Hohman, and I only realised my mistake and made the connection from seeing him mentioned in one of MM’s posts on an old thread.  

[Phoneuma]

On 06/01/2019 at 17:14, David Drinkell said:

I remember about fifty years ago thinking that "Exurgat Deus" from the "Laudate Dominum" suite was the last word in flashy modern organ music (a performance by Rodney Tomkins, then teaching me at Colchester Royal Grammar School, on the marvellous organ at Walsingham still comes to mind).  Since then, I've played the whole suite from time to time and certain movements rather a lot. "Meditation" was definitely on the Ass Board list for one of the lower grades - I remember a chorister at Belfast playing it.

David, I’ve sent a pm regarding RT which I’m sure you’ll find of interest.

Regards,

[Cornet IV]

On 28/02/2019 at 21:58, Rowland Wateridge said:

 

 

 

Lots of interesting things . . . .

Rowland, I have not visited the forum for a week or three, hence my tardy response to your comprehensive contribution. My apologies.

Hook and Hastings are held in high regard in the States and at least one of their instruments will be featured in the annual conventions of the excellent Organ Historical Society. My last attendance of one of these was their fiftieth anniversary in 2006 at Saratoga Springs, upstate NY.  There are myriad 19th century organ builders dotted throughout America but few are well known, mostly because of a small and local business and.because (in my judgement) so much of their output is less than memorable.  I suspect that they follow a pattern similar to that here but numerically larger due to the extended geography. 

I do know of Charles Callahan's book but confess I have yet to read it. I have to ask for many similar cases to be taken into account;  I had expected retirement to be a something in which I could indulge in all those interesting things for which I previously had insufficient time. Oh dear - I got that very wrong!  Curious that you should mention Edward Power Biggs. Years ago, it was almost impossible not to associate him with his concert contemporary,  Virgil Fox. In recent times I have come to appreciate the considerable scholarship employed by EPB , just as I have come to view Fox as a circus performer. I didn't know of EPB's association with the Isle of Wight; I have always thought of him as an Essex-born American and remember when he died in Boston, Mass, quite some time ago.

Now, I don't know if there is an English parallel here but perhaps thirty years ago,  there was an interruption of the American organ evolution and into this interval stepped a bunch of chaps who eschewed the developments of the 18th and 19th centuries and went directly back to first (Werk) prinzipals. Should I ever be able to visit the States again, it won't be to the Aeolians, E&GG Hooks and Odells that I shall head. No, it will be to the likes (of my favourite) the 3-decker Friitts- Richards in Seattle, a couple of Taylor and Boodys, the CB FIsk in St Paul, Min., John Brombaugh and a cornucopia of others who have wonderfully combined the sound and character of Schnitger, Silbermann, Trost et al with modern mechanical actions.  I asked Paul Fritts about Hope Jones and Wurlitzer - I wished I hadn't!  The problem with the States is that you have to board an aeroplane to go anywhere!  As an exercise in extreme sillyness, I once drove from New Orleans to Jackson, Mis. to play the 18" gunned battle cruiser by Keates-Geissler moored in the Presbyterian church there. 234 ranks, 9 divisions,  inumerical pipes and goodness knows how many other complications. For someone who thinks it all ended in 1750, this was a remarkably dumb thing to do.

I knew there was a connection between Sullivan and Henry Davan Wetton but for whatever reason, have been convinced that the common factor was St Peters, Cranley Gardens. Could be another of those damned senior occurrences but I don't think so. And re the Cornhill St Peters, I can assure you that it was reputed to have (perhaps 3?) ranks of Father Smith which survived The Fire. And, most assuredly,  if you walked into the vestry and immediately turned left, there was Mendelssohn's console backed onto the wall.  In the mid 'sixties, I lived in SE19 and followed John Portis as organist at St Mary's, Woolwich. I regularly had consulting commissions (nothing to do with music) north of The River and I was sometimes able to arrange an Evensong on my return home and thus managed a brief acquaintance with some of the City instruments. And talking of old Bernie Smith, I have a modest claim to have "discovered" the Byfield in St Mary's,  Rotherhithe.

Happy days . . . .

[Rowland Wateridge]

I have an English-born American friend who keeps me posted about the US organ scene, and all the details arrived the other day for this year’s OHS Convention in Dallas.

When I was in Elmira NY, I visited the museum there which had a substantial exhibit about Robert Hope-Jones (not your cup of tea, I suspect).  An even more famous Elmira resident, probably, was Mark Twain who invested in the Hope-Jones company.

I never had the privilege of entering the vestry at St Peter’s Cornhill and, sorry to say, it could be all of 60 years ago that I went there for a lunchtime recital by a Mr Rogers whom I had met at St Katherine Cree, but regrettably never saw or heard again subsequently.

Well, if the world stopped in 1750, I’m not sure that this would be to your taste, but certainly the finest US import to these shores in recent times is the Dobson organ for Merton College, Oxford, 2012.  The sound is glorious, and it has a most beautiful case - see NPOR E01981.

Another which, on reflection, might be more to your taste is the Richards, Fowkes & Co in St George’s, Hanover Square, also 2012 - see NPOR E02004.  In fact, some will probably opt for this as the finest recent import from the US.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Rowland Wateridge
Hanover Sq added

[Cornet IV]

17 hours ago, Rowland Wateridge said:

 

When I was in Elmira NY, I visited the museum there which had a substantial exhibit about Robert Hope-Jones (not your cup of tea, I suspect).  An even more famous Elmira resident, probably, was Mark Twain who invested in the Hope-Jones company.

 

Another which, on reflection, might be more to your taste is the Richards, Fowkes & Co in St George’s, Hanover Square, also 2012 - see NPOR E02004.  In fact, some will probably opt for this as the finest recent import from the US.

 

 

Well suspected - not my cuppa at all, although in fairness to RH-J, I associate him with double contra ophicleids or whatever, and I'm sure that he was much  more than this. Nevertheless, it was a good thing Mark Twain didn't give up his day job!  However, It was this sort of thinking against which the American "Arts and Crafts" gang are dedicated. Richards, Fowkes have been part of the Organ Reform Movement to which I referred earlier. To have been appointed to provide the instrument in "Handel's church" was a singular distinction. I do not know the organ but if it is as good as their interesting three-manual opus in Stamford, CT, it must be a cracker! I played this instrument rather by accident - I was put onto it when I was visiting Zuckermann Harpsichords in nearby Stonington. And sadly, I don't know the Dobson organ either - perhaps I should get out more, but anno domini is catching up.

[Cornet IV]

On 06/12/2018 at 09:09, Martin Cooke said:

I think it's a shame that this is the case, but I cannot help but feel that this forum is dying on its feet. Days go past when no new contributions appear and although lots of forumites clearly look in from time to time, they don't appear to want to contribute or start new topics . . . 

At the publisher's request, I have been revising my biography. I reached the following passage and remembering Martin Cooke's plea, I wondered if it might conjure similar memories for others. This was during my first year in secondary education, so I must have been thirteen at the time. I sometimes was allowed to make my own choice of hymns.

I would switch off the blower when the good Canon began his sermon but, concentrate as I might, I usually lost the plot fairly early on, so my mind wandered off to things of more immediate and temporal interest; things like the AJS Porcupine and how much I should like to see Reg Armstrong on a camshaft Norton in the Senior TT.  I had a pair of shoes which I had worn out, but with built-up heels they were fine for organ work. However, they were a bit on the tight side, so I would slip them off and return to my Boys' Own reverie and thoughts of the latest offerings from Gamages, the new Raleigh with drop handlebars and the latest balsa kit from Keilcraft. Perhaps I could build the three-valve "Skymaster" if I could persuade Gran to let me have the kit for my birthday.

"And now . . . ."  thunders out as the doughty cleric turns to the altar; it's my signal to return to the world spiritual.

"To God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy  Ghost . . . . ."

Time to switch on Bob to the accompaniment of creaks and wheezes as things come to life - let's hope there won't be a cypher.

". . . .be ascribed as is most justly due . . ."

Where's my left shoe? Panic! Can't have lost a shoe

". . . all might, majesty, dominion and power . . ."

More panic - it's become jammed in the pedal board.. Leap off the bench to retrieve itinerant footwear and accidentally hit the bottom end of the 16 foot open wood.

BOOOOM!  Instant red face but the shoe remains fully wedged.

". . . henceforth and for ever more. Amen".

"We shall now sing hymn number two hundred and ninety four."

That's not what we agreed. What's 294? Quick shuffle through A&M.  "Jerusalem"!  Well, they're not getting Dr G T Ball with only one shoe.

"Please Canon Williams, Sir, the hymn should be two hundred and three." 

"Ahem, correction; we shall sing hymn number two hundred and three."

At last, the key lever gives up its prize and I can manage the pedal line without a limp.. Crisis averted.

 

Happy days!

[David Pinnegar]

I read today someone writing saying they've had enough of Facebook.

In recent years Facebook has taken over special interest groups and in particular organ communities, causing fragmentation rather than real communication, and wasting resources of experience and talent in a lot of noise, unsearchable in cases where any wisdom is expressed. Where academic subjects are discussed, in regard for instance to scaling or temperament, detail and experience is paramount and the writings of knowledgeable authorities gold dust important for enthusiasms of the future.

It's for this reason that the forums are a much more worthy recipient of attention and energy than Facebook and perhaps with sentiments being expressed such as the one seen today people might come forward to bring things to the attention of the forums rather than the superficial alternative.

Best wishes

David P

 

 

[Tony Newnham]

Hi

Facebook groups and fora are very different beasts.  I use both (and incidentally I see this morning that Yahoo Groups are effectively being discontinued in a matter of days, and the archives & files deleted in December.  So much for being able to go back & find information!).  I agree though, that this and other fora (including David's own forum "Organ Matters" need to be used.  It's a case of "Use it or lose it".  

Every Blessing

Tony