Richard McVeigh returns to Winchester Cathedral

[Rowland Wateridge]

A temporary, but welcome, return playing for Evensong on 5th September 2021 when the choir ‘Index Cantorum’ (directed by Mark Williams) sang the services in Winchester Cathedral.

Richard McVeigh here accompanies the anthem, Herbert Howells’ “A Hymn for St Cecilia”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRk-LLtcs5U

After the service the voluntary was Duruflé’s ‘Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des Heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lY7HwCR1AM&list=RD0lY7HwCR1AM

These might be preceded by the ‘ads’ which one can skip.

Many years since I climbed those tortuous stairs!

[Clarabella]

Glorious! The Howells was new to me.

Speaking of tortuous stairs, I don't remember Winchester's being particularly bad. And they are carpeted. My nomination would go to Rochester where the stairs are almost vertical. Some organists might not make it. But the organ loft when you get there is reasonably spacious. Wells' staircase is rather windy, and the loft has about room for a page-turner and that's it. Somewhat cramped.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Tortuous meaning twisting: four or is it five right-angle turns?  The Winchester ‘loft’ isn’t at all spacious.  Among older people it’s still known by its former somewhat archaic name ‘the ladies’ gallery’, referring to its function before H&H installed the detached console to replace the Father Willis on the opposite, north, side of the quire, and supplanting the ladies.  Incidentally they weren’t immediately allowed to sit in the back row of the choir stalls below, and at one time they would be politely ousted by the virgers.  Of course that would not be countenanced today, but when I mentioned this on a previous thread, someone responded that the same all-male in the back row tradition also formerly applied at Durham.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Two further offerings from Richard McVeigh at Winchester.  Firstly Fantasia in G “Pièce d’Orgue” BWV 572, a live performance recorded on 11 August 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBLTOgPp5qE

And a snapshot of Winchester’s famous (or infamous, depending on your view) 32’ Pedal Contra Bombarde known as ‘Big Bertha’, or more intimately, simply “Bertha”, originally Hele 1905, modified in 1938 by Harrison & Harrison when “slightly reduced in power to afford more general utility”.  We can only conjecture what she sounded like before! Richard recommends a second listening with headphones.  There are comments by at least one Board member and others stating their preferred 32’ pedal reeds.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoJyrLmT0Os

As usual, you may need to skip Ads.

 

[Rowland Wateridge]

Winchester Cathedral: Tuba (Willis 1897/8) versus Tromba (Harrison & Harrison 1938).  Another short clip from Richard McVeigh demonstrating and contrasting the two high pressure solo reeds.  Both used to be voiced on 18” pressure, but I don’t guarantee that this is now up to date.  Both are very refined examples without any of the ‘honking’ effect which Ralph Downes objected to (in fact he admired Father Willis Tubas).  Richard mentions the Tuba Clarion, but we do not hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-TO56lavM

The Tromba is enclosed and is a very versatile alternative.  I’m sure Alwyn Surplice used it for soloing the tune, sometimes in the tenor register, in hymn accompaniments back in the 1950s/ 60s when I first heard the organ regularly.  At the time of the H&H 1986/88 rebuild, when major changes were planned with a specific brief to restore (as far as possible) the original Willis sound, I asked Martin Neary whether the Tromba would be retained.  He replied “Certainly, it’s a fine reed”.  Interestingly, he used it in the tenor register as the solo voice in Franck’s ‘Cantabile’ with the box partially closed.  For trumpet-sounding fanfares, David Hill’s Sibelius ‘Finlandia’ takes some beating.  I can’t say whether for this he used one or both stops.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Another offering from Richard McVeigh at Winchester, this time something more substantial, the Final (Allegro Vivace) from Widor’s Symphonie VI:

The Winchester organ will shortly be taken down and transported to Durham for a conservative general cleaning and overhaul by H&H, plus the addition of a Vox Humana 8’ - actually a reinstatement or replacement of the one by Father Willis which was removed in 1938 - not wanted then!  The wheel has turned full circle for ‘Voxs’, now appreciated again, and I look forward to hearing some more authentic sounds in the Franck Chorals from the new stop.

[handsoff]

I know that coincidences happen but...

I had just started watching and thoroughly enjoying this video when my 'phone rang. Not only is my ringtone this very piece but the caller was our organ tuner ringing to make an appointment.