Proms 2023

[S_L]

Previous Organ recitals at the 'Proms' have been on a Sunday, not the best time for organists to turn out to listen to one of their number! This year's Recital is on a Saturday afternoon - at 14h00 - on the 26th. It is being given by the Canadian Organist, Isabelle Demers with a programme that includes two of her transcriptions, a world Premiere by Rachel Laurin, as well as works by Bach, in an arrangement by Marcel Dupre, Reger, Coleridge-Taylor and the Elergy by William Grant Still.

Interesting programme, I hope to be able to listen to it.

[Martin Cooke]

On 14/08/2023 at 04:59, S_L said:

Previous Organ recitals at the 'Proms' have been on a Sunday, not the best time for organists to turn out to listen to one of their number! This year's Recital is on a Saturday afternoon - at 14h00 - on the 26th. It is being given by the Canadian Organist, Isabelle Demers with a programme that includes two of her transcriptions, a world Premiere by Rachel Laurin, as well as works by Bach, in an arrangement by Marcel Dupre, Reger, Coleridge-Taylor and the Elergy by William Grant Still.

Interesting programme, I hope to be able to listen to it.

Thanks, S_L - she's a great player. Very sad to read of the death of Rachel Laurin a day or two ago. She was a great composer for the organ.

[Nic DAVIDSON PORTER]

5 hours ago, Martin Cooke said:

Thanks, S_L - she's a great player. Very sad to read of the death of Rachel Laurin a day or two ago. She was a great composer for the organ.

RIP Mme. Laurin, taken far too soon. 

 

The Bach/Dupre Sinfonia at the Proms will be a very welcome change from the "Easter Cantata" one, and will be of interest to harpsichordists and pianists... 

[Nic DAVIDSON PORTER]

2 minutes ago, Nic DAVIDSON PORTER said:

RIP Mme. Laurin, taken far too soon. 

 

The Bach/Dupre Sinfonia at the Proms will be a very welcome change from the "Easter Cantata" one, and will be of interest to harpsichordists and pianists... 

Apologies for brain burp - "Election Cantata"... duh! 

[S_L]

1 hour ago, Nic DAVIDSON PORTER said:

RIP Mme. Laurin, taken far too soon. 

 

Yes, on August 13th, two days after her 62nd birthday. I wonder how much of her vast output for organ is played in the UK. There is a Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani. Sounds interesting Rachel Laurin (b. 1961) : Concerto for organ, Strings and timpani (2011) - Bing video I'd like to see a score of her String Quartet.

[Rowland Wateridge]

Thomas Trotter (doubtless among others) has especially championed performance of her organ works.

[Paul Walton]

On 16/08/2023 at 12:33, S_L said:

 

I wonder how much of her vast output for organ is played in the UK. 

It doesn't seem to be available to buy over here (I tried earlier in the year but Wayne Leupold has no UK distributor). If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.

Paul

[Sesquialtera]

5 hours ago, Paul Walton said:

It doesn't seem to be available to buy over here (I tried earlier in the year but Wayne Leupold has no UK distributor). If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.

Paul

Google throws up stockists in UK.

[Adnosad]

Anna Lapwood...............??

[S_L]

2 hours ago, Adnosad said:

Anna Lapwood...............??

Yes, she did Prom No. 15 - a late night - at 22h15 - 'Moon and Stars' No one on here mentioned it - perhaps because it wasn't, particularly, mainstream. And I missed it too and omitted to mention it in my Post of August 14th, for which I apologise. My excuse is that, living in the remoteness of South-West France, I do miss things - and this is something I would certainly have listened to.

Music by: Kristina Arakelyan, Ghislaine Reece-Trapp, Olivia Belli, Hans Zimmer, Florence Price, Philip Glass, and two Debussy arrangements, one by Guilmant and one by herself. No piece over 8 minutes long, I would have thought an excellent introduction to non-mainstream organ music.

Don't forget, fellow forumites, to listen to the organ recital tomorrow afternoon (see my post above!)

There have been some splendid 'Prom' concerts this year. I could go on ................................ but I won't!!!

[Colin Pykett]

15 minutes ago, S_L said:

There have been some splendid 'Prom' concerts this year...

But no more under this conductor I suspect:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66604555

(What an extraordinary story.  I had to double-check in case the date was last April ... )

[S_L]

5 hours ago, Colin Pykett said:

But no more under this conductor I suspect:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66604555

(What an extraordinary story.  I had to double-check in case the date was last April ... )

Yes, I read about that yesterday or the day before! In my time, as a member of a professional (BBC) orchestra, I experienced some very strange, often unacceptable and fairly frequently what might be described as bullying type behaviour from conductors. It happened in those days! I could write a book!!  But I never saw anyone actually resort to physical violence!

[S_L]

On 25/08/2023 at 12:09, Adnosad said:

Anna Lapwood...............??

On another site she has been lambasted - with some terrible comments. And nearly all from organists!! Someone has suggested that the thread be removed!

I notice that nobody on here mentioned the 'Prom' she gave. It is worth pointing out, and I think 'The Times' did, that 10 years ago there might have been 40 or 50 people at an organ concert that finished at 23h30. There were 5,000 people there!

I hold this lady in the highest regard - she might, very well, be the salvation some of us are looking for! Long may she continue to present programmes of diversity and of quality that challenge our imagination and, perhaps, the perceived vision the general public has of 'the organist'!!!

[carrick]

49 minutes ago, S_L said:

On another site she has been lambasted - with some terrible comments. And nearly all from organists!! Someone has suggested that the thread be removed!

I notice that nobody on here mentioned the 'Prom' she gave. It is worth pointing out, and I think 'The Times' did, that 10 years ago there might have been 40 or 50 people at an organ concert that finished at 23h30. There were 5,000 people there!

I hold this lady in the highest regard - she might, very well, be the salvation some of us are looking for! Long may she continue to present programmes of diversity and of quality that challenge our imagination and, perhaps, the perceived vision the general public has of 'the organist'!!!

Anna isn't doing anything all that different from anyone else. From film music, orchestral transcriptions, and the usual organ fare. She's been lucky enough to have been in the right place, at the right time, and used that, her skills, and her personality to promote the instrument in a friendly and enthusiastic manner across social media. She's had great success doing so and is bringing new people to the organ every day. I wish we had an Anna on the theatre organ side of things, nobody out there is doing what she is doing on the wobbly machines. 

[Damian Beasley-Suffolk]

The misogyny and ad hominem (ad feminam?) comments on that well-known other site are appalling. Adding to the general daily nonsense there, why would anyone feel at all attracted to the organ and the art of organ music, especially when many of the commenters are, apparently, church organists? And many of the same lament falling attendances, the closure of churches and consequent loss of many fine instruments. There are always those who knock the successful, presumably disdainful of those who combine ability with a strong work ethic, a peculiarly British disease. Many are apparently not aware of the particularly unwanted and threatening attention that young lady has had to bear. The only (almost) funny part of that is that on FB the churlish reveal themselves for who and what they are. Fortunately I am not on FB, as being retired and beholden to nobody I would not hesitate to take them to task, which would give me great delight though cause much trouble.

I have never met AL, but her enthusiastic influence is tangible and deserves admiration, nurture, and support, especially of all those she attracts to the instrument and its music. More power to her elbow! In the meantime, I have only just discovered the organ works of Florence Price who counted Alexandre Guilmant among her admirers, so there is work to be done.

[innate]

21 hours ago, Damian Beasley-Suffolk said:

The misogyny and ad hominem (ad feminam?) comments on that well-known other site are appalling. Adding to the general daily nonsense there, why would anyone feel at all attracted to the organ and the art of organ music, especially when many of the commenters are, apparently, church organists? And many of the same lament falling attendances, the closure of churches and consequent loss of many fine instruments. There are always those who knock the successful, presumably disdainful of those who combine ability with a strong work ethic, a peculiarly British disease. Many are apparently not aware of the particularly unwanted and threatening attention that young lady has had to bear. The only (almost) funny part of that is that on FB the churlish reveal themselves for who and what they are. Fortunately I am not on FB, as being retired and beholden to nobody I would not hesitate to take them to task, which would give me great delight though cause much trouble.

I have never met AL, but her enthusiastic influence is tangible and deserves admiration, nurture, and support, especially of all those she attracts to the instrument and its music. More power to her elbow! In the meantime, I have only just discovered the organ works of Florence Price who counted Alexandre Guilmant among her admirers, so there is work to be done.

Couldn’t agree more, Damian.