First We Had 'arty', Now 'big Ma'am'!

[heva]

And yes, the same Sun. But enough about the day job - it's all boring computer stuff

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Indeed, indeed - but SUN also builds AMD powered systems (those are just pc's) which can also run M$-Windows.

Hope this makes your day

[ajt]

Indeed, indeed - but SUN also builds AMD powered systems (those are just pc's) which can also run M$-Windows.

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Indeed we do, and very fast they are too. They *can* run Windows, but ...

[Phil T]

So with Hauptwerk, can you download different stops from the net? If so a two manual (with pedal) organ could be updated with stops, as required, to play whatever style of music was being played that week. Talk about value for money.

[pwhodges]

So with Hauptwerk, can you download different stops from the net?  If so a two manual (with pedal) organ could be updated with stops, as required, to play whatever style of music was being played that week.  Talk about value for money.

Generally you buy whole organs, but there are facilities for modifying them. There is also an organ building kit (called the Compenius organ) which is sold with about 150 stops for you to build into the format you fancy. Some organs are sampled with reverberation (so better for use at home or with headphones) and some are dry, and so more suitable for use in real spaces like churches. There are a few small organs available free (as well as the one that comes with it), and you can get a harpsichord, a Wurlitzer, a harmonium, and even a carillon for variety. With a little hunting (or asking me), you might even find a copy of the "organ" ("Holy Ghost" organ, released briefly on 1 April a couple of years ago) which is samples of someone attempting to sing every note of every stop...

 

Note that most sample sets are still in the format for Hauptwerk 1, as Hauptwerk 2 was only released this year - new facilities include wind modelling, action and blower noise, selection of temperament (you could put a choice of temperaments on pistons if you fancy!), and lots more. You can't buy v1 any longer, but you get a copy of it with v2.

 

Paul

[Guest Lee Blick]

The potential of it is an awful lot of fun, especially for home use. This is probably an example of organists who wish to have complete control of the sort of organ they want to play to be able to realise their dream.

[heva]

The potential of it is an awful lot of fun, especially for home use.  This is probably an example of organists who wish to have complete control of the sort of organ they want to play to be able to realise their dream.

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Dutch radio4 recently played some Bach chorales on the Hauptwerk system (a Silbermann sample), which was quite astonishing to hear.

 

 

 

OT. they broadcasted Atlantic City last week - they explained that this organ has a 64' foot stop, of which the largest pipe is 20 meters long and 3 meters wide ?? If they say so .....

[Richard Fairhurst]

Here's the latest Hauptwerk demo (big MP3, about 13Mb), using this sample set. A beautiful sound... though personally I prefer the Cavaille-Coll set here!

[ajt]

Here's the latest Hauptwerk demo (big MP3, about 13Mb), using this sample set. A beautiful sound... though personally I prefer the Cavaille-Coll set here!

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They are bloody impressive. I'm going to have to steal a PC.

[Guest Lee Blick]

The software isnt very good at handling quick runs with reverberations at the moment, it sort of sounds harp-like. But the sound overall is very impressive.

[pwhodges]

The software isnt very good at handling quick runs with reverberations at the moment, it sort of sounds harp-like.  But the sound overall is very impressive.

That was a problem in v1 because of the way release samples were handled. V2 fixes it.

 

Paul

[Phil T]

Can you connect a program like Sibelius to Hauptwerk?

[pwhodges]

Can you connect a program like Sibelius to Hauptwerk? 

Yes - use a virtual MIDI patch cable like MIDI-yoke to connect the output from Sibelius to the input of Hauptwerk.

 

Paul

[Phil T]

Yes - use a virtual MIDI patch cable like MIDI-yoke to connect the output from Sibelius to the input of Hauptwerk.

 

Paul

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So you can scan apiece into Sibelius, add in relevant registrations; connect Hauptwerk, then hey presto. “I’ll be back”.

[MusingMuso]

Is that the same Sun that supplies large numbers of computers to the US & UK Navy?

 

Just think, with a pc based organ, you could surf the net during the sermon. 

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Better still.....battleships!

 

MM

[Phil T]

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Better still.....battleships!

 

MM

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Just as long as you don’t shout, “You sunk my Battleship”, at an inappropriate moment.

[Guest Lee Blick]

Ever had a bad day at the organ?

[AJJ]

Ever had a bad day at the organ?

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Shouldn't this be in the registration for French Romantic music section?

 

AJJ

 

PS The toilet rolls in the background add an interesting angle to things and is that an academic hoodie he's wearing?

[nfortin]

Yes, another awful video on an otherwise respectable site, complete with no shoes and no socks! To give her credit, it was included at the very end of the pageand does mention she comes to a sticky end (not that sort, gentleman).

 

There is an mp3 of this woman playing Nun Danket by Karg-Elert which has a few pedal bum notes.

 

Please enjoy "Big Ma'am"!

I have been asked by Sheila Joynes to post this reply, the views and comments are entirely hers, but, I feel, provide an interesting insight into goings-on at Pershore Abbey...

 

Imagine how you would feel if you read this about yourself. "Vox

Humana" did then come to my defence, (almost) - saying the recording

was clearly not meant to be taken seriously.

 

It certainly wasn't - I took a friend to see the crocuses in the

churchyard at Birlingham Church. We went into the church and found

that the organ was unlocked, as it usually is. Having the resident

organist's permission to play there whenever I wished, without music,

or shoes, (nor even socks!) I played a few snippets. Inevitably the

"can you do the Widor?" question then came up. Yes, I CAN play the

Widor given a little rehearsal, an organ not as heavy as the

Birlingham tracker, the music and organ shoes!

 

Having said that, I don't consider myself an organist, despite gaining

distinction at Grade 8, two years to the day from my first lesson. I

came to the instrument in my mid 30s, having learned because I needed

to because organists are in such short supply. I went to Trevor

Tipple because I was told he loved Bach and loved organs and I wasn't

keen on either! I then had lessons with Ray Johnson, Assistant to

Donald Hunt at Worcester Cathedral at the time.

 

I am a cellist, first and foremost, and have been principal cellist of

Chandos Symphony Orchestra for nearly 20 years. I also play double

bass and piano and make my living as a teacher of those instruments.

 

Also mentioned in the thread was the organ at Pershore Abbey. I was

Assistant Organist there from 1994 until being appointed as Director

of Music there in February 2003 (holding the post until I retired in

August 2004 on health grounds). I would not apply for the job called

"Organist" because I didn't feel I was enough of an organist to

warrant that title. I took on the post as Director of Music and loved

it, conducting the choir, singing soprano and filling in on the organ

when the organist, Mike Pegg wasn't playing.

 

Most of the music on my website (including the Karg-Elert and the

Mozart) was recorded on a mini disk player. We were given £5 at the

Abbey and asked to turn it into as much as we could - the parable of

the Talents. I bought a few tapes (before the days of recording your

own CDs easily), recorded myself playing organ, piano, violin, flute,

harp and singing and sold those under the title "The Talents of Sheila

Joynes", then bought more tapes with the profits. I ended up making

£147 for the Abbey.

 

The other question mentioned in the thread was about the Pershore

Abbey organ. I have to be careful what I say here as I am one of the

mentioned recent ex-Directors of Music. I was followed by David

Barclay, an energetic and highly talented man (though not an organist

AT ALL). He resigned in December 2006. In recent months I believe the

music at the Abbey has been in the hands of the vicar's 17 year-old

son, though Mike Pegg is still the organist.

 

Back in January 2004, I was one of a party from the Abbey who went to

Tronau in Sweden to see the new hybrid digital/pipe organ. (I can

almost hear the gasps from the purists at the very mention of this.)

The vicar, who professes to be an organist and a pupil of Virgil Fox,

led the party and we were met in Sweden by Carlo Curly and Peter

Collins. All of us in the Abbey party were very impressed by the

organ. (More gasps) I am not a purist, I am not an organ expert - but

it sounded damn fine to me!

 

Plans were drawn up for building one for Pershore and placing it above

the West door. I was not consulted about these plans although I was

still Director of Music. The faculty which allowed the removal of the

Walker, stipulated that it must be replaced with a pipe organ "within

10 years". (This expired at the end of March 2007.)

 

As far as the public was aware this scheme was going ahead. A public

meeting was arranged to present the plans. At the start of this, the

vicar announced that part of Abbey was falling down and funds would be

needed for repairs. He had changed his mind about the hybrid organ and

wanted a totally digital one. I found it very difficult to do so but I

made my views clear that a building such as the Abbey deserves a

decent organ and that the Abbey would be a laughing stock if it went

down that route especially as there is already a digital one in place.

 

As far as I know, the situation remains the same. I believe extra time

was granted to fulfil the requirements of the faculty but, as I was

told very clearly that I was not welcome in the Abbey, any more I

could add would be hearsay.

 

Finally, I'd like to add this. If you want confirmation of my

abilities as an all-round musician, (other than my 7 grade 8s with

distinction) you might ask John Wilderspin, Roger Gay or Donald Hunt.

Not that I feel I have to justify myself - but I do want the

opportunity to say particularly to Lee Blick; be very careful what you

say about people on the Internet because it will almost certainly get

back to them –try Googling my name or the search "who teaches music

theory". Such is my presence on the Internet, Google now informs me

when it notices my name being mentioned! Even if you didn't like my

performance, Mr Blick, did you have to get so personal as to comment

on my size? How dare you! I bet your legs are long enough to reach

the pedals without falling off the organ stool, too!

 

So, gentlemen, ("gentlemen" being a presumption from the original

post) you have now heard it from "Big Ma'am" herself. I would have

thought you would wish to encourage new blood, even female, into the

organ world. God knows - and I mean that - there are few enough people

who can even play a hymn - with or without the pedals, which is

exactly why I started learning.

 

You may be glad to know that I don't play then organ anywhere any more

and that one consequence of having read your conversation is, that I

may never have the confidence to do so again - thanks a lot!!!

 

Sheila Joynes.

[pcnd5584]

I have been asked by Sheila Joynes to post this reply, the views and comments are entirely hers, but, I feel, provide an interesting insight into goings-on at Pershore Abbey...

 

Imagine how you would feel if you read this about yourself. "Vox

Humana" did then come to my defence, (almost) - saying the recording

was clearly not meant to be taken seriously. ...

 

... Finally, I'd like to add this. If you want confirmation of my

abilities as an all-round musician, (other than my 7 grade 8s with

distinction) you might ask John Wilderspin, Roger Gay or Donald Hunt.

Not that I feel I have to justify myself - but I do want the

opportunity to say particularly to Lee Blick; be very careful what you

say about people on the Internet because it will almost certainly get

back to them –try Googling my name or the search "who teaches music

theory". Such is my presence on the Internet, Google now informs me

when it notices my name being mentioned! Even if you didn't like my

performance, Mr Blick, did you have to get so personal as to comment

on my size? How dare you! I bet your legs are long enough to reach

the pedals without falling off the organ stool, too!

 

So, gentlemen, ("gentlemen" being a presumption from the original

post) you have now heard it from "Big Ma'am" herself. I would have

thought you would wish to encourage new blood, even female, into the

organ world. God knows - and I mean that - there are few enough people

who can even play a hymn - with or without the pedals, which is

exactly why I started learning.

 

You may be glad to know that I don't play then organ anywhere any more

and that one consequence of having read your conversation is, that I

may never have the confidence to do so again - thanks a lot!!!

 

Sheila Joynes.

 

Firstly, without wishing to point a finger at any contributors (since many of us have written comments we probably wish we had not, at one time or another), what a shame that this lady has felt so discouraged by comments made on this board.

 

Secondly, I believe that I am correct in stating that a recent predecessor of the present incumbent was the Rev. Michael Tristram* - son of Geoffrey Tristram, who (as many will know) was a previous Organist and Master of the Choristers at Christchurch Priory. He was responsible for de-commissioning the pipe organ in the priory and having it replaced with a toaster. I wonder if there is a trend, here?

 

Personally, I find it hard to believe that the Vicar wished to dispose of this:

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...c_index=N12480#

 

Even if it needed restoration, I should have thought that it would have been possible to put the instrument in working order for the price of a large, new toaster.

 

* This may be the Rev. Canon Michael Tristram who is currently a Canon Pastor at Portsmouth Cathedral. For the record (and in the light of an observation made in the above quote) I have no evidence that he was responsible, either wholly or in part, for the removal of the JWW Walker organ in Pershore Abbey.

[AJJ]

The other side (personalities aside) of the above is that anyone who aspires to 'Google celebrity status' needs to accept the fact they are then open to scrutiny and possible comment from whoever wherever.

 

AJJ

[Frank Fowler]

The other side (personalities aside) of the above is that anyone who aspires to 'Google celebrity status' needs to accept the fact they are then open to scrutiny and possible comment from whoever wherever.

 

AJJ

 

As many of us have found out, if you stick you head above the parapet you are likely to get sniped at and if you don't someone might still lob a hand grenade at you.

 

FF

[andyorgan]

What a fascinating thread!!

 

My choral society also used the Abbey for their concerts. I understood that the faculty for the toaster was only given on the condition that a pipe organ was put back in there within 10 years. There wasn't much wrong with the old organ that a sympathetic restoration couldn't have have fixed, other than the position, which wasn't ideal. Now it seems, no organ, no organist and no will to put it right. From what I remember, isn't the organ still in existence in storage somewhere?

 

Why did David Barclay resign. Always thought it an odd appointment, but I thought he had started a children's choir and was moving in the right direction?

 

Pershore Abbey remains a superb place for concerts, pity there won't be an organ in there worthy of the place in the forseeable future.

[Davidb]

did u guys read the comments about the video on her site, about how it was ad-hoc without the music etc etc.

 

Lee you seem to take great delight in the criticism of others, perhaps you could post some recordings for us to listen too and comment upon?

[pwhodges]

did u guys read the comments about the video on her site, about how it was ad-hoc without the music etc etc.

I just can't get my head around why someone would want to make, let alone publish, a video of such mucking around; it's even stranger if they are then going to be sensitive about comments.

 

Paul

[innate]

I just can't get my head around why someone would want to make, let alone publish, a video of such mucking around; it's even stranger if they are then going to be sensitive about comments.

Absolutely. Particularly if she seems to be so aware of her web presence.