Vox Humana Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 What's the collective noun for opera singers? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A pod? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 There is no doubt in my mind, cats are about as useful as a chocolate chastity belt to a medieval knight. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I suspect that depended who was inside it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 St.Bavo, Haarlem has resident bats, which fly around the church with impunity in the middle of orgel concerten. They seem to get very excited when the mixtures are drawn; flying at full throttle towards the instrument and only back-pedalling when they're a few feet away from the organ-case.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> It is an unpleasant, but well-known fact that bats urinate whilst flying. It is also a sad fact that pipe metal and bat urine don't mix. Scrub as you might, you can't get the marks off. Bill Drake showed me this organ recently. You can just about see what the bats have done in the photo: it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase spotted metal. Nice instrument though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Barry Williams Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Don't forget that dogs have owners but cats have staff-- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Maurice Forsyth-Grant had a cat. He also had a large house organ in Hawthorne Lodge. On that organ was a wierd mixture that even the great John Degens found tricky to tune. The said cat had a habit of wandering amongst the pipework after tuning, thus undoing difficult and excellent work. As the offending creature was a cat, M F-G would not remonstrate with it. He merely regretted the damage to the tuning. Yes, cats have staff not owners. Barry Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Coram Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 It is an unpleasant, but well-known fact that bats urinate whilst flying. It is also a sad fact that pipe metal and bat urine don't mix. Scrub as you might, you can't get the marks off. Bill Drake showed me this organ recently. You can just about see what the bats have done in the photo: it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase spotted metal. Nice instrument though. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I can recommend taking metal pipes to acid-dipping firms (the sort that strip pine doors) - have had some very good results this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Some cats have official status. See: http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk/whoswho.asp, and scroll to the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lee Blick Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Someone, slap (well, lovingly place) an Hon FRCO on that cat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusingMuso Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Someone, slap (well, lovingly place) an Hon FRCO on that cat! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ======================= No, it would have to be a black-cat to go with the mysterious black shrouds and the crystal-ball. MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heva Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Someone, slap (well, lovingly place) an Hon FRCO on that cat! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> FRCO as in "Fellow of the Royal Cats of Organists"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusingMuso Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 FRCO as in "Fellow of the Royal Cats of Organists"? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ================== Now what's that line I like in the latest "Scissors Sisters" album? "If lies were cats, you'd be a litter" MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobH Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Maurice Forsyth-Grant had a cat. He also had a large house organ in Hawthorne Lodge. On that organ was a wierd mixture that even the great John Degens found tricky to tune. The said cat had a habit of wandering amongst the pipework after tuning, thus undoing difficult and excellent work. As the offending creature was a cat, M F-G would not remonstrate with it. He merely regretted the damage to the tuning. Yes, cats have staff not owners. Barry Williams On several occasions after I have tuned the organ in a certain well known 'Royal' venue, the organist has remarked that many pipes (particularly the 2' Great) have been badly out of tune. This was extremely puzzling to me as the organ is very stable. It was later discovered that this offence was caused not by a cat, but a dog! Apparently, before a royal visit, the building is thoroughly searched by security Police and a 'sniffer' dog is let into the organ and up onto the main passage board! Of couse, if the pipes were cone-tuned they would be ok. Knowing that dogs go into the organ I now tread very carefully on a tuning visit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveHarries Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I remember once visiting the church at Belstone, Devon and finding a cat inside the building. Lovely cat but a little shy. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Blimey, just how soft was the metal? You can post two Robins (or one sparrow) first class for 32p. Would even a 100g Blackbird have much impact? Wouldn't they be classed as a small package, and thereby incur a higher charge! Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Wouldn't they be classed as a small package, and thereby incur a higher charge! Jonathan Ah, but I wrote that before the postal charges changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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