Chester & North-East Wales Organists’ & Choirmasters’ Association Affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists CNEWOCA Newsletter – MARCH 2015 On line at www.cnewoca.org.uk Facebook - www.facebook.co/groups/CNEWOCA ______for my Dad. On Monday 25 May, Philip The Chairman Writes Stopford will be telling us about his music Don’t Be Late Hello Everyone. I find myself preparing British Summer Time commences at this month’s article close to our publishing as he leads our second event in May. We bring one year to a close and begin another 1.00am. on Palm Sunday 29 March. deadline as I wanted to provide you with Don’t forget to put all non-self-adjusting some information following our recent one at our AGM on Tuesday 23 June, when we are very fortunate to have Ian Tracey as time pieces FORWARD ONE HOUR Committee Meeting. Before that, I forgot before retiring on Saturday 28 March. to thank Bob & Linda Owens for their part our Guest Speaker (Menus very soon). Coming back to the Committee Meeting in arranging our January event at Chester Another Sad Closure , so a big “Thank You”, not just mentioned earlier, you can see that we have really tried to provide you with a wide Yet another Christian Church is to close for January but for the many other this month. This time it’s Hoylake occasions that you both support the variety of events this year, and I am very grateful to all those who have led and Presbyterian Chapel, where our member Association. On Saturday 28 February Brian Moate has been organist since 1989. many of us enjoyed a very interesting and arranged them. Our Association offers much more than just He says that the congregation over the past enjoyable visit to St Laurence years has fallen considerably and those Church in Frodsham We were welcomed the opportunity to visit different churches and play on organs, the events also give remaining are all mainly elderly. They will by their organist, Ken Fayle, who gave us move to other close by churches of different an informative talk about the church and its members the chance to share fellowship, something that I know many of you value denominations, the nearest Presbyterian organ followed by a demonstration of the Chapel some three miles away. However, organ’s capabilities. very highly. Even if you don’t feel able to be Treasurer, perhaps you can consider it’s good to know that the Rushworth & Looking ahead now, this month’s “Come & Draper 2 manual organ will have a good Sing” event is something a little different attending a Committee Meeting (they usually last less than an hour), suggesting home in a new RC church in Sotto Monte, than we usually arrange, but I hope you will near Bergarno, Italy. support it and spread the word to your possible events or writing an article for the friends and colleagues who have an interest monthly Newsletter. The evenings are getting lighter and the Some Good News in singing or conducting. Philip Stopford, Music in Llandaf Cathedral is on the up and who many of you will remember from his weather is improving, so I hope we will meet up in the next couple of months at the up after the disaster of last year. The new time at Chester Cathedral and now a much , the Very Rev’d. Gerwyn Capon, acclaimed composer and choral conductor, events that have been organised. In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss anything arrived soon after the “ redundancies” will be leading an afternoon of singing, came into effect. Whilst weighing-up the including a composition of his own and a to do with CNEWOCA, don’t hesitate to contact me. situation, he suffered another blow when performance of Stainer’s “Crucifixion” the Director of Music, Richard Moorhouse, (with guest soloists) at Hamilton Street This Month who had struggled to maintain Services Methodist Church, Hoole, Chester. The Saturday 28 March at 2.30pm without a “back row” decided to depart. afternoon will commence at 2.30pm until Hamilton St. Methodist Church, Hoole Cathedral Parish Organist, David Thomas, approximately 4.00pm – 4.15pm. Our Chairman invites us to join in this has in the words of the Dean, “been a gift to Refreshments will be served before the event he has arranged for his church. us, his enthusiasm, hard work and talent as performance commencing around 4.30pm- The distinguished choral an organist and musician has been without 4.45pm. Hopefully this is an event with director and composer equal”. In November, Jonathan Bielby wider appeal than some of our tradition (retired from Cathedral) was organ only events, so do please help me to Philip Stopford appointed Interim Director of Music and promote it and attract some non-organists to leads Stainer’s this has brought a sense of stability and one of our events (many of you will “The Crucifixion” optimism which is encouraging boys to join remember our singing event at Ewloe back and music by himself. the choir. With this music team in place, in the autumn proved to be very informative Bring along a friend and a few choristers. sourcing singers for the “back row”, at and enjoyable). Unfortunately, to cover the high costs present on a casual basis, is underway. In We are very grateful to Alan McGuiness there will be a charge (including the meantime local quartets and choirs have (Director of Music at St Asaph Cathedral), refreshments) of £7.00 if booked in been assisting. Things still need developing who has facilitated a ‘Composite Recital’ advance on 01244 674878 or email but, as the Dean says, “we are getting and open console evening for us at the [email protected] there.” Services, which had been reduced Cathedral on Monday 27 April. otherwise £10.00 at the door. to two on a Sunday and one weekday And there’s even more exciting events Next Month Evensong, have been increased already by planned for you, with Thomas Trotter an extra weekday Evensong and a further giving a recital on Saturday 9 May to Monday 27 April at 7.30pm one is being added after Easter. All this is promote awareness of the organ and our St. Asaph Cathedral good news and very encouraging. Association but also as a memorial concert Composite Recital and Open Console What’s On ? Organ Recitals Nationwide Percy Whitlock details on www.organrecitals.com was born in Chatham, Kent Chester Cathedral on 1 June 1903 and in his Thursdays at 1.10pm. youth became a pupil of 26 Mar Douglas Bruce - Switzerland Tuning a Pipe Organ (2) Following on from last month’s opening Vaughan Williams at the 2 Apr Benjamin Chewter Royal College of Music. It 9 Apr John Hosking – St Asaph Cath. article, here’s a little more know how. The most common tool used by a tuner is was here that he developed 16 Apr Roger Fisher his harmonic musical style that 23 Apr Philip Rushforth called a "tuning knife". It is a piece of metal used to tap gently on the tuning mechanism incorporated those of his tutor, Delius,

of a pipe. The techniques for tuning flue Elgar, Stanford, Gershwin and Quilter. St. Asaph Cathedral pipes vary with the construction of the pipe: Many of his themes that sound very much Wednesday 1 April at 7.30pm An open metal pipe usually has a sliding like folk tunes are in fact his own creation. Alan McGuinness tuning slide at the top that can be gently In 1921 he was appointed Assistant Organist at where he Admission £5 including Programme, etc tapped up or down to change the pitch. .An stayed until 1930 when he became Director open wooden pipe may have a metal flap partially covering its top, which can be of Music at St. Stephen’s Church, Bangor Cathedral rolled or unrolled, or bent upward or Bournemouth, a post he combined, from Tuesday, 24 March, at 1.10p.m downward. On a slotted metal pipe, some or 1932, with that of Borough Organist, Martin J. Brown all of the metal cut out to make the slot is playing at the Pavilion Theatre. From 1935 Retiring Collection rolled up so the slot can effectively be until his death from TB on 1 May 1946, he shortened or lengthened, thus changing the was full time at the Pavilion Theatre, from where he made many BBC broadcasts, Wesley Church Centre pitch of the pipe. On a slotted wooden pipe, a wooden slider is provided to shorten or some with the Bournemouth Symphony St. John Street, Chester lengthen the slot. A stopped pipe (wood or Orchestra. Although Whitlock wrote some Tuesday lunchtime Concerts at 12.45pm metal) is usually tuned by tapping its orchestral and vocal music, he is best 24 Mar Roger Fisher – piano stopper up or down. A capped pipe is remembered for his organ pieces, such as 31 Mar John Bush (trumpet) usually tuned by tapping its cap up or down Five Short Pieces, Four Extemporisations, and Brian Heald (piano) .A conical metal pipe will sometimes have Seven Sketches on Verses of the Psalms, the 7 Apr Gordon Pullin (tenor) and a tuning slide, but often are tuned by Plymouth Suite and the Sonata in C minor. Roger Fisher (piano) moving the large ears on either side of the Of these Ray Harper still has on offer, for 14 Apr Elizabeth Lawton (flute) and pipe's mouth. Small metal pipes are often donations which he will Gift Aid to Russell Lomas (piano) cone tuned, whereby the top of each pipe is Macmillan Cancer Support, copies of the 21 Apr Brian Heald (piano) deformed inward or outward using a heavy Plymouth Suite, Four Extemporisations and hollow cone. This is the method used when Canzona from the Sonata in C minor. St. Andrew’s Church, Tarvin tuning flue pipes on older instruments not A Last Desperate Plea Friday 20 March at 7.30pm fitted with tuning slides. Such tuning is Organ recital by extremely stable, but over time causes Last month a second plea was made for gradual damage to the pipe. Reed pipes are someone to take-on the post of Treasurer Geoffrey Woollatt usually tuned by means of a tuning wire from mid-April but unfortunately no-one Sub-Organist protruding from the boot of the pipe which has come forward. For health reasons, Retiring Collection lengthens or shortens the vibrating length of Stewart Donald wishes to hand over as soon Refreshments available the tongue. There are other methods used as the year-end accounts to the end of when first installing a reed but these can March have been produced and audited. Hamilton St. Methodist Church affect the tonal regulation of the pipe, No Treasurer; No Association?? Come on Tuesday 31 March, 7.30pm therefore tuning reed pipes is trickier than folks, get in touch with our Chairman John A performance of Alan Bullard’s tuning flue pipes. To add to the tuner’s Evans on 01244 674878 ASAP. “Wondrous Cross” difficult task, organ pipes are so sensitive to temperature that the body heat of the organ Musical Stools ! by the Kelsborrow Choir tuner can affect the tuning. If one holds a Chester Cathedral’s Assistant Organist Admission Free – Retiring Collection small metal flue pipe briefly in one's hand Geoffrey Woollatt left on 27 February to and then returns it to the chest, its pitch can become Sub-Organist at Manchester Cirencester International be heard to change as the pipe returns to Cathedral. We wish Geoffrey well. He Music Festival room temperature. Reed pipes are even replaced Jeffrey Makinson, who in January more heat sensitive. Humidity is another became Assist. D of M at Featuring the Harrison & Harrison factor. At the time of tuning the tuner will replacing Charles Harrison who took-over 4 manual organ in the often leave a record of the temperature and at in September. The week-long festival, from 18 to 25 humidity at that time. Getting about inside April, includes five lunchtime recitals and an organ can be quite a dirty task. A Newsletter Contributions three evening performances featuring Naji biblical quote appropriate to organ builders Contributions for the April Newsletter are Hakim, Andrew Dewar (American Church, is “On thy belly shalt thou go and eat dust required before 31 March but much earlier Paris) and Anthony Hammond all the days of thy life”. in the month would be helpful. Email (extemporised music to the 1920 silent film appreciated but hard copy just as Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde). The full Congratulations acceptable. It’s never too early to send the programme and tickets for the evening Our member Simon Russell, who is also PO articles and the details of events you performances (at £12 each, or £30 for a President of the Liverpool Organists’ organise, the latter from the last week in passport ticket to all three performances), Association, has been appointed by the April up to the end of May being required are available by contacting Website RSCM as its Regional Coordinator for the before 31 March, as are flyers (90 required) www.cirencesterorganfestival.co.uk. North of England. Congratulations, Simon. for inclusion in the April mailing.