July / August 2020 Number 79 Derby & District Organists' Association Registered Charity No. 510567 Newsletter DDOA Events 2020 Tuesday 7th July: Talk by Richard Brice. St Peter’s Belper. POSTPONED to 2021

Monday 28th September: Seminar: ‘Practice Makes Perfect?’ led by Dr Tom Corfield. St Matthew’s, Darley Abbey.

Yes, practice makes perfect, but how do we practise? How can we use what time and opportunities we have to maximum advantage? These are vital questions for all of us who are players, but unfortunately there are no easy answers. There are no methods that can be universally applied; there are no routines that will fit every situation. Practice is essentially problem-solving and that will vary from one piece to the next, from one occasion to the next, and of course from one person to another. Perhaps though there are some underlying principles which can help us and perhaps there are certain specific techniques that people might find Early History of the Organ in Britain useful. The meeting offers a chance to explore the topic together and to - Shameful or Glorious? pool ideas. I hope that we will all come away with some thoughts about how we Readers may recall that the in our own lifetime the experience is can practise more effectively. previous issue of the Newsletter unprecedented. featured a report on our visit to Saturday 17th October: Association Pondering on the history of the organs at Repton, Newton Solney Lunch, Horsley Lodge. development of organs and its and Winshill in the Trent Valley. associated culture in Britain, one soon Monday 16th November: AGM and This was a memorable visit for the discovers disruptions that have Chairman’s Evening. quality and variety of the caused organ building to stare in the instruments we heard and played. face of extinction more than once. IAO Midlands Organ Day planned for In retrospect it must be even more Whereas the existence of organs has September has been postponed to 2021. memorable for the fact that being been known since the Roman era, scheduled just two days before the physical evidence in Britain does not national health emergency and exist before Tudor times and the consequent ‘lockdown’, it earliest surviving playable instrument represented a ‘normality’ for organ only dates back to 1704 (St visits that we had totally taken for Botolph’s, Aldgate). Reflecting on our granted; on that day we had no visit to St Wystan’s Parish Church, concept of a culture of ‘social Repton we learned that the new case distancing’ which has prevailed for the rebuilt organ in 1998 “was ever since. We constantly hear inspired by the oldest known in that the ‘normality’ that we have Britain, the c.1540 case at Old been used to will not return for a Radnor in Wales” (photo). Organist, long while yet, and the ‘new Terry Bennett, laments that funds at normal’ will be very different from the time did not allow the protruding the old, but those differences have towers to be imitated, but is yet to be defined. We find nevertheless highly gratified that ourselves living through an historic such a handsome case was achieved, disruption to local, national and even to the point of including four Above: The 1998 Peter Collins Organ at St international life. Such events are embossed pipes imitating its Wystan’s Parish Church, Repton not uncommon in history, the precursor. Comparing the images of Derbyshire village of Eyam is Main photo: c.1540 organ case at St Stephen’s, Repton and Old Radnor, the famous for its social isolation as a Old Radnor, Wales, considered to be the oldest inspiration is clear to see. organ case in Britain. means of fighting the Plague, but might be occasional solo organ items. For the congregation the Catholic mass was conducted ‘on their behalf’ and excluded direct participation. The significance of these factors was that the organ of the period was never a large instrument. When the Reformation came along, aimed at shedding the Catholic past, organs were banished, or perhaps considered to be too small to be worth saving. The suppression of monasteries intensified the destruction of many cultural artefacts. Thus for organs there was a great disruption and break from the past. Development of its technology and culture came to an abrupt end and no organs were made in Britain between 1560 and 1590. This was in tragic contrast with the vibrant and innovative organ building culture on the continent which developed to fulfil the increasing status of the Thomas Dallam’s organ, commissioned by The Wetheringsett Organ (Goetze & Gwynn, 2001) organ as a symbol of wealth Elizabeth I as a gift to Sultan Mehmet III, was amongst competing cities and ruling essentially a clockwork driven barrel organ, Recently, on revisiting The English dynasties. When eventually organs equipped with a keyboard, a clock and Organ (TEO) DVDs, I was reminded came back into favour, the most miscellaneous mechanical animations. that the Old Radnor case (in Wales) Standing sixteen feet high, the oak case is successful builder was Thomas carved, painted and gilded. The organ can is where Daniel Moult begins his Dallam who, amongst several be played manually and the clockwork can odyssey in search of the origins of prestigious commissions, built play five songs. The 24 hour clock shows the the ‘English’ organ. The origin of organs for Kings College Cambridge, Sun’s position and the phases of the Moon. the case is unclear, but scholars are Worcester Cathedral, Tewkesbury On the hour the instrument would give a performance as follows: confident that it dates from the Abbey and most famously an organ Trumpeters play - Queen Elizabeth raises her reign of Henry VIII. What is certain for Sultan Mehmet III in 1599. The sceptre - Planets revolve around the Queen - is that it was sensitively restored in latter was a gift from Elizabeth I to Bells play a four part melody - Birds sing and 1872 under the supervision of Revd. the new ruler of the Turkish flutter in a holly bush - A talking head tells the Frederick Sutton, an ardent Ottoman Empire, presumably oiling time. advocate of gothic organ design, the wheels towards a new trade and a brand new organ by deal for spices. and down the country during and J.W.Walker installed within. We can after the Civil War (1649-60). It transpired that Thomas Dallam only guess about the original Puritans regarded organs as headed a dynasty of organ builders contents of the case but the idolatorus; unaccompanied singing with son Robert and grandson discoveries of the remains of a 16th of metrical psalms was the only Thomas II, but catastrophe struck century soundboard at music allowed during Cromwell’s the organ business again when Wetherinsett, Suffolk in 1977 have rule. The Dallam’s response was Oliver Cromwell’s troops got to work given vital clues about a Tudor to flee to Brittany where there was smashing organs in churches up organ: 46 notes and 7 stops. On plenty of money still to be made the basis of this fragmentary building organs. Come the physical evidence, Goetze and Restoration of the Monarchy and Gwynn have built a modern the reign of Charles II, Robert reconstruction, the Wetheringsett returned to England and took full Organ, and recordings on this by advantage of the national mood to Moult feature in the TEO DVD set. get back to 1642, as if the interim The modest size of this organ, had never happened. Charles II, thought to be typical of instruments having spent time during exile at in the period, reflects its limited role Versailles, brought back a Baroque in the liturgy of the time. In huge influence to popular fashion. contrast to what we have become Unsurprisingly, the organs that familiar in modern usage in parish Robert Dallam built on his return churches and cathedrals, the organ contained the sounds of French was rarely an accompanying reeds and mutations. Thus the instrument. Nicholas Thistlethwaite momentum for building organs was has described the musical demands re-established paving the way to of pre-reformation services in which the prolific era of the 18th century The ‘Milton’ organ at Tewkesbury Abbey, built by the role of the organ was to with builders Renatus Harris (a Thomas Dallam in 1631 originally for Magdalen alternate with singers rather than to College Oxford. Having been much altered down grandson of Thomas Dallam), accompany verses of psalms. There the ages, only the case is Dallam’s. ‘Father Smith’ and others in great 2 demand, and the outpouring of those music, pioneered by Samuel Wesley, glorious cornet voluntaries by amplified by Mendelssohn’s visits to Stanley et al. As well as fulfilling the Britain and promoted through the needs of churches, organs were ventures of Gauntlet and Hill. (See frequently installed in music rooms, Bach in England, Newsletter 75 theatres and pleasure gardens that November 2019). The Bach sprang up in this period. As music awakening, had a profound effect on making found a wider audience, it the course of organ building, laying became a major cultural and social the foundations of the form of activity, attracting musicians and instruments we inherit today. The composers from all over Europe, development of organs in the most notably Handel and J.C.Bach. Victorian era and beyond into the The 18th century became a golden 20th century deserves more than age for music in England. one further article. In the meantime I strongly recommend investing in Returning to the starting point of The English Organ DVD set in which our story, it is sad that the loss of Daniel Moult tells the complete story historical instruments wrought by the with ample demonstrations on turbulence of the Reformation and historic and contemporary Civil War has deprived us of physical instruments. connection with our early organ history, but we can marvel at the Laurence Rogers The Renatus Harris organ of 1704 at St Botolph, revival of organ building and its Aldgate, London, considered to be England’s development when national life Acknowledgement oldest surviving playable church organ. Although became more stable. However, by Many ideas for this article were there are older pipes and cases, this is the oldest th collection of pipes in their original positions on the beginning of the 19 century, inspired by Daniel Moult’s their original wind chests. In the Victorian era it English organs were still considerably commentary in The English Organ experienced additions first by Hill and later by smaller than their continental published by Fugue State Films. Bishop, but these were removed in 2006 by counterparts, and notably lacked The DVDs include interviews with Goetze & Gwynn to restore it to its original pedals. This was forced to change historical experts Nicholas disposition. with the discovery of Bach’s organ Thistlethwaite and Paul Binski.

time in 1983 was on the pipe organ. Letters to the Editor Since the earthquake there, which From Peter Gould: ruined the pipe organ, they have I was sorry to learn about the installed (temporarily, I hope) a death of Bill Attenborough. He was four-manual Viscount organ. It has extremely supportive of me, my every sound that you would expect family and the music and organ at from such a large electronic organ the cathedral generally and took but the acoustic of that very large many organ photos of churches building is probably bigger than St around the country including the Paul’s Cathedral and I found I had to major cathedrals and, I think, play everything rather slower in the Royal Albert Hall. He was a order to get clarity of the textures! I lovely man and always had time to was pleased to have the pleasure of chat. being the final player in such an impressive building before they also I was very pleased to hear about closed all of their churches. the box organ project for the cathedral. Ed Stow was very I’m sure that we all look forward to gracious in loaning us his house being allowed to re-enter our church organ which was used for many buildings again for worship and I, Peter Gould at Wellington Cathedral services and concerts in my time. I along with all of you I’m sure, really only had two regrets, one that it missed the music and ceremonies of From Adrian Bonsall: wasn’t in tune with either cathedral Holy Week and Easter. Whilst I was Adrian has informed us that his organ (though visiting orchestras enforced into an extended father’s music and CD collection appreciated the sharper pitch for quarantine in NZ I did compose an which was to be available free for playing with). The other was the fact organ choral prelude on the Easter people to choose from in April at 10 that it was just the right size for Hymn (which I dedicated to Tom Park Road, Duffield, has been leaving the collection plate on during Corfield) but will have to wait until postponed until the present services! 2021 now before performing it. I emergency situation is over. was so pleased to eventually return You were lucky in getting in the to England (11 days late) and have From Alistair Johnston: last event before the lock-down. I my own Viscount house organ which I am currently researching the organ was in New Zealand at the time and I bought about three years ago to builder Roger Yates and would like to managed to give an organ recital in play on again. get hold of pictures of his organ at Wellington Cathedral just before Best wishes to you all for a more Kegworth Parish Church. Can anyone they closed everything up. It was help, please? [email protected] the only place in New Zealand that I productive end of the year. have given two recitals. The first Peter Bristol & District Organists’ Association 3 The Barkaway Legacy our instruments – what practice are Remembered they having? Leather can become stiff, joints and pivots can seize, and It was the last day of April when oil can creep from the bearing Ruth Barkaway passed away, aged surfaces leading to potential 93. She was well known to many of problems – especially as our our members as an inveterate churches have probably had no attender of choral and organ heating whilst closed. concerts in the Derby area and frequently at the Cathedral. A The Church of England official charming and principled lady, she guidance on the matter does had an engaging personality that acknowledge, both for bells and would never fail to pique your organs, that maintenance may be interest or bring a smile to your necessary to ensure that the face. Her intelligence, broad John and Ruth Barkaway instruments remain playable in interests and bubbling enthusiasm readiness for when services resume. could keep you in conversation for colleagues; in short, a great For someone like me with a small hours. Beyond her passion for persuader. Incidentally, he and relatively recent organ, it may music, in which the organ played a personally donated the medal of be sufficient to switch the blower on major part, her enduring quality office which has been worn by and play every note on every stop was concern for people’s well- successive Chairmen of the once or twice and exercise any swell being. By profession a nurse, she Association. As his successor at shutters every couple of months. had many and varied insights into Melbourne Parish Church, I enjoyed However, from both a personal and the human condition, physical and not only John’s affirmation of my mechanical point of view, now that spiritual, and many have benefited musical activities there, but also his full-blown practice is allowed, this is from her wise counsel. Sadly, in tremendous encouragement, loyalty far more satisfactory. these lockdown times, many and practical support for them. Not Details of the current C of E friends were prevented from least, it was John who persuaded guidance are to be found at this honouring her passing in church, me to join the DDOA! website. nevertheless the private family Ruth and John were absolutely funeral fulfilled her wish to ‘go out’ devoted to each other, and shared Specifically, there are rules about to Widor’s Toccata, albeit rendered an enduring joie de vivre the conditions of access and the from a CD. encompassing a passion for church need to maintain necessary hygiene and social distancing Ruth and her late husband, John, music. May they rest in peace. precautions: came to Derby from Essex in 1961 They are survived by three and lost no time in involving daughters, grand children and great Organists must get permission to themselves in the local community. grand children. enter the building from the By profession John was a manager Laurence Rogers incumbent or Church Warden, and for the Courtaulds textiles their access must be coordinated company, but also a keen and with those responsible for cleaning. accomplished amateur organist; he Will your organ be ready for you If the organist will be on their own was soon recruited to the DDOA when you return? in the building then a lone working committee. By 1966 he was assessment should be done. An elected Chairman. Our member Until the relaxation of Government example can be found online. th David Johnson remembers John rules on 13 June, organists have been effectively restricted to The information on the webpage is with great affection, recalling his regularly updated, so by the time calm businesslike conduct of practising at home – which is good enough to keep fingers moving, if you read this note it is worth affairs. He was brilliant at raising checking the latest version. expectations of what can be not feet (unless you are lucky achieved and rallying support for enough to have access to a David Henshaw pedalboard). However - what about The Amazing Career of Samuel Corbett (1852-1924) - David Johnson

During the enforced isolation of Derby Cathedral, 1886-1892, whose In 1867, aged 15, he was the last few weeks, I have re-read name was Samuel Corbett. appointed Organist and Choirmaster the research I did on behalf of a of Wellington Parish Church th colleague who worked as Music Samuel was born on 29 January (Shropshire), and during this tenure Officer for the Royal National 1852 in Wellington, Shropshire, and he gained his ARCO in 1871 and Institute for the Blind (RNIB), the he lost his sight at the tender age of FRCO the following year. object of which was to gain an three months. Several years later In 1873 he moved to London to insight into the number of blind and he spent seven years at the become Organist at St Andrew’s, visually-impaired organists in the Birmingham Royal Institute for the Tavistock Place, but quickly moved British Isles. To date I have Blind where he was a pupil of on to an appointment at St Mary’s, managed to track down over three James Simpson, the Organist of Bridgnorth (1875). Whilst in this hundred such people, going back to Birmingham Town Hall (and also Sir post he gained from Cambridge the 1820s. One of these was G.A.Macfarren and James Coward). University his Mus.Bac (1876) and Organist of All Saints, Derby, now During this time he gained the LTCL Diploma, I assume in organ playing. D.Mus (1878). For his D.Mus exam 4 he memorised Handel’s Israel in choirs, conducted concerts and of Past Provincial Grand Organist of Egypt in six weeks! He was the frequently played the whole of such Royal Arch Chapter of Hampshire first blind Mus.Bac at Cambridge, works as Messiah, Israel in Egypt, and the Isle of Wight. He died in and was only twenty four years of Elijah, etc. February 1924 at Parkestone in age at the time. (In those days Dorset, survived by three sons who From 1905 to 1912 he was music degrees were taken each became distinguished musicians Professor of Music at the Royal externally, non-residentially, since in their own right; therein lies Midland Institute for the Blind in there were no full-time faculties for another fascinating story. Nottingham, during which time he this subject until, I think, the devised his own music notation Having worked occasionally for the 1940s.) system (similar to Braille), but it RNIB, I am very conscious that those He served at Derby for the six was never used outside the city. who are blind or visually-impaired years mentioned above, and then From 1905-8 he was at St rarely consider it a burden, and just at Holy Trinity, Bournemouth, a Andrew’s, Nottingham, and finally get on with things – perhaps a lesson post he held until 1897. Some at Bottesford from 1908-12. He for us all! wrote of him that “He has trained was a Freemason and held the title David S. Johnson

Some Musings on YouTube Offerings - Peter Williams

By the time that this is published the events of Holy Week and Easter will be rather distant. Having churches shut, especially at this time, was horribly strange. There was little broadcast musical consolation although the Easter offering from King’s College, Cambridge, was beautiful as was the technically adept broadcast of Easter motets by Tenebrae. So, Margaret and I turned to YouTube and found a wonderful performance of Bach’s , BWV 245, by The Bach Society perform St Matthew Passion the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by Jos Van Veldhoven in the It was deliberately decided to the front whilst the singers of Coro Grote Kerk at . This Society is perform it in a church with a I stand behind their approaching its centenary and is smaller group, as a counterpart to instrumentalists. It all works dedicated to recording and releasing all ’s performances wonderfully well with the Christus, of Bach’s compositions. Much in the in Andreas Wolf, appearing to be a information can be found on its Amsterdam. The ensemble still similar age to Jesus when he was website. This recording was made on performs the St Matthew Passion in arrested. th the Grote Kerk in Naarden every March 11 , 2017 with masterclasses There are other performances of year.” Van Veldhoven’s approach and auditions being held beforehand. these two Passions available on comes up from the 17th century We found this performance immensely YouTube but some are in concert rather than travelling back from the satisfying. All the singers and most of halls and Nicholas Harnoncourt’s 19th. So, there are a number of the instrumentalists were under 35, performance with the Vienna continuo instruments: organs, with solo parts drawn from the small Concentus Musicus and the Tolzer harpsichords and a theorbo with an vocal ensemble of 16. Van Veldhoven Knabenchor, has a disconnect ensemble using 18th century used a system of favoriti and ripieni between the excellent boy soloists instruments, or copies, which give singers to achieve contrast by allotting and the mature voices of Kurt a clear and transparent sound. the more florid of Bach’s passages to Equiluz, (Evangelist), and Robert solo singers. The whole performance In the St Matthew Passion Bach Holl, (Jesus). Harnoncourt’s was beautifully shaped with arias well arranges his forces into Coro I and direction is electric and insightful as sung and with a dramatic, affecting, Coro II. These terms include both always and it is wonderful to hear Evangelist in Raphael Höhn. The singers and instrumentalists. Van the boys of the Tolzer Knabenchor instrumental ensemble, led by Shunske Veldhoven arranged them with a but, for me, and Robert Sato, who has now succeeded Van clear divide using a larger vocal Holl, whilst they are great singers, Veldhoven as Director, was wonderfully ensemble of soloists, the favoriti, are just too old! clear with many attractive timbres. favoured by Schṻtz, and ripieni for The Netherlands Bach Society Coro I whilst Coro II is a solo Well that was Good Friday. We have released other Bach works quartet. In the middle he placed 6 enjoyed it so much that the next day including the Easter Oratorio, BWV choristers from the Kampen Boys we watched their performance of the 249, Cantatas BWV 140 and BWV Choir who sing the cantus firmus Matthew Passion, BWV 244 with similar 29, the , BWV 243, an “O Lamm Gottes unschuldig” in the rapt enjoyment. Van Veldhoven exciting Mass in b, BWV 232, as well opening movement. The solo explained: “It all started in 1921 with as several of Bach’s instrumental quartet of Coro II is not necessarily the plan to perform Bach’s St Matthew compositions. To be continued. Passion in the Grote Kerk in Naarden. softer than Coro I as it is placed in Peter Williams 5 Why Learn the Organ? - Mary Cobbold

Receiving this contribution from Organ playing, in short, is an elitist churches towards the organ, to name our member Mary Cobbold, it hit a pastime, unavailable to the vast a few. As a counterblast, the nerve to read majority of young people from responses of some of Mary’s pupils modest and poorer backgrounds. are a cause for celebration: “Organ playing, in short, is an Access to an instrument on which to elitist pastime....” ��“I think playing an organ for a practise is not easy to acquire and service, as nerve-wracking as it is, is For a number of years some of us there are often restrictions imposed an amazing privilege. I don’t think have maybe harboured this by Safeguarding regulations and the there are many even professional thought from time to time, but requirement for the building to be musicians who get to perform in have been fearful of its potential silent during the day. Paid organist public every single week without fail. truth and to express it as baldly as posts are becoming increasingly rare What a wonderful opportunity not this. Below, Mary summarises her and organ music at ceremonies such only to produce music, be useful to research amongst her pupils and as weddings and funerals is, in my the community, improve your own the ensuing discussion with her experience, often limited to hymns skills and have a real reason to colleagues as RCO Accredited only, in favour of recorded music for practise.” Teachers. It conjures a rather the entrance and exit. Voluntaries dispiriting picture. Is it really as at Sunday services are mostly ��“Learning the organ has been an bleak as this? drowned out by congregational extremely rewarding experience for me. It is a brilliant instrument to As part of a recent online chatter - the idea that the music play, and has introduced me to a vast meeting, I was asked to lead a might actually be listened to is an amount of new repertoire and discussion on why people take up alien concept in the age of piped composers that I have come to love. organ playing. I sent the following (sorry!) muzak everywhere we go. Most importantly to me, it has been to over a dozen of my pupils, past I am required to play “to cover up very satisfying to see my pupils and organist friends: the noise”! improvement at the organ, and Does organ playing, especially of I wonder if you will be so kind as learning pieces that had pipe organs have a future in any but to respond to a quick question: previously been far too difficult is the largest churches and cathedrals? very fulfilling. For me, the organ I have to lead an online Is it to become a purely solitary provides a more stimulating mental discussion on “Why learn the pastime in the home? How can we challenge than the piano. Learning Organ?”, for the RCO Northern hope to pass on the joy of organ the organ has also helped me Accredited Teachers and I hope you playing and the marvellous improve as a musician in other will not mind giving me a brief repertoire to the next generations if aspects, such as greatly helping with response to that question and that they never hear an organ? Many of my sight reading (which has been you will be able to find time to do my respondents mentioned their beneficial for the piano and choral that. first experience of hearing the organ singing). I would recommend the played well in a building with What inspired you to learn the organ to any interested pianist.” organ in the first place? splendid acoustic. The best stop on the organ is so often the building ��“Why learn the organ? - Because Your response will remain after all. it's a life-long skill. Because it is a anonymous of course. dying art. Because, it is a more It would be very interesting to exciting version of the piano. This resulted in some really obtain some feedback/responses to Because if you can afford to learn the interesting responses and lively my italicised question above. I have organ, it is a key which opens doors discussion at the meeting. When I been asked to extend this project in to a different world; the same world was inspired to learn, I had easy the interests of ‘market research’ that we associate with Hogwarts, access to an organ as a child of the and it would be especially useful to Oxbridge and unfortunately, the Vicarage. I hoped to follow in know what inspired any pupils of Houses of Parliament. Because being Gillian Weir’s footsteps and/or DDOA members to begin playing. become the first female cathedral able to play the organ broadens Organist! I worked to gain my I do hope this is helpful and some prospects and perspectives. Because FRCO with these, or rather only of this may spark some interesting it's very difficult and near impossible slightly less lofty goals in mind. debate. if you aren't from an independent school and aren't born Mary Cobbold Nowadays, it seems, organ pupils male; because, quietly, you can be are interested primarily in as large Please give serious the anomaly in this. Because every an organ and acoustic they can consideration to Mary’s request time someone asks to meet the organ gain access to and, of course, the for responses. Send your scholar, they already have. repertoire. Church and religion are thoughts or comments on any Because more people who learn the of little or no interest to them. issues raised here to the Editor organ, from the widest range of Organ playing has become even at [email protected]. backgrounds, will create a mindset of more the preserve of the privately perseverance, inclusivity and vision educated (with access to a school In recent years it seems that more and more obstacles have been which are indisputably essential for chapel organ), cathedral choristers the survival of both the English choral and those with sufficient wealth to stacking up against the uptake of organ studies; the decline in church tradition and the Church itself. afford an organ for their home, Because its fun. Because it's costing as much as a high-end car. attendance and church choirs, the strictures of safeguarding worship. After all considered, I would procedures, the attitude of some ask; "why not learn the organ?".” 6 Lockdown Stories

From Margaret Eades around, and often travelled from my make good service voluntaries for native Newcastle through the Tyne church use and I look forward to I have found that despite Tunnel to Jarrow to play at Christ using them in this context. missing the human contact of Church, which had a three manual attending church services and I have also enjoyed and was Binns instrument. On one occasion, I other social occasions and the moved by listening to some visited St Mary's, Tyne Dock and pleasure and satisfaction that streamed services online, played the famous Schultz organ comes with it, there have been including the Walsingham Shrine which later in 1980 was transferred to plenty of other occupations at where a solo priest expertly sang Ellesmere College. Another time, for home that have kept me very unaccompanied the Roman Grade 8, I played the then newly busy! I have enjoyed the extra liturgy, and St Peter's Rome on restored organ by Harrison & time I have had in the garden, Easter Day, when a choir of eight Harrison, which was originally a Binns watching the Spring growth men, suitably spaced with a instrument at St Thomas the Martyr and have loved the beauty of the distant organ accompaniment organ in Newcastle. flowering plants and noticed things together with the Pope and other about the garden that I have Later, as a music student at clergy and the sparse never seen before! Nottingham University, I was very congregation of Vatican officials lucky to meet Dr William Sumner, equally distantly spaced, Reading, walking, yoga and who took an interest in me and celebrating the liturgy in as festive house clearing out and tidying encouraged me with my playing. As manner as possible! have been other occupations! I a result of his introductions, I met managed to unearth a diary which Although, we shall all be relieved Conrad Eden, who gave me the I kept when I was fifteen/sixteen when this difficult time is over, for chance to play Durham Cathedral from the late 1950s, and it has so many lucky people, of which I organ, also the chance to play St revealed an almost forgotten past, am one, the time has given us a Paul's Cathedral, during one of the and many events at that time, chance to reflect on what are the Willis tuning sessions, and the Goll including what it was like when most important things in life. Also instrument at Lucerne Cathedral. preparing for GCEs and doing I have become more familiar with Associated Board exams! Back to the present, I feel so new technology and realized its grateful to have my Allen digital growing significance in everyday I remember the organs I used to organ to use, and have spent some living. The fact that has struck me play then, a two manual Abbot & time practising the Vierne 24 Pieces most however, is that we are all Smith at the local chapel and my in Free Style, inspired by the DDOA very dependent on others helping first organ playing job playing a meeting in February! I have loved us and the goodwill so many one-manual hand-blown the emotional appeal and beauty in people have shown when we need instrument which a lady in the the chromatic harmonies expressing it, and the time has given us an congregation used to pump for me the grief in the composer's tragic life. opportunity to see this in action! as I played! I used to cycle There are a few pieces which will Margaret Eades

Arrangement of Bach for Organ - Stephen Johns

I can vividly remember the first process of arranging for organ, not to music; in this case a movement time I heard the Widor Toccata – I mention the frequent use of from his Violin Partita in E. expect that is true for many of us – arrangements in professional recitals. I first came across this piece in in the Colston Hall Bristol when I All this preamble is occasioned by an album of Bach ‘transcriptions’ was about 10 years old and of my recent purchase of a book of course I was bowled over. But arrangements of movements from another item in the programme, Bach’s vocal and instrumental output given by a local organist Herbert by Martin Setchell, published by OUP. Byard, was, in retrospect, of equal I recommend it as it contains such but rather different significance: pieces as the Badinerie from the Prelude and Liebestod from Orchestral Suite no 2, the final Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. In the chorus from the St Matthew 1950s playing arrangements of Passion,the 2nd Movement of the orchestral music at recitals was Double Violin Concerto, and the real common but it was to suffer a reason I bought it, a transcription of steep decline by the 1970s when the Overture to Cantata 29 (Wir such practices were frowned upon danken dir) which, if you do not know by organ purists. However, as we it, is a stunning ‘Molto Allegro’. all know, the last 20 years or so Dupré’s version of this is on YouTube have seen a much more liberal but personally I’m now ‘digitally approach and members may challenged’ so my pace is more remember the recent interesting moderate. Bach was, of course, a session with Robert Gower on the keen re-cycler of his own and others’ 7 Ex.1. Cantata 29 arr. Grace Ex.2. Cantata 29 arr.Setchell Ex.5. Bist du bei mir arr. Grace

– a term open to many orchestral strings may clog the not untypical of those of the time interpretations – by Harvey Grace texture on an organ. There are but one only has to play Setchell to (1874-1944) published by OUP in several other instances in the piece. hear that there is no such problem. 1928. Some of you may know and Overall Grace seems to try and Grace produced a second volume love his wonderfully opinionated incorporate as much detail as he in 1934 which includes the version book, The Complete Organist, and can whereas Setchell is more of Nun danket alle Gott that is still may well play some of the work. So interested in comfort for the player current and works well. Some of it was Grace’s arrangement rather and maintaining the open vitality of the pieces are hair-raisingly difficult than Setchell’s that I first knew and the texture. and one wonders if the average played. After a time I became We can see more radical 1930s’ organists possessed a dissatisfied with it, partly I must divergence between the two with technique far in advance of what we confess, because some portions had adaptations of the Sinfonia of know today or was it just that they me twisted in knots. I bought a Cantata 156 which is itself another played at far slower speeds? miniature score of the piece hoping version of the Slow Movement from Finally, my favourite piece from this I might make some ‘adjustments’ the F minor Harpsichord Concerto. collection is Bist du bei mir which I but to no avail – Bach was as Setchell ingeniously uses both have played for years, especially at unforgiving as Grace. Part of the Bach’s examples in his extended weddings. If you seek it on arranger’s problem is that the arrangement but I am leaving that YouTube you will see it is still original is actually an organ aside. He maintains Bach’s basic popular in multiple arrangements. concerto-like movement in which texture (Ex.3) of florid Oboe solo Here again (Ex.5) Grace decides to the player only has to play the with string chords. Grace (Ex.4) by do his own thing introducing some semiquaver right hand part, plus a contrast, moves the melody to the ‘clever’ imitation of the melody in bit of continuo filling in with the left tenor register and, in an even more the accompaniment which is out of hand, leaving the orchestra to do radical stroke, totally reorganises keeping with Bach’s style, but I the rest. The modern arranger has the accompaniment with his own rather admire the ingenuity. The to marry up both parts of the score. contrapuntal ‘weavings’ – a step too piece, which appeared in Bach’s A couple of extracts will help to far? Notebook for Anna Magdalena is not illustrate this. In bars 34/35 Bach actually his but is by G H Stözel. Both Grace and Setchell provide uses strings to sustain the harmony prefaces to their editions explaining Do try Setchell’s volume: it is full and Grace reflects this (Ex.1) in the some of their thinking which is very of lovely well arranged music, some left hand part. Setchell by contrast helpful and in this instance Grace of which I have not come across in (Ex.2) simply continues with the maintains that simple any version before, and don’t give texture of previous bars ignoring accompanimental chords (pizz. in up on Harvey Grace; he was the sustained chords. The reason the original) are ‘so ineffective on providing a valuable service to the for this might be that the dangers the organ that I have dared to re- players of his time. with Grace’s approach is that the write in a more suitable idiom’. At sustained chords, whilst effective on Stephen Johns least he’s honest and his attitude is

Ex.3. Cantata 156 arr. Setchell Ex.4. Cantata 156 arr. Grace

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