THE DIAPASON SEPTEMBER, 2012 First Congregational Church Greeley, Colorado Cover feature on pages 30–32 THE DIAPASON Letters to the Editor A Scranton Gillette Publication One Hundred Third Year: No. 9, Whole No. 1234 SEPTEMBER, 2012 In the wind . congregations in a way that’s worthy of Established in 1909 ISSN 0012-2378 As usual, John Bishop has given us an expecting laypeople to justify coming up An International Monthly Devoted to the Organ, interesting column in the May issue of with that kind of money?” Perhaps the the Harpsichord, Carillon, and Church Music The Diapason, on which I should like emphasis should be on understanding to express a few opinions. and supplying what the aforementioned Yes, we are hanging on to the glories people need and want and not what we of past ages. We are even reproducing think that we should provide or, even CONTENTS Editor & Publisher JEROME BUTERA [email protected] historic organs and claiming that they worse, simply what we have provided 847/391-1045 represent the pinnacle of organ design. in the past, and at a price that is seen as FEATURES They might be ideal for playing the mu- competitive against alternatives. Organs in Corsica and Southern France Associate Editor JOYCE ROBINSON sic contemporary to their installation Many industries have died because June 7–13, 2012 [email protected] by Helen VanAbbema Rodgers 20 but there have been several musical eras they have failed to adapt. Some have 847/391-1044 since then that also have to be played. gone to the brink but found a new posi- Ninth International Organ and Early Music Few people can afford more than one tion in the market. Some have introduced Festival, Oaxaca, Mexico Contributing Editors LARRY PALMER February 5–15, 2012 Harpsichord organ to play different styles. automation that they would have refused by Cicely Winter 21 Serious study of Baroque playing styles to at one time. Some have refused to en- JAMES MCCRAY is a very valid pursuit, but perhaps more tertain change at all and no longer exist. Like Father, Like Son: Choral Music A Conversation with Lee & Scott Dettra relevant to the current age is an analysis There is no reason for the pipe organ of how best to meet the need to play a industry to die out, but it must change, by Joyce Johnson Robinson 24 BRIAN SWAGER Carillon variety of musical styles on one instru- and it must recognize the need from The Recent Restoration of the Organ at ment of relatively modest size (and cost). within. And it needs to do it soon. Saint-Jean de Montmartre in Paris, France by Carolyn Shuster Fournier 27 JOHN BISHOP The organ is inherently inexpressive and I look forward to reading many more In the wind . so this may need some compromise, but of Mr. Bishop’s columns. NEWS & DEPARTMENTS that is inevitable. It may also need the Alan Woolley GAVIN BLACK application of technology traditionally Visiting Researcher Editor’s Notebook 3 On Teaching Letters to the Editor 3 alien to the organ. Musical Acoustics Group Here & There 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 Reviewers John M. Bullard We continue to build tracker actions Edinburgh John L. Speller even in large organs, despite having to Appointments 8 David Wagner introduce all sorts of “assisters” to try to John Bishop replies Nunc Dimittis 11 John Collins make them “playable,” on the grounds I respond fi rst to Dr. Woolley’s pro- In the wind . by John Bishop 12 that all organs from the Baroque era had vocative suggestion that I missed my On Teaching by Gavin Black 15 tracker action. Those builders had no own point. I agree that it’s important to option. We can only guess as to whether consider what lay people want to hear REVIEWS the composers, builders, and players of and endeavor to satisfy them. However, Music for Voices and Organ 16 THE DIAPASON (ISSN 0012-2378) is published monthly by Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 W. Salt the time dreamt about large organs hav- real advances are seldom, if ever, accom- Book Reviews 16 Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025. ing actions as “light” as a small organ so plished by polling the masses. Rather, New Recordings 18 Phone 847/391-1045. Fax 847/390-0408. Telex: 206041 that they could actually hear the music those who are knowledgeable (or dare New Organ Music 19 MSG RLY. E-mail: <[email protected]>. Subscriptions: 1 yr. $38; 2 yr. $60; 3 yr. $80 (Unit- as it should be played and heard, and I say enlightened) should stretch their CALENDAR 33 ed States and U.S. Possessions). Foreign subscrip- not constrained by the available technol- own imaginations in the interest of de- tions: 1 yr. $48; 2 yr. $70; 3 yr. $95. Single copies $6 ogy. We would not view an Old Masters fi ning the future. For comparison, I’m ORGAN RECITALS 36 (U.S.A.); $8 (foreign). Back issues over one year old are available only from painting in candlelight on the grounds suspicious of the process common in the CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 38 The Organ Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 26811, Rich- that that was how it was viewed when it United States when a church is seeking mond, VA 23261, which can supply information on avail- was painted. a new pastor or rector. It’s typical for a Cover: Quimby Pipe Organs, Warrensburg, abilities and prices. My own research, shortly to be sum- parish to delve into a self-examination Periodical postage paid at Rochelle, IL and additional Missouri; First Congregational Church, mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes marized in The Diapason, and which in which the membership answers ques- Greeley, Colorado 30 to THE DIAPASON, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Ar- only begins to touch the surface, sug- tionnaires, and a committee sifts through lington Heights, IL 60005-5025. gests that tracker actions do not give a the results. If that committee makes an Routine items for publication must be received six weeks in advance of the month of issue. For advertising fundamental degree of control. Freed honest effort to satisfy each member’s www.TheDiapason.com copy, the closing date is the 1st. Prospective contributors from this constraint but led by careful priorities, the choice would inevitably be of articles should request a style sheet. Unsolicited re- study of what constitutes the most musi- the least imaginative and therefore the views cannot be accepted. cal design for the 21st-century organ, we least controversial candidate. This journal is indexed in the The Music Index, an- notated in Music Article Guide, and abstracted in RILM might move forwards whilst avoiding the I agree completely with Woolley’s rec- Abstracts. worst inartistic pitfalls allowed by elec- ognition of the importance of authentic Copyright © 2012. Printed in the U.S.A. tric actions. Over the years, expression performances of earlier music on or- has been facilitated by, inter alia, mul- gans that represent the style of its day. THE DIAPASON accepts no responsibility or liability for the validity of information supplied by contributors, tiple divisions, the swell box, a greater I’ve written that the energy invested in vendors, advertisers or advertising agencies. variety of pipe shapes, and rapid means the research and experimentation that for changing stops. The organ is, how- has brought us to this understanding of No portion of the contents of this issue may be reproduced in any form without the specifi c written permission ever, inherently inexpressive and that is our predecessors informs what we do of the Editor, except that libraries are authorized to make photocopies of the material contained herein for the purpose of course reserve reading at the rate of one copy for every fi fteen students. Such copies may be reused for absolutely fundamental to it. Fully pro- today. However, it’s possible to limit the other courses or for the same course offered subsequently. portional actions have been around since range of musical expression available to 1888 (Vincent Willis Floating Lever) but a modern church by installing an organ have never been widely adopted, per- that excels at music of one era only. Af- haps because what they allow is alien to ter all, delightful as colorful tempera- organ playing. ments sound, the modern hymnals of all Editor’s Notebook The art of organ building is pipe voic- denominations include tunes set in D- ing. Much of the rest is pure technology fl at major. The uninformed congregant that could be left to technologists. We might not know why his teeth are grind- In this issue acoustics in the worship space, an in- still build organs with fundamental me- ing, but he knows they are! In this issue of The Diapason, Helen terview from 2000 with the late Gustav chanical problems that simply should not Several of Mr. Woolley’s points remind VanAbbema Rodgers reports on the or- Leonhardt, and much more. occur. If we can understand the technol- me of a lengthy conversation I had some gan music seminar in Corsica and South- ogy, the organ builder can concentrate years ago with Manuel Rosales while sit- ern France; Cicely Winter offers an account New DIAPASON website on the important and individual ele- ting in the midst of the magical façade of the Ninth International Organ and Our new website has been operational ments and the result will be better musi- of the Disney Hall organ in Los Ange- Early Music Festival in Oaxaca, Mexico; for several months. We continue to make cal instruments.