Organo Pleno Newsletter Volume 78, Number 3 April 2017 Newsletter of the Society of Organists (Victoria) Incorporated PO Box 315 Camberwell, Victoria, Australia 3124 www.sov.org.au A 0028223J ABN 97 690 944 954 in affiliation with the Incorporated Association of Organists (UK) Print Post Approved 100015777 President’s Message… ur collaborative event, Get Organ-ised 2017 with the City of Melbourne at the Melbourne Town Hall, took place on Labour Day, 13 March. Daniel Bittner was kept very busy with organ tours from 11.00am as was Colin Prohasky overseeing open console O sessions. Then at 3.00pm in a darkened auditorium Count Dracula made a sudden appearance before moving onto the organ console. An unfazed John Blackman, who sat in one of the original old historic chairs from the council chambers, then recounted the epic story of this legendary character accompanied by various explosive sounds from the organ. Listeners may have been a little flummoxed by the dramatic surges of sound, uncannily similar at times to passages from the Toccata in D Minor of ……… After the despatch of Dracula (was that whitened face really our Brendon Lukin?) and his unnerving narrator, five young organists, Thong Truong, Anna Duan, Hanford Lam, Edwin Kwong & Ned Wright-Smith, presented works from Clerambault to John Rutter. Each of these, the youngest aged 14 years, performed carefully prepared works well displaying the scope offered by this large instrument and the art of the organ. The Society appreciates support from Bernies Music Land and the City of Melbourne, who also provided the special effects of fog and atmospheric lighting that took the audience to the 'Transylvanian Castle'. Once again we attracted a very healthy attendance with long weekend crowds from the Moomba Festival, many who had not heard a pipe organ before. Brendon Lukin and John Blackman Young organists in order of performance (from left): Thong Truong, Anna Duan, Hanford Lam, Edwin Kwong, & Ned Wright-Smith. Our next event will be our Queens Birthday regional organ ramble. This will take on a more extensive and ambitious program, the Sydney Organ Society having offered an invitation to join with them on a 3 day visit in the Albury and Wangaratta areas. Your Council thought this was too good an opportunity to pass up for a gathering with our sister society. Details are included. Participants will need to make their own travel arrangements. Could those attending, in addition to the registration requested with the Sydney Organ Society, also notify our Secretary, Lynn Blom of your proposed attendance. A final note or reminder that your Council is thinly stretched in numbers. Needless to say this limits the scope & range of activities that are undertaken. In spite of this, we welcome your feedback as to events & issues that you would like to see the Society to be engaging in. Your interest & participation at all levels is valued, appreciated and sought. Best wishes, Alan Roberts President. 2 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Society Events… NORTH-EASTERN BORDER RAMBLE Queen’s Birthday Weekend, 10-12 June Five organs you probably never expected to play … With 32 speaking stops and mechanical action this organ installed in 1994 is regarded by many as the finest Létourneau organ in Australia. St Matthew’s Albury was consumed by fire in 1991 but, like a phoenix from the flames the instrument in the rebuilt church is now at the forefront of the increasing musical activities of the Albury-Wodonga southern border conurbation. It you have never had the opportunity to play the Cavaillé-Coll style reeds, now is your chance. Come aboard … After the sumptuous banquet at Albury mansion ‘Adamshurst’ where we will hear the mystery ballroom organ of about 1820, Sunday morning is free for worship, relaxation or sight-seeing before we head for the impressive Wangaratta Cathedral. Here are two English organs: the large, forty-speaking stop, three manual Willis has electro-pneumatic action and most of what you would expect a cathedral organ to have. In the Lady Chapel is the ornate restored Bevington & Sons organ made about 1845. It may be the oldest intact organ from the early days of Victoria. How often have you wished to play a cathedral Willis? Here is your chance. Come aboard … Our last morning will be spent in the small town of Walla Walla which has a large Lutheran community and college. Zion Lutheran Church doubles as the college chapel necessitating a pipe organ with the ability to support hearty singing. The present organ was made by Laurie Pipe Organs in 1967 from an 1869 Fincham organ from South Melbourne, an unusually large instrument for a small town. Members are responsible for arranging their own accommodation and transport to, from and around Albury. Accommodation recommendation: The four-star Manor House Hotel, 593 Young Street, Albury. Contact (02) 6041 1777. Website: http://www.alburymanor.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Itinerary Saturday 10 June 12.05pm Departure from Melbourne, if travelling by train (Southern Cross). 3.55pm Train arrival in Albury. Then check in at chosen accommodation. 4.30pm Registration at St Matthew’s Church, 516 Kiewa Street, Albury. [email protected] (02) 6021 3022 5.00pm Demonstration of 2/32 Letourneau pipe organ by Society member and Albury organ scholar, James Flores. Open console to follow. [email protected] 6.30pm Ramblers visit ‘Adamshurst’, 603 David Street. Five-rank ballroom pipe organ (ca.1820) to be demonstrated by Tom Summerfield (aged twelve). Open Console to follow. Dinner Own arrangements. Sunday 11 June Morning: free for ramblers for sight-seeing or to attend church services as they wish. Lunch: own arrangements. 2.00pm Depart Albury for Wangaratta by private vehicles. Travel time 50 minutes by road. 72 km. 3.00pm Arrive Holy Trinity Cathedral, 6 The Close, Wangaratta, Vic 3677. Demonstration of both Willis (3/40, 1922) and Bevington organs, followed by Open Console. 5.00pm Return to Albury 6.00pm A la carte dinner for ramblers (venue to be confirmed). Monday 12 June 9.00am Depart Albury by private vehicles to Walla Walla. Travel time 30 minutes. 35 km. 10.00am Arrive Zion Lutheran Church, 17 Commercial Street, Walla Walla NSW 2659. Demonstration of Fincham/Laurie pipe organ followed by Open Console. 11.30am Ramble concludes. Depart Walla Walla by private vehicles to Albury. 12.45pm Train departs Albury. 4.40pm Train arrives Melbourne (Southern Cross). Ramble Details 1. Deadline for Ramble Registration: Wednesday 31 May, 2017 to Andrew Davidson. Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0414 385 311. 2. Registration fee: $70 to be paid to Andrew Davidson on arrival at the Ramble. 3. Transport to, from and during the Albury Ramble, accommodation and meals are not included in the Registration fee and are the responsibility of each rambler. It is possible that some transport between venues may be available, but it will depend on spaces offered in private cars. Ramblers who are not coming by car need to be mindful of this issue. 3 Other Events… INSTANT STAINER Saturday 1 April, 2.00pm (Singing Workshop) and 4.00pm (Performance), at St Paul's Church, LaTrobe Terrace, Geelong. Join us for the afternoon. St Paul's Choir invites you to sing Stainer's well-loved oratorio Crucifixion. Sing four dramatic choruses and five stirring hymns. Conductor - Philip Nicholls (Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne), Organist - Siegfried Franke, Soloists - Barry Fry (bass), Terence MacManus (tenor). Music available. GRAND ORGAN MASTER SERIES St Andrew's Church, Brighton, cnr New Street and Church Street, Brighton. Sunday 2 April, 2.30pm Thomas Heywood Spectacular music on the War Memorial Grand Organ … Handel, transcribed by W.T. Best Sir Julius Benedict, trans. W.T. Best Overture to the Occasional Oratorio Marche des Templiers, Op. 56 Sir George Thalben-Ball Elegy Percy Fletcher Festival Toccata Purcell, trans. Thomas Heywood Alfred Hollins Grand Choeur [No. 1 in G minor] Chaconne from The Fairy Queen, Z.629/51 Grieg, trans. Thomas Heywood Lyric Suite, Op. 54 Percy Grainger, trans. Kevin Bowyer Rachmaninoff, trans. Arthur Eaglefield Hull Molly on the Shore – Irish Reel Prélude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2 Edouard Batiste Lefébure-Wély Sortie [in E flat] Andante [No. 1 in G major] from Two Andantes for the Organ Sunday 4 June, 2.30pm Thomas Heywood Sunday 7 May, 2.30pm Johann Vexo Sunday 4 June, 2.30pm Thomas Heywood Sunday 2 July, 2.30pm Ned Wright-Smith Sunday 6 August, 2.30pm Hannah Gibson Sunday 3 September, 2.30pm Thomas Heywood Sunday 1 October, 2.30pm Ria Angelika Polo Sunday 5 November, 2.30pm Douglas Lawrence OAM Admission at the door includes program: Adult $30 / Concession $25 / U18 Free. Car: Free Parking - enter the St Andrew's Church grounds from New Street. Train: 450 metres (4 minute walk) from Middle Brighton Station. Bus: Routes 216, 600 and 923 stop directly outside the Church. Church Street Cafés and Restaurants: a 30-second walk; serving all day. Enquiries: [email protected] Tel: Parish Office 03 9592 1240 Website: www.concertorgan.com AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER CHOIR CONCERTS Sunday 2 April, 3.00pm at The Scots’ Church, cnr Collins and Russell Streets, Melbourne. Concert 1 Celebrating the 65th anniversary of HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, the Australian Chamber Choir presents the marvellous music that helped to make her coronation remarkable: a veritable treasury of the best English choral music from the last five centuries. Organ, trumpets, brass and kettle drums enrich the choir’s “simply phenomenal” sound. George Frederic Handel (1685–1757) Zadok the Priest Herbert Howells (1892–1983) Behold, O God Charles Hubert Parry (1848–1918) I was Glad R.