THE DIAPASON AN INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY DEVOTED TO THE ORGAN AND THE INTERESTS OF ORGANISTS Sixty-second )leaTI No. 10 - Wllole N o>. 742 SEPTEMBER, 1971 Subscriptions $4.00 a year - 40 cents a copy There could hardly be a finer settin~ To be sure, the didactic process was .for an organist's meeting than the Unt­ not ignored. Several major papers were versity town of Cambridge, England. delivered by experts in the rield: "Words For sheer density of choirs, organs, and Music in Church" by Erik Routley; chapels, parish dlUrches. musicians, and "The British Organ Concerto" by musical pedonnances, it excels in all CharJ~ Cudworth; "The Organist in the ways, and this musical spot in the (cn Pcnnissive Society" by Lionel Dakcn: country brought almost 500 people to "The Swell Organ - Whence and the little (6 miles across, 100,000 popu­ 'Vhither" by Cecil Cluuon: and "The lation) lown for the 1971 Congress of Organ of the Future?" by Colin Wash­ the Incorporated Association of Organ­ lell. Both Dr. Roulley and Mr. Dakers ists Crom july 31 to Aug. 5. TIle lAO (organist of Exeter Cathedral and pres­ is the "grass roots" assodation for Brit· ident designate of the lAO) dealt with ish organists. existing for the help and problems arising out of the new liturgi' bet tennent of the average parish or. Cli revisions now being undertaken by ganist. and leaving the business of de­ the Church of England and which are gree bestowing to the RCO. In its 50 providing musicians and the musical yraTs of existence, the lAO has grown tradition of that church with a certain immensely. and there are regional measure of chaos and fear. Mr. Cud­ centres all over the British Isles as well worth traced, with the help of taped as in Australia and New Zealand. Its examples, the history of the British purpose is to bring grass roots musicians organ concerto - not an extensive his­ together with lOp professionals, to raise tory, but an interesting one, As a uni­ sights and standards, and to refresh its versity librarian, he is one of the members with inspiring events, both most well· versed scholars in this rield. musical and didactic. The annual con­ Mr. Cluttou's paper was the lead-off for gress, therefore, is usually l'ery didactic a forum on organ design, and it set the in nature, although a few performance­ stage for some new ideas in English or­ oriented congresses are iRlerspersed gan building, Not ad\'ocating the ditch­ with the mainly didactic ones. The ac· in~ of the swell box, he did advocate a tivity and availability of pedormance change in approach to its size (smaller), groups at Cambridge put hea\'y empha­ balance with the rest of the organ (bal­ sis on pedormance in this year's con· ancing its £Iue chorus with the Great), gr.... space (smaller in height with !h and !4 King's College Chapel, built between 14.(6 and 151'5. Incorporated Association of Organists 1971 Congress Cambridge, England length reeds, perhaps as a Bruslwerh) , This, too, turned into a learning ses­ and its use (particularly in German and sion, for the rehearsals were led each French literature). Four organ builders day by a different master: Bernard Rme, were penniucd reaction or interaction choirmaster of Magdalene College, Ox­ with the SUbject. Mr, John Norman ford: David Willcocks, dloirmaster of (Hill. Norman &: Beard). M. I. Forsyth­ King's College, Cambridge: George Grant (Grant, Degens &: Bradbeer Ltd.). Guest, choinnaster of St. John's College, Noel Mander, and Alastair Rushworth Cambridge; and Peler Le Huray of St. (Rushworth &: Dreaper Ltd.) gave their Catharine's College, Cambridge. Thus, varying views on the swell box, rang­ each singer was afforded the opportunity ing from typical English advocacy of of working one hour with some of Eng· it (Mander, in less degree Nonnan) land's finest choirmasters. through a clas!lical view of it (Rush­ worth) to complete distaste for it (For­ Handel's Salamon syth·Grant). In the absence of Dr. Peter Hugh Macdonald conducted a perfor­ Williams of Edinburgh, the forum was mance of Handel's oratorio Salamon on given an American view of the swell the opening evening of the congress as division by Robert Schuneman. Colin part of the larger Cambridge Festival WashteU's talk had to do with the series of concerts. Held at King's Col· shortcomings and problems relating to lege, the performance was finely done, the SO'ClUed electronic organ, together stylistically accurate, but clearly slowed with an appraisal of the present state of down by the massive acoustics of King's development in that field. He used his College Chapel where instruments and own electronic instrument to demon­ voices must be in absolute balance and strate his lecture. Finally, a demonstra­ where clarity of detail is difficult in tion of pipe-making was given by Wil­ fast passages. All of the soloists acquiRed liam Johnson. themselves well to the task, even though But it was clearly the performances dramatics were held to a minimum. heard at the congress which carried the Handel's organ concerto in B·nat, opus day, and this writer cannot remember 7. no. 3 was played between parts I when such a varied program of such fine quality has been heard at a musi­ and 2 of the oratorio by Peter Le Hu­ cians conference. 'Ve have president ray. Since we were on the other side Peter Le Huray and his lAO staff to of the organ screen from the ordlestra, .thank for organizing all this, particu. we benefitted completely from the larly Trevor and Margaret Tildsley sound of the organ (whidl spoke loward (treasurer), and Glyn Jenkins, secretary. us) 10 the detriment of Ihe orchestra So that the congress members could par­ (which sppke the other direction). ticipate in the performances, a "con­ Clearly the distance between organist gress choir" was formed to rehearse ana orchestra hampered the perfonn­ every morning in preparation for the ers, and we wished for a small chamber Chapel; Thomas Dallam case af 1605, "chai,." final service when mwic by Palestrina, organ among the orchestra players. and 1674. Pre ..n. organ by HarrilOnl, 193.(, Byrd, Holst, and Britten was sung. (continued, page 2) r CHIlISTMAS MUSIC CHORUS WITH INSTRUMENTS (for prices of 'nstrume.tal ,arts, see reters Edltl ... 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One must man'cl that two SEUE - Es b_,ob sic" aber III der Zeit (Christmas Hlstoryl. sud, choirs exist within ~ cit}' block of Steel and Br}au Kell),. pcrhaps held cadl other, perfectly complimenting more musical inten..-st than the others; 1CL~~~:N~ ~ 1~;!!5bh~!t~DJ.I~hk:I:~I:[;,·I:t rG;;·i: .. hij"s;~·;;·· .... ·.......... ·.. --.... · ,'a (10·2121 $2,50; Choral Scar. _._............. _ ................. _....................... _.... _ ,30 each other. One is hard pressed to de· the former using a great deal of "pop" tennine "the best" among them. (or de,'ices but not giving in 10 pure copy' MIXED VOICES they are very d ifferent ill musical ap" ing of the idiom. and the I,uter being n la capp.lla 1I,.I.ss otherwls. Indicated. proach and st),le. St. Jolm's ,'oices arc very intense setting in ABA fonn. The Cambridge Un h'cf$ity Chamber IACH, J.N. - 5.1, U.ber T." wlll"a"''''.n. SSAna, OM)on n·l(4) ........ $ .50 bright, vivacious, slightly cdg)' in tonal BACH, J.S.