Winding the clock back three years

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

After having seen destruction of organ by bulldozer documented by the photos on the front page of this site, I wanted to raise public appreciation of the organ outside conventional boundaries.

On that scale, http://www.bobrichardson.com/desert_organ_1.html must take first prize in truly pioneering spirit. However, I was unaware of that when I bought the Londonderry Cathedral Makin and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOAbmIOU-Ek
was the first concert nearly three years ago. This was recorded with the impoverished camera recorded sound so please don't judge the sound quality.

Here's the high quality sound:
http://www.jungleboffin.com/mp4/organ/hugh-potton-1/mp3-6-1st-encore-beware.mp3
Beware your speakers!

This was the unaltered unimproved Makin, since enlarged to 5 manuals and vastly improved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W2QdAOwhjY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_eJ60PmtM
but the reason why I am drawing attention to it here are the comments:

BRAVO! LOVED IT!!!
The idea was brilliant, the execution suffered somewhat in the timing however!
That wasn't the absolute best performance of Lemmens that I've heard, but it was still quite good. The ballon trick was funny. When I finally figured out what was happening, I started laughing. They sounded like some electrical fuses that I've heard blow out.
The whole point is to have fun here - well done hammerwood!

Whilst one should not turn the organ into a circus, we clearly succeeded in conveying the idea that the organ is FUN! Can we provide more inspiration like this? Elsewhere? Here?

If any organist fancies playing at a venue where FUN is allowed, I'm game for anything in the spirit of promoting the King of Instruments . . .

Best wishes

David P

[NonPlayingAnorak]

For fun, I can certainly recommend a transcription (can't remember who by - Lemare?) of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre... I've got a recording of it on the big Willis at Ewell - lots of Vox Humana in the quiet bits, luvverly - and it's an absolute scream. Vierne's Fantomes from Pièces de fantaisie is also fabulous.

[KB7DQH]

For fun, I can certainly recommend a transcription (can't remember who by - Lemare?) of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre...

Yes-- That's the one... I second the motion...  All in favour???

I'll add to the list the Durufle' transcription of Charles Tournemiere's improvisation on Victimae Paschali, especially if the concert lands near Easter...

And maybe a French-Baroque style improvisation on Pink Floyd's Any Colour You like-- But in Meantone Temperament!!!

Eric
KB7DQH

[NonPlayingAnorak]

Or, of course, (almost) anything by Lefébure-Wely...  ;D

[KB7DQH]

One more came to mind I found on Youtube and deserves a performance on David's "beastroaster"...
As it provides facilities necessary for a competent performance ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSK_Th5-uDQ

Eric
KB7DQH

[KB7DQH]

For fun, I can certainly recommend a transcription (can't remember who by - Lemare?) of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre... I've got a recording of it on the big Willis at Ewell - lots of Vox Humana in the quiet bits, luvverly - and it's an absolute scream.

On Halloween night the locally produced one-hour program of organ/choral music "The Organ Loft"
featured that piece, played on the Sydney Town Hall organ-- very nicely done!

The Halloween night
show was quite fun...  Also included some Harmonium and Theater organ stuff and ended with a Virgil Fox performance of Tocatta and Fugue in D minor...

Eric
KB7DQH