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November / December 2014Number 45
Derby & District Organists' AssociationRegistered Charity
No. 510567
Newsletter
This whole-day event at the endof September was a joint
ventureof the three bodies representinglocal associations,
academicstandards and guardians of ourorgan heritage: The
IncorporatedAssociation of Organists (IAO),Royal College of
Organists (RCO)
and British Institute of OrganStudies (BIOS). The
localorganists’ associations ofBirmingham and Lichfield were
theorganising hosts based for thepresentations and lunch at
thesocial suite at St Chad’s Cathedral.
Report on page 5.
Concerts & RecitalsTuesdays at Lichfield Cathedral,
11thNovember, 7.30pm (£10)Martin Rawles plays works by Bach,
Elgarand Vierne ( from )2nd December, 7.30pm (£10)Selection of
audience requests andfestive favourites. Requests
[email protected] by November 14.
Saturday 15th November, 7.30pmDerby CathedralDerby Choral Union
with DieMarienkantorei, Osnabruck singBrahms Requiem. £15 &
£10.
Saturday 22nd November, 7.30pmDerby CathedralConcert for Peace -
Derby Bach ChoirDona nobis pacem Vaughan WilliamsBallad of heroes
BrittenDona nobis pacem Peteris Vasks£16, £12, £5
Sunday 30th November, 2.30pmThe Organ Loft, 153c Far
Laund,Belper DE56 1FPDavid Redfern plays his Compton TheatreOrgan
with guest vocalist Lynn Riley£5 including refreshments.
Advancebooking required: Tel: 07971
[email protected]
DDOA Events 2014
19th November (Wednesday) 7.15pmAGM at St Werburgh’s Church,
Spondon,followed by a presentation by Chairman,Denis Littleton.
(See page 8)
OrganFest 2014 in Birmingham
Main photo: St Chad’s Cathedral, BirminghamThe 1993 Walker
organ
Recent DDOA events at Alvaston, Mackworth and WilmortonReports
on page 3.
English Martyrs, Alvaston St Francis, Mackworth St Osmund’s,
Wilmorton
Newsletter by emailAbout half our members now
receive the electronic pdf versionevery two months. This saves
theAssociation £1.64 per copy inprinting and postage costs.
Emailalso allows members to receive newsalerts about our meetings a
few daysbefore each event. If you wish tobenefit from email
delivery, pleasesend your email address to the Editorat
[email protected].
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
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The Loire Valley is rightly famous for its wineand chateaux, but
it ought to be equally notedfor its wonderful organs. Members will
recallthat back in February Anthony Burns-Cox gaveus a talk on his
experiences in organisingorgan holidays in France for over a
dozenyears. This year his tour was based in theLoire valley and
Denis Littleton and I joinedhim and ten other friends for this in
earlySeptember. Within the space of five days wevisited and played
organs in five cathedrals, apriory, a chateau and five other
churches withnotable instruments. Space here permits meto highlight
only three organs to give readersa taste of the variety we
enjoyed.
Without exception, local organists gave us awarm welcome and
enthusiasticallydemonstrated their instruments. It wasthrilling and
indeed a privilege to then playourselves on so many historic
instruments.The mighty Cavaillé-Coll at Orléans Cathedralwas a
personal highpoint; this late instrument(1880) by the master
builder is a mature workwhich filled with ease the huge volume of
thecathedral.
In contrast the 12th century Église Notre-Dame at Lorris housed
a precious one-manualorgan dating from 1501. Having beenvandalised
in the 1890s, the pipework wasthrown into the church attics and
leftneglected until 1972 when it was ‘exhumed’and restored to a
working condition onceagain. The joy of this organ was the
singingquality of the sound which filled the lovelyacoustic. The
organist improvised numerousvariations demonstrating the amazing
varietyachievable from its eleven stops.
At the Priory Church in Souvigny, thereresides a perfectly
preserved Cliquot organfrom 1793. This was the sort of
instrumentupon which you could spend all day exploringpossibilities
for blending and contrastingtones. It was ideal for the classical
repertoire.
True to form, our daytime experiencesmaking music were amply
complemented bythe best examples of French cuisine and localwine
one could wish for in a perfect holiday -and in such convivial
company too. Our praisewas unstinting for Anthony’s industry
inmasterminding the arrangements for travel,accommodation, food,
wine and of course, anamazing organ itinerary.
My thanks are to Richard Hird and DavidBillett for sharing their
photographs, some ofwhich are shown here. Richard has
collatedspecifications and a photo gallery of all theinstruments
visited, which may be viewed
athttp://www.duresme.org.uk/ABC/Loire.htm.My own selection of views
of the locations mayalso be viewed
athttps://picasaweb.google.com/ltr949/OrgansOfTheLoire#
Laurence Rogers
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Organs of the Loire - Laurence Rogers
Mighty Cavaille-Coll at Orleans Cathdral - So much to choose
from!
16th century gem at Lorris - More knee space and stronger
spectacles needed!
Classical Cliquot at Souvigny - A wonderful variety of sound but
a challenging pedalboard!
http://www.duresme.org.uk/ABC/Loire.htmhttps://picasaweb.google.com/ltr949/OrgansOfTheLoire#https://picasaweb.google.com/ltr949/OrgansOfTheLoire#
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3
Recent EventsSeptember visit to Organs inAlvaston and
Mackworth
A small but appreciative group ofus spent an enjoyable evening
atEnglish Martyrs and St FrancisMackworth. Margaret Eades
kindlyacted as host at English Martyrs,explaining the history of
the organ,which came originally fromBreaston Parish Church,
andplaying a selection of music.Though small (one manual andpedals)
the sound of theinstrument more than filled thechurch which has a
verysympathetic acoustic. Not only wasthe full organ bright and
direct inspeech but each individual stophad real character. Despite
its sizethe instrument is clearly well ableto support the music of
the Liturgyand it is good to encounter achurch which clearly values
thecontribution an organ and acompetent organist can provide.The
CATO team are lookingforward to returning in Novemberto hold a
session with St JohnFisher pupils.
On then to Mackworth. DespiteLaurence’s clear directions one
ortwo of us were to be seenconsulting in the highways andbyways as
to the whereabouts ofour destination, but the search waswell
worthwhile. Ed Stow, whohad supervised the organ’s movefrom Monyash
Methodist Church toSt Francis and its rebuilding, gaveus a very
detailed introduction tothe modifications made. The mostsignificant
aspect was the additionof some upperwork which hadbeen prepared for
but neverinstalled. Again, the church’sacoustic and the positioning
of theinstrument helped and membersenjoyed trying out a variety
ofpieces. Our thanks to Ed, Margaretand the friends at Mackworth
whogenerously provided tea, coffeeand much more.
Stephen Johns
Peter Gould’s Organ Pilgrimage
At an earlier stage in the year wethought that the DDOA
Octobermeeting might host the grandfinale to Peter Gould’s
OrganPilgrimage on the recently restoredorgan at St Osmund’s
Church,Wilmorton. As members will know,Peter has spent the past two
yearstouring the Diocese, visiting all theAnglican Churches with
pipeorgans, 272 in total, and giving a15-minute recital on each. As
itturned out, St Osmund’s wasnumber 245, but the occasion wasindeed
no anticlimax. We weretreated to a 30 minute recitalconsisting of
Bach’s Prelude andFugue in D major, a Prelude byStanford and two
movements fromBoëllmann’s Suite Gothique –Prière à Notre Dame and
Toccata.The choice of Bach piece to sitdown at a strange organ and
playwithout practice was a bold one,but this Peter did in style.
Peter’svirtuosity combined with Ed Stow’sbrilliant mixtures ensured
that thefinal flourish on the pedals was atruly exciting climax.
The middlepieces reminded us that this organhas some lovely flute
and stringtones, whilst the final Toccataachieved all that one
would hopefor in emulating the dazzling soundto be heard in many of
the greatchurches of Paris. The notableacoustic of St Osmund’s
clearlycontributed to the thrillingexperience.
As a prelude to his recital, Petergave a résumé of his
experiencesduring his tour of the deaneries,stretching from Glossop
in thenorth to Netherseal in the south.On some days he would play
in asmany as nine churches, but hewould always travel by
publictransport at the beginning and endeach day, with one
exception, thatevening, to St Osmund’s when hewalked from the
cathedral! Totravel from one church to the next,he would usually
take a lift from afriendly local organist or priest. As
English Martyrs Church, Alvaston St Francis Church,
Mackworth
such he had clocked up rides in ahundred different cars with as
manydifferent styles of driving. The size ofhis audiences ranged
from zero up to173 with an average between six andten. A warm
welcome was felt inmost churches, especially in thosechurches which
had no regularorganist or whose organ had beensilent for a long
period. Audiencesranged from school parties to groupsof loyal
parishioners and included fivedogs. The types and condition
ofinstruments, as one would expect,varied enormously; in many
ruralchurches a single manual or aharmonium, up to 3-manuals
andpedals in larger parish churches, anddown to a Hammond
electronic in onecase. In one instance, a single flutestop was the
only rank suitably intune, which invited improvisationrather than
Bach. Throughcollections and donations at eachrecital, Peter has
raised over £6,000,which has been shared equallybetween the
Cathedral musicprogramme and locally nominatedcharities. The Bishop
gave a granttowards the cost of public transport.A video of Peter’s
visit to the Duffielddeanery may be viewed on the DerbyCathedral
website.
Well, what a tour de force, andwhat a splendid memory of Derby
asPeter is shortly to retire as Master ofthe Music and move to
southernpastures in Hampshire! After therecital at St Osmund’s,
StephenJohns gave the vote of thanks, notonly for the recital but
for Peter’swilling collaboration and support forthe DDOA over many
years. Heconcluded by presenting Peter with agift from the
Association consisting oftwo year’s membership subscriptionfor the
Mid-Hants Railway (formerlythe ‘Watercress Line’), a gift
whichdelighted Peter, fostering his lifelonginterest in trains.
Laurence Rogers
Concluding presentation: Canon Peter Gould andStephen Johns
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4
Derby Cathedral Organ Recitals2014
The annual series of eight recitalsgiven in Derby Cathedral
eachsummer has become something ofan institution for those of us
who,lemming-like, turn up each year tobe entertained.
This year, the series opened withtwo musicians who have
beenperforming in public for manyyears, Nigel Ogden and RoyMassey.
Before seeing aprogramme one might haveexpected that Nigel Ogden
wouldexplore the Cinema organ potentialof the Compton Organ, which
hedid, and to a good audience. RoyMassey offered a very
differentprogramme, a model balance of oldand new pieces, with a
variety ofstyles and periods that offeredsomething for everyone. It
isalways a pleasure when a recitalistplays pieces not heard before,
butwhich have charm as well ascharacter. Dr Massey offered
FourSixteenth Century Polish Dances byJana Zublina that were an
absolutedelight.
Of the younger generation ofrecitalists, Robert Quinney
offeredtwo Bachs, JS and CPE, Pott andDupré, whilst Simon Hogan
openedhis recital with a stunningperformance of the Sinfonia
fromCantata No 29, JS Bach, arrangedby Dupré.
The 'Home Team', ChristopherJohns, Sachin Gunga, Ben Bloor,Tom
Corfield and Peter Gouldoffered a varied programme of soloand duet
performances, including atranscription of the Overture toWest Side
Story, complete with twohooligans leaping out from behindthe
console and shouting, one ofwhom looked suspiciously like
TomCorfield. Peter and Tom should feelvery proud of producing so
manygood musicians who are both ableand willing to carry on the
traditionof fine music in our cathedrals anduniversities.
John Scott has a well-earnedinternational reputation as
arecitalist of the first order. Hisplaying exhibits
panache,tempered with great musicianshipand incredible clarity of
line,characteristics that were evidentthroughout the evening - and
thisat the end of an exhaustingEuropean tour.
John Hosking opened with acomposition of his own, Prelude
etFugue (Hommage à Paris) whichmade much of the powerful reedson
the Compton, as indeed didmany of the other pieces in
hisprogramme.
Both Tom Corfield and PeterGould always attract a goodaudience
for recitals. Tommanages to find something newand interesting each
year, such asthe sketches he composed basedon some of the cathedral
staff.This year Tom's variedprogramme included Toccata on'Nun
Danket alle Gott', by EgilHovland - not a name I hadencountered
before. The piecewas as far removed from Bach asmost people would
care to go,with note clusters, extremedissonance and
unrestrainedexuberance; Tom's performancewas well received by
anenthusiastic audience.
All of which brings us to PeterGould's final recital as Master
ofthe Music at Derby. Peter openedhis recital with Liszt's Fantasia
andFugue on B.A.C.H. and a very fineperformance it was, with all of
theexcitement and drama of thepiece presented as a coherentwhole.
The pieces that followedall played to the strengths of theCompton,
from the delightfulTrumpet Minuet by Hollins, toMulet's Tu es
Petra. Peterreceived a standing ovation, asmuch for his long
service at thecathedral as for his playing.
Tony Westerman
OrganFest 2014 - From page 1
The programme began with buoyantpresentations from
representatives ofthe three organisations, BIOSreporting increasing
influence on theplanning machinery of church andnation as a
standards authority, theRCO reporting on its educationalinitiatives
and outreach, and the IAOreporting on its national and
regionalevents for organ lovers. Then we hadfascinating lectures on
the history ofthe Birmingham Town Hall organ andits music; how the
heavy action ofthe original Hill instrument severelychallenged such
great players asMendelssohn, how the oscillatingfashions of
successive generations ofplayers impacted its specification,and
most notably the impressivelylong tenures of the official
‘CityOrganists’ who have presided overthe organ during its 180-year
history.George Thalben-Ball, appointed in1949, handed over to the
presentincumbent, Thomas Trotter, in 1983.
After a rather hurried lunch theOrganFest transferred to the
TownHall for a lunchtime recital by ThomasTrotter, and what a treat
it was! Isat in the balcony alongside TrevorMorris and John
Blackwall and wewere unanimous in the feeling ofimmense privilege;
nowhere in theworld could one hear more superbplaying, and the
programme was sobeautifully composed, demonstratingthe grandeur of
the Town Hall organ,but also its charming sensitivity fordelicate
passages.Overture: A Misummer Night’s Dream
Mendelssohn (arr. Warren)
Andante in G James Stimpson(City Organist 1842-1888)
Elegy George Thalben-Ball
The Dancing Pipes Jonathan Dove
Sonata in G Edward Elgar
The Elgar provided a triumphantconclusion to this superb
virtuosorecital.
Back at St Chad’s, anotherengaging talk considered the impactof
the digital world (Internet,iPhones, Facebook etc.) on our livesand
the consequent challenges andopportunities this posed for the
organcommunity.
The day concluded with Mass in StChad’s Cathedral with
inspiringpreaching by the Archbishop,beautiful singing of the choir
and ofcourse the wonderful sound of the1993 Walker organ (photo,
page 1).This was certainly a wonderful organday to remember!
Laurence RogersNigel Ogden Roy Massey John Scott
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5
DDOA - Your AssociationAGM 19th November
The Committee succeeds eachyear in generating a variedprogramme
of events for thefulfilment of the widermembership, but to maintain
thisit is important to widen anddevelop the pool of ideas
availableto the Committee. This calls forrenewing the Committee
withfresh volunteers and the AGMprovides the annual opportunityfor
doing this. So please considernominating yourself for thisvaluable
role. Equally, if you canoffer feedback on what has been,or have
ideas and commentswhich will benefit future events,please come
along and have yoursay. In recent years we havesucceeded in keeping
the AGMbrief, to be followed by theChairman’s event. This year
ourChairman, Denis Littleton, willshare his enthusiasm for the
musicof Johann Gottfried Müthel (1728-1788) and Justin Heinrich
Knecht(1752-1817). (See page 8).
Children and the Organ
The CATO team recentlypresented an afternoon workshopfor a class
from Lakeside PrimarySchool at St Osmund’s Church,Wilmorton. This
was a lovelyspacious setting for the workshopsand children engaged
with theactivities with great enthusiasm.
Next in the diary is a workshopfor John Fisher School at
EnglishMartyrs Church, Alvaston. Wehave also had an invitation
fromthe Coventry and WarwickOrganists’ Association to present
aworkshop in Leamington Spa inMarch 2015.
Provisional Programme for 2015
February: Talk by Robert Gower -Organ Music for Lent &
Easter
March: Visit to organs in LeicesterApril: Visit to Burton Town
Hall
Wurlitzer organMay: Annual DinnerJune: Recital by young
organistsJuly: Visit to Liverpool, Mossley Hill
and organ works.September: Celebrity Lecture-Recital
by David LiddleOctober: TBANovember: Chairman’s Evening and
AGM
Members’ NewsWilliam Madin
We are sad to report the death ofWilliam Madin of
Hasland,Chesterfield, aged 86. He was muchadmired as an Organist,
Choirmasterand Teacher. His friend AndrewHubble has described him
as “Agreat character and an inspiration tomany during his long and
active life.”
New member
We are happy to welcome DavidJohnson, a returning member, to
theAssociation.
Your NewsletterThis is the third consecutive
newsletter in an expanded 8-pageformat, thanks to
generouscontributions from some members. Iam particularly grateful
to JamesMuckle, our former Chairman, for hisarticle on the music of
JohannPachelbel. James successfullyconveys his passion for the
musicwith down-to-earth practicality.
It would be really good to havemore examples of this style of
articlein which enthusiasm borne ofpractical experience could be
sharedwith members. If you have afavourite piece or composer who
isnot so frequently heard these days,please consider sending me
someideas. I am quite happy to shadow-write an article based on a
telephoneconversation or a meeting over a cupof tea, or something
stronger! Dosend your ideas.
As ever, I still need to maintain agood local focus in future
issues byby members sending local news orstories. I can only report
on localevents and personalities if memberstell me about them.
Editor
Example of a case design devised by a studentat a recent CATO
workshop. Children are givena range of wooden dowel ‘pipes’ and are
askedto design arrangements with pleasingmathematical or aesthetic
patterns.
Turn over to page 6 to enjoyJames Muckle’s article on theorgan
music of Pachelbel.
Recent EventKenneth Tickell
Earlier this year the organ worldmourned the death of the
muchrespected organ builder, KennethTickell. On 4th October a
MemorialEvensong was held at WorcesterCathedral where he built one
ofhis outstanding instruments. Icommend an unusual account ofthis
service to be found
here:http://www.shipoffools.com/mystery/2014/2770.html
The mystery correspondentreports on several ‘heavenlymoments’
during and after theservice and the ensuing recital byOlivier
Latry. Do have a read. Iam grateful to David Rogers forbringing
this to my attention.
Editor
Detail from the ornate carving of the 1501 organcase at Lorris.
See the article on page 2.
Pachelbel - beyond the ‘Canon’
It is unfortunate that today thefame of the ‘Canon’ has
eclipsedPachelbel’s accomplishments as acomposer of vocal, chamber
andkeyboard music which was muchadmired during his lifetime. Healso
had many pupils includingJohann Christoph Bach, the elderbrother of
Johann Sebastian Bach.
http://www.shipoffools.com/mystery/2014/2770.htmlhttp://www.shipoffools.com/mystery/2014/2770.html
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…and a pox on his pesky ‘canon’!I cannot be the only organist
who(nearly) fell asleep while playingcontinuo in a public
performance ofits orchestral version; happily,auto-pilot kept me
going. But thereis far more to this composer thanthe canon. These
notes areintended to share some discoverieswith fellow players.
If, like me, you are no virtuoso,who lives too far from his
church toget in all that often to practise andtherefore finds it
hard to maintainpedal technique, but who isprepared to work at the
piano orkeyboard at home, Pachelbel(1653-1706) is a composer
foryou. His known organ works arenumerous, extremely
varied,tuneful: preludes, toccatas, fugues,chorale variations,
settings ofGerman hymns – all in differingstyles. He was reputedly
the firstnoted composer to link a preludewith a fugue, setting the
fashionfor decades to come. His piecespresent some technical
challenge(and the pedals do figure: seebelow), but there is little
thatordinary mortals cannot overcome.
Last year’s IAO Congress inNuremberg, Pachelbel’s nativetown,
alerted me to his organworks. In my library I discoveredtwo
collections. One was from theKalmus Organ Library 7363 volume4
(chorale variations) and theother the Dover Publications OrganWorks
of Pachelbel (ISBN 0-486-27858-1), edited by Max Seiffert
(are-issue from over 100 years ago,but don’t let that put you off;
itcontains a very wide selectionindeed: 8 preludes, 14 toccatas,
6
fantasias and ricercares, 2preludes and fugues, 19 ‘free’fugues
and 72 chorale settings –nearly all those known, in fact).Dover has
recently added avolume of the so-called MagnificatFugues, of which
more later; theKalmus series can still beobtained, and many works
may beprinted off from the Internet freeof charge. There is also a
modernBärenreiter selection.
Chorale variations. Those on‘Christus, der ist mein Leben’make
an effective introductoryvoluntary, either in whole or inselection.
The set on ‘Herzlich tutmich verlangen’ prove ideal
duringcommunion. In the Kalmus volumethere are seven highly
inventivesets. Most contain a variation with(sometimes) eight or
four-footpedals; a highly chromatic, evenmodernistic, one figures
in somesets. Example 1 shows the firstfew bars of a treatment of
‘WasGott tut das ist wohl getan’.
Pachelbel’s magnum opus in thevariation field is a massive set
ofsix arias entitled HexachordumApollinis of 1699 for performanceon
harpsichord or organ. This maybe downloaded in the
Bärenreiteredition from the internet: it runsto some 50 pages; the
analogywith the Goldberg variations isinescapable. I leave it to
readersto explore this substantial work forthemselves. For
liturgical use itwould scarcely be suitable; forrecital purposes it
would have aplace.
Preludes, toccatas and fugues.Pachelbel worked in an era
whenworks were seen as ephemeral
6
Exploring Johann Pachelbel’s Organ Compositions - James
Muckle
and expendable. Many of hiscompositions are believed to belost,
the manuscripts used to lightfires or wrap purchases from
thefishmonger. It is sometimesargued that certain of them aremore
suitable for the harpsichord,but I am sceptical of this, since
thesame ‘suitability’ argument appliesto works that are clearly
liturgical,and moreover there are points atwhich the pedal can help
outsignificantly. The e minor toccatais well known, but there are
manyothers which deserve attention.The composer often wrote
toccatasin improvisational style over asustained pedal bass:
excellent,surely, for introducing beginnerson the organ with a
reasonablepiano technique to a piece withsimple pedal. Pachelbel’s
fuguesare mainly short, tuneful andimmediately appealing.
Pachelbel moved aroundGermany quite a lot in his career,but
returned finally to his nativeNuremberg, where he was themuch
appreciated organist of StSebaldus. He was a workingchurch
musician: his piecestherefore are very useful to us.The
multiplicity of these pieces andthe whole spirit of 17th and
18thcentury music-making tempt theperformer to engage in some
‘mixand match’, emulating thecomposer himself, as we haveseen, and
why not? To giveexamples of my ownmisdemeanours in this
respect:take the short fugue in a minor,pp. 56-7 in the Dover
edition. Iwas attracted by its merry, catchysubject. (See Example
2).
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
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been in plainchant modes ratherthan modern keys: how would
afugue in, say, a somewhatambiguous d minor, have helpedthe choir?
Further, a number ofthese fugues in the last two orthree bars, no
more, veerunnervingly from minorish-modaltonality to the tonic
major for thefinal cadence, usually ending withthe first inversion.
This would bemore likely to disorient the choirthan help them.
However, since themusicologists know better than I do,I pass on
this opinion. Never mind –the fugues, which may bedownloaded free
of charge from theinternet, are absolutely splendid. Ibet no. I.9
had feet tapping in thepews (Example 6); maybe some ofthe
congregation at St Sebalduswere even bopping in the aisle.
The chorale settings are said tohave influenced Bach to
aconsiderable extent. I leave it toyou to explore the 72 which
arecontained in the Dover edition.These really do demand
thoughtful,unhurried examination in order todiscover their value,
and theireffective liturgical use.
A technical issue concerns thepedal organ. At Pachelbel’s
timecentral German organ practiceapparently did not make
elaborateuse of the pedals, and in many ofthese pieces the hands
can covereverything – or almost everything.In some the pedal organ
is askedfor, though whether it is thecomposer or the editor asking
is notclear (more likely the editor); in theodd chorale variation
pedal is clearlyrequired, but in fact an alternativefor cembalo is
also given (so thepiece could be played at home onthe harpsichord).
It is in the choralesettings that pedal is mostcommonly required:
in 20 or more
However, I should have liked aprelude to introduce it for
an‘outgoing’ voluntary. I thereforesearched for one in a minor
inDover: there wasn’t one. But thereis a toccata in g minor (p.
26)which actually contains somemotifs not dissimilar from some
inthe fugue ‘episodes’. Moderncomputing allowed it to be
easilytransposed into a minor (SeeExample 3) and the whole makesan
impressive closing voluntary. Ialso play the toccata in C (p.
10)together with a fugue (p. 47); pp.8 and 53 also go well
together.
Have a look also at the fugue in cminor (p. 49), a gentle,
thoughtfulpiece, shown in Example 4.
My favourite of all is the four-partricercare in c minor, with
its highlychromatic first subject (Example 5)A lovely piece in a
contemplativespirit, again suitable for thecommunion.
The Magnificat fugues are aspecial case, and are something ofa
puzzle. Pachelbel was famous forthese works, which he played
atVespers in St Sebaldus, in whichthe Magnificat figured
prominently:there are nearly a hundred of themBut what have they to
do with theMagnificat? Realising that the fuguesubjects for the
most part do notrecall the melodies of theplainchant canticle,
experts haveconcluded that organists either‘played alternate verses
of thechant’ or ‘an intonation or prelude… to establish the pitch
for thesingers’. Pachelbel, say somescholars, ‘adopted the
secondmethod’. I remain to be convinced:on the face of it, to
establish pitchfor singers sounds like the daftestexcuse for
playing a fugue I haveever heard. In any case, themelodies would
probably have
of those out of the 72 in the Dovervolume the pedal plays a
cantusfirmus of the hymn tune, while themanuals provide elaboration
aboveand around it. Often, in the fuguesand chorale settings, the
last bassentry of the subject cries out for abeefy pedal (not
always specificallyasked for) to bring the piece to afirm
conclusion, and in fact inmany such examples the parts areso widely
spaced that it would bedifficult to play all of them with thehands
alone. But what if no pedalis indicated?
For example, and it is only anexample, the ricercare in c
minor(see above, Dover pp. 34-5) isnotated on two staves with
noindication whatever about the useof pedals. Most of this
outstandingwork could be played by the handsalone. For most of this
first sectionI play the bass on the pedals (it isactually easier to
do so for themost part), but after the seconddouble bar, when a new
morevigorous theme is presented, thereare one or two spots which
arerather tricky for the feet. What arewe meant to do? Just
sometimesthe hands cannot quite encompassthe four parts of the
polyphony.Are we intended to use the pedals(perhaps at 8 foot only)
to helpout? I do not know. But somehow– and I offer this remark
veryreticently – the music itself seemsto tell the player that the
pedalsare appropriate. My preference isto use 16-foot tone,
especially inthe last few bars. It is only oneway of doing it, but
I can say thatWolfgang Rübsam on his Naxosrecording of the
Ricercare comes toexactly the same conclusion.
Please explore Pachelbel. He is acomposer we should know
better.
James Muckle
7
Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
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www.derbyorganists.co.uk
Items of news or articles for the January/February edition of
the should reach the Editor by Monday15th December, either via
e-mail: [email protected] or by post: Dr Laurence Rogers, 24
St.David’s Crescent,Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 4SS. The
Secretary, Stephen Johns, may be reached via
[email protected] visit the DDOA Website
www.derbyorganists.co.uk for information about Association
activities, past editionsof the newsletter, photo gallery and many
special features of local interest.
8
Forthcoming DDOA Meetings
CHAIRMAN’S EVENING19th November 8.00 pm at St Werburgh’s Church,
Spondon.
‘Müthel and Knecht’
Immediately following the AGM, the soon to be immediate past
chairman will delve into the archives of forgottencomposers and
introduce those present to the works of Johann Gottfried Müthel
(1728-1788) and Justin HeinrichKnecht (1752-1817).
Müthel who came from Mölln (as did Til Eulenspiegel) had
thedubious distinction of being J S Bach's last pupil, spent most
of hisworking life in Riga (Latvia), so was literally on the edge
of theorgan world, and unsurprisingly his name never appears on
arecital programme.
Knecht, whose music I came across on a trip to southernGermany
is possibly a more familiar name, a couple of hymn tunesused in NEH
are by him. The tune Knecht can be used for "O happyband of
pilgrims" and "They whose course on earth is over" is setto Vienna.
Knecht, who by some oversight was born too late to bea pupil of J S
Bach, spent most of his life in Biberach an der Rissand is also a
rarity on recital programmes.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 19th November 7.15 pm at St Werburgh’s Church,
Spondon.Please note the starting time for the AGM. The Chairman’s
Evening follows immediately at 8.00pm
Johann Gottfried Müthel Justin Heinrich Knecht
The New York Times ran afeature story on 27th April 2014framed
around comments ofCatherine Ennis, President of theRoyal College of
Organists andJames O’Donnell, a pastpresident of the RCO and
currentorganist of Westminster Abbey.The article tells the story of
thedeclining interest in the organ,and with it the status
previouslyassociated with organists, and defacto the Royal College
ofOrganists. The article notes thatthe heyday of the organist in
the19th century has long passed andthat organists today struggle
tofind work and to get paid for it.Contrasted with Germany wherethe
state tax system keeps 180organ builders in business, or inFrance
where the great Cavaillé-
An Harmonic Drone Subsides in Britain - Kevin Grose
Coll organs and les titulaires stillenjoy cult status, neither
taxes noradequate recognition exist in theUK. In concluding,
JamesO’Donnell noted that organists’“obsession with mechanics needs
tochange. The important thing for usis to have a sense of ourselves
notas organists – a breed apart – butas musicians who happen to
playthe organ. That’s the task after150 years. We need to
reinventourselves.”
Kevin Grose is Editor of TheOrgan Club Journal and althoughhe
lives in New York, he regularlyattends the monthly meetings ofthe
Organ Club in the UK. Ithought his recent short article inthe
Journal highlighted a poignantissue about how organists are
perceived in this country, andKevin has kindly agreed to allowme
to reprint his article here.What do you think? Please writeand
share your views. – Editor.
Mechanic or musician?
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
