May has brought a number of beautiful and interesting sights, some of which I am featuring.
On May 5th I made a DAC (Lincoln) visit to St Laurence, Corringham, where is to be found this beautiful 1880/81 case, ostensibly by G.F. Bodley, but with F.H. Sutton influence. Its contemporary near twins can be found at Plumtree (Notts) and Edmonton (Suffolk). It clothes a sturdy little 1886 organ by Wordsworth & Maskell – a firm often used by Sutton.
The next day (May 6th) saw Anne and I in Birmingham for a CBSO concert. We found time to revisit my old church – J.L. Pearson’s glorious S. Alban-the-Martyr, Conybere Street. May is ‘Mary’s Month’ – always richly celebrated at S. Alban’s. Here we are next to the Lady Chapel, whose wrought-iron screen (behind us) came from the sadly demolished Pearson church of St Patrick, close by. Its rood and two of its stained-glass windows also found their way to S. Alban’s, enriching that which is already the finest Victorian church in the city.
During an organ inspection to St John the Baptist, Cold Overton (near Oakham) on May 8th, the recently re-discovered 12th century wall-paintings proved more interesting than the ‘anon’ 1-manual organ. Here is just one image of many. Captivating when one sees them in situ.
The rose bush in our front garden always puts on a bold display. This is how it looked, mid-May, in full bloom. Such a delight to inhale its sweet scent as one approaches the front door.
On 26th May I made almost the last of my monthly inspection visits to Gloucester Cathedral, to check recent progress with the new organ. In the Swell is a very rare 4ft flute – a Flûte à Biberon, no less. Look for the pipes which look like babies’ feeding bottles and you’ve found it, for a ‘biberon’ is French for just that.
The choir of St Peter’s church, Nottingham, in which my wife Anne sings, make regular cathedral visits. I went along as a camp-follower (how relaxing not to be playing or conducting!) when they sang at Ripon on the final weekend of May, which was a half-term break for the cathedral choir. A wedding had just finished when they started rehearsing on the Saturday – in the image the floral arrangements are far more beautiful than Gilbert Scott’s decidedly clunky organ case in the background.
The second photo, taken during the Sunday afternoon rehearsal, shows, above the Decani side of the choir, one of the two additional cases in the Quire. The large, slotted pipes peering over the top of the gilded front pipes are those of the monumental Harrison & Harrison Double Ophicleide – loud enough in nave; devastating at such close quarters!