Author: Paul

I spent a stimulating (if freezing cold) couple of days this week in the great Minster Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth — the largest parish church by volume in the UK. The task was to undertake tonal regulation of a new, if temporary, ‘Hauptwerk’ installation which will be in use until the famous Hill/Compton is rebuilt. A huge audio system with 48 channels/loudspeakers and 4 sub-woofers creates a remarkably effective sound in the building, using the sampled Peterborough Cathedral organ, in a reduced stop-list. Paul Stringfellow made the organ, fitting a redundant Rodgers console with Comptonesque luminous stop touches.

In 1963 I started at Solihull School as a grade 5 pianist and took piano lessons from the young Jill Godsall. Jill sorted out my technique and even tolerated my falling in love with the organ a year or two later. Jill had started teaching at Solihull in 1959 and remained teaching and playing there for an astonishing 60 years. Today this was celebrated as the Recital Hall in the David Turnbull Music School was renamed in her honour. 130 former pupils and friends gathered for this very happy event, including some mentioned on the 1970s Oxbridge Music Awards honours board I spotted alongside others on the wall [see below]. The school has an enviable record of success in educating fine musicians — long may it continue to do so, and long may the ever-vivacious Jill continue to pop in with helpful advice!

Speaking at the annual lunch of the Coventry & Warwickshire Organists Association today took me right back to my earliest days learning to play the organ, as a Music Scholar at Solihull School. Watching Nicholsons build and install the Chapel organ during 1965-1966 inspired my love of organ design and construction, which has gone hand in hand with playing ever since. Members of the Coventry & Warwickshire Organists Association (including the late Stephen Ridgley-Whitehouse, then the same age as me — 16) visited the new organ in 1968, an event I clearly recall. Speaking at their annual lunch I discovered that one member at the lunch had also been present in 1968. The intervening 52 years seemed to fall away!

It was a delight to be back in Southwell Minster on 23rd December, where we attended the first night of the Festival of Lessons and Carols. A lovely atmosphere, a packed cathedral, excellent singing and a wide range of carols. And no responsibility for it myself! Joy all round.

Anne and I are still in a trance this morning after a profoundly moving and immaculately prepared performance by the Oxford Bach Choir and CBSO of ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ yesterday evening, a concert dedicated to the memory of Sir Stephen Cleobury, members of whose family were present. The Sheldonian Theatre was packed, Roderick Williams, Ed Lyon and Kathryn Rudge were on inspired vocal form, and Benjamin Nicholas steered his forces through the deep streams and flashing rapids of Elgar’s masterpiece with calm aplomb and complete control. Intense detailed preparation of the score is all-important when it comes to conducting Elgar; few are as well-prepared as Ben Nicholas, who has an instinctive feel for just the right tempo at every moment. Totally inspiring!

We visited my parent’s grave here in the beautiful Arboretum Cemetery in Bingham a couple of days ago — two years since Dad died — and as we stood there, a lovely little robin came and perched on the memorial stone. He watched and waited — beautifully still — whilst I took a couple of photos, then flew away. My mother would have been so delighted!

This evening I was part of a capacity audience at Westminster Cathedral for an extraordinary event. Seven Viscount digital organs had been installed, to augment the cathedral’s two famous pipe organs, all in aid of the UK premiere of the late Jean Guillou’s La Rêvolte des Orgues, which formed the last thirty minutes of the evening, and featured leading players from all over Europe. The nine instruments were put to good use in the first hour of the programme in music by Bach and Vivaldi, the percussionist necessary for the Guillou also playing the side drum in Pierre Cochereau’s Boléro sur un thème de Charles Racquet. Frankly, words fail me in attempting to do the event justice, but I would not have missed it — even if I never wish to hear the Guillou again.

Today was spent at Radley College, near Oxford, a famously musical independent school which has recently signed a contract with Nicholson & Co for a new three-manual organ. The need has arisen because the chapel is about to be extended and the current organ will not be loud enough nor is in the best position in chapel to lead the singing. Today they took final measurements for the new case, standing proudly in the west gallery, the large Pedal section going in the existing organ chamber. The photograph shows work beginning on the chapel, which will gain a beautiful new East end.

Anne and I have just returned from a most enriching holiday in Vienna and Salzburg. By great good fortune we managed to get into the dress rehearsal of La Clemenza di Tito on our second night, and that good fortune remained with us for eleven days as we trod in the footsteps (and in the very houses) of Leopold, Constanze and Wolfgang Mozart, of Michael and Joseph Haydn, and, of course, of Antonio Salieri. A refreshing interlude was a wine-tasting day in the Wachau Valley, culminating in a visit to the glorious Abbey at Melk. Even the weather smiled upon us — and the flights were on time. We could ask for nothing more and returned home truly refreshed and inspired.

I’ve not conducted a Diocesan Choirs Festival since retiring from Southwell so it was a real delight to do so in Henley-on-Thames parish church on October 12th. Numbering around 200 — with an impressive three rows of extremely well-behaved and thoroughly-prepared juniors — the combined choirs of the Diocese of Oxford made a well-blended and confident sound. The rehearsal went smoothly and the service was a delight, enhanced by the fine playing of Sebastian Thomson coping with the rather odd organ, and a thought-provoking address by the Incumbent, Fr. Jeremy Tayler.