July / August 2018Number 67

Derby & District Organists' AssociationRegistered Charity No. 510567

Newsletter

on music, the organ and thefuture supply of church musicians.Lyn is a prize-winning alumnus ofStanford University, California andwas fortunate to have spent apost-doctoral period with Marie-Claire Alain, whom Lyn describedas a gracious, lovely lady whorenewed Lyn's love of music andorgan playing after a period ofintense academic study. Alwaysrefreshing and positive, Mme Alainencouraged the possibility of anumber of differentinterpretations, rather thanadopting a narrow, didacticapproach to teaching.

The musical establishment at StJohn's is not dissimilar to that ofan English cathedral and isundergoing a period of evolutionrather than revolution, and thereis clearly a lot happening - asuitable reflection of a modern,cosmopolitan city with a vibrantArts scene. Lyn has beenAssistant Director for five years,

Concerts & RecitalsWednesday Lunchtime Recitals12.30 - 1.10pmat St Modwen’s, Burton-upon-Trent4th July Tom Corfield - Derby11th July Ben Bloor - London oratory

Derby Cathedral Summer RecitalsWednesdays 7.45pm Admission £9.18th July Hugh Morris (Derby)25th July Carleton Etherington (Tewkesbury)1st August Andi von Oppenkovski (Essen)8th August Michael Haynes (Hexham)15th August Edward Turner (Derby)22nd August Tom Bell (London)

Saturday 18th August, 7.30 pmSt John the Evangelist, Bridge Street, Derby

Celebrity Organ Recital by Gordon Stewart(Concert Organist & Huddersfield Town Hall)on the 1875 Henry Willis organ.Followed by Cheese & Wine Reception.

Member’s NoticesVacancy at Ashford-in-the-WaterAfter the retirement of Dr Ian Pykett, HolyTrinity Church wishes to appoint a Director ofMusic. There is an enthusiastic adult robedSATB choir with a choral repertoire fromTudor to contemporary. For more detailsplease visit www.ashfordparishchurch.co.ukVacancy at St Luke’s, DerbyOrganist required for sung Mass onsome Sundays. Please contact AlanWinfield on 01332 765368 for furtherinformation.

Photo: St John’s Cathedral, Denver Gallery organ

One might reasonably expect thehistory of a cathedral in theAmerican west to be somewhatdifferent from that of an Englishcathedral, whether it be old or newfoundation. The Cathedral of StJohn in the Wilderness, Denver,Colorado (a city of some 2.9 million)has a rich and colourful history thatreflects its place in the birth of anation, and yet there is muchcommon ground with Englishcathedrals, particularly with regardto music. A detailed account of thecathedral's history can be foundhere. Readers might not besurprised that the first dean of thecathedral was an Englishman,though his hunting of buffalo mightset him apart from the averagenineteenth century English cleric.

The Interim Director of Music atthe Cathedral of St John, Dr LynLoewi, was generous with her timeand hospitality and allowed meunfettered access to the magnificent96-rank Kimball organ, her thoughts

DDOA Events 20187th July (Saturday)Visit Manchester to view organs at theCathedral and Town Hall. (See page 8)

29th September (Saturday)Visit Organ World at Shaw, Lancashire.

15th October (Monday)Celebrating Hubert Parry - Talk by TomCorfield and Stephen Johns.St Matthew’s, Darley Abbey (See page 4)

19th November (Monday) 7.15 pmAGM followed at 8.00 pm by members’recollections of influential organists.

An Organ Adventure in America - Tony Westerman

and since February this year,Interim Director, now full time;there is also a Choir Director, whois half time, and a MusicAdministrator.

Choral music is provided by acore group of sixteen musicianswho are supplemented by a similargroup of volunteers for choralservices. The adult group ismixed, though there has alwaysbeen a boys' choir associated withthe church since its earliest daysin the 1870s. A glance at thecathedral music list will tell thereader that the English choraltradition is alive and flourishing,though Lyn expressed a keen andworthy interest in expanding therepertoire to include contributionsby female composers, both thosecontemporaneous with Stanford etal and more recent contributors tochurch music such as ElizabethPoston and Judith Weir.

Lyn and I enjoyed a productiveexchange of ideas. The DDOAChildren and the Organ projectexcited Lyn's interest as there isthe same problem in America ashere - whence the next generationof organists? Views on thecontent of recital programmeswere very much in tune withrealists in England, as Lyn hadalso attended recitals after whichshe felt comatose, whilst othersleft her full of admiration for theiringenuity and appeal to a wideraudience. The timing and natureof recitals brought forth the idea ofevening recitals by candlelight,mainly featuring transcriptions tobring in those who would notnormally attend.

And so to the Kimball organ, thefull specification of which can befound here. The main organ is inthe Chancel in a compact chamberon the north wall with the consoleon the south side of the Chancel,providing the player with a goodsense of balance whenaccompanying. The new (2012)Antiphonal organ is in the WestGallery, some 160 feet away, andis designed to overcome the lackof support for congregationalsinging at the west end. Kimball'sprescience in acknowledging thatthere would be a problem with thesound of the main organ reachingthe west end down the long Navehas paid dividends; he installed 28blank stop knobs on the mainconsole in preparation for the lateraddition of the Antiphonaldivisions. His original concept is

now completed with pipes from an1898 Kimball organ from Pittsburg.

Whilst Lyn played, I walked downthe nave to hear the balance of thetwo instruments. It is a tribute tothe skill of the voicer that theintegration of the new pipework isseamless; as one approaches thewest end it is only the direction ofthe sound that changes, not thetonal structure. At the console,one inevitably experiences a delaywhilst the sound from the west endreaches the chancel, though it isentirely manageable, certainly ashorter delay than someinstruments I have played inEngland! When played with themain organ the Antiphonalpipework is inaudible, rather likethe Nave organ at LichfieldCathedral.

Swell, Antiphonal Swell, Choir andSolo divisions are enclosed, as arethe secondary choruses on theGreat; the only enclosed Pedalstops were those derived frommanuals. To help control theenclosed divisions, Kimball installeda selector (the white panel at thebottom of the right hand stopjambs) allowing the organist tochoose which pedal controlled eachdivision; they can all be put on onemaster pedal if desired, with theexception of the general crescendopedal.

A quick count suggested thatthere were 180 stop knobs and 34rocking tablets - rather a lot tocome to terms with in a short time,though the console was verycomfortable and the benchadjustable. I recommend this

2

YouTube clip to offer a taste ofthe organ.

I found it difficult to find a directsound parallel with an Englishorgan builder as the timbre of theKimball was quite distinct: theDiapasons were noble with notailing off in the upper registers;the range of eight foot pitchesavailable on the Great, Choir andSwell allowed for a subtlety ofshading over which anyaccompanist would drool; stringswere closer to Hill rather thanLewis, whilst the chorus reedswere more in the style of Binns;the quint mixtures complementedfull organ, adding body ratherthan brilliance; Choir mutationswere subtle, again, very much foraccompaniment and decoratingpsalms rather than Baroqueperformance. Full organproduced a truly visceralexperience, enhanced by thecathedral's generous acoustic.

I am most grateful to Lyn forgiving so generously of her timeand for allowing me to play thesplendid organ in St John's, whichis, apparently, the largestunspoiled pre-war cathedralorgan in the US. It was a bonusto play whilst the cathedral wasclosed, allowing me to explorethe full gravitas and power of theorgan. It isn't often that one canplay with Tubas at both ends ofthe nave - an experience that Ishall carry with me for sometime!

Tony Westerman

Kimball’s 1938 Chancel console. Beneath the Great stopknobs is the original expressionarranger (inset), which permits the four swell boxes to be assigned to any expression pedal

Members’ NewsJohn Housley Poyser R.I.P.

Midlands organ building hassuffered a considerable loss withthe recent passing of Mr JohnHousley Poyser on Friday 13thApril, at the not inconsiderableage of 84 years. John is survivedby his wife Pat and three children,Karen, Tony, and Michaela.

John spent most of his workinglife in the world of organ building.He was the Grandson of JohnHousley Adkins the well knownDerby organ builder for whom heworked for many years. When JH Adkins retired, the business wastaken over by Messrs Walker andat that time John transferred tothe new company becoming theirMidlands manager. In this role heoversaw the building of severalimportant organs in the midlandsarea, amongst which might bementioned Saint Alkmunds,Derby, Melton Mowbray ParishChurch, Oadby Parish Church,Leics, and the organ of RugbySchool Chapel. I well rememberas a youngster together with myfriend Tony Lister, being taken ona day trip to see and play thesefine new rebuilds. John's kindnessand enthusiasm was boundless!

In more recent years the firm ofJ. W. Walker considerably reducedthe size of their operation, andJohn decided to, as it were,‘return to his roots’ forming hisown business with a rather morelocal connection, maintainingtuning contracts and carrying outrestorations and rebuilds oforgans which he might well haveworked on as a youngster at J HAdkins.

Over the years John has been anenthusiastic member of ourassociation serving as committeemember and Chairman. Duringhis years of office manyinteresting visits to organs bothlocal and further afield werearranged - John had all thecontacts!

All at the Association will wantto pass on their deepestsympathy to Pat and her family atthis time, and as a final tribute toJohn, what better than toreproduce again his articlerecalling a life in organ buildingwhich appeared in our August2010 Newsletter."

Terry Bennett

3

Derby Organ Builders in the 19th CenturyJohn Poyser

1784-1863

1849-1905

1835-1888

1851-1886

1826-1907

c.1891

c.1861

1869-1947

Although there were a number ofnationally well known firms thatworked on organs in and aroundDerby, the first recorded locallybased organ builder of the periodwas Joseph Gratian (b. 1784d. 1863). It is thought that he wasinvolved in work on several organs,including some at Belper and at theold St. Alkmunds Church in Derby.

Already a widower, he marriedSarah Warin when he was 66 andthey produced a daughter, Rosa twoyears later, and then a son, Henry,two years after that. He is listed in1835 as living at Chapel Street,Belper, and then in 1840 and 1853 atUpper Brook Street, Derby.

A gap then appears from 1853 –the last trade reference to Gratianuntil 1870, when Alfred Noble (b1849 d 1905) was listed as workingfrom 63, Melbourne Street, Derby.Noble was one of a large family oforgan builders originating in Norwich.He came to Derby via Birminghamand had four daughters and six sons,of whom his eldest, Ernest (b 1875)was apprenticed to him.

Noble built or worked on a numberof local organs, including ChristChurch, Derby; Dale Road MethodistChurch, Derby; Barrow on TrentMethodist Church; MiddletonWesleyan and St. Michael’s Church,Shirley, where he added the swellmanual. His last local directory entrywas 1905, the year of his death.

Just four years after Noble startedin business, James MitchellGrunwell (b 1835 d 1888) startedtrading - his Derby directoryadvertisement in 1874 reading

“James Mitchell Grunwell, VictoriaStreet (congregational chapel),pedals fitted to piano fortes andharmoniums – res Beckett WellLane”.

In that year he built the smallthree manual organ for T.B. Mellor,organist of St. Peter’s Church, Belperand shortly afterwards installed thetwo manual organ in St. Paul’sChurch, Quarndon, although thegreat organ of that instrument isquite a bit older. Other workincluded the organs at WirksworthCongregational Church, NetherHeage Methodist Church in itsformer home, FritchleyCongregational Church, and theoriginal one for Kedleston StreetMethodist Church, Derby.

By 1881 Grunwell was establishedat 59, Traffic Street andinterestingly, also advertising in thatyear at 44 Traffic Street were the“Midland Electric Blowing Co., propJ. & A. Page”. The firm, from whichin 1932 Arthur Fryer came andstarted the British Organ BlowingCo. (B.O.B. Co.), were still tradingafter the Second World War.

In 1884, my grandfather, JohnHousley Adkins was indentured toGrunwell but in June 1887 he left towork for White (later White &Sentence) of Grantham. Grunwelldied in 1888 so it is possible that hedecided to retire for some reasonand arranged for Adkins to continuehis indentures with White.

In 1876 there is an entry in Kelly’sDerbyshire directory showingWilliam Joseph Hall, organbuilder, with the address at 7,Wardwick and Bells Mill, Cheapside.Unfortunately I could find little moreabout him, although there was aWilliam Joseph Hall (b 1851 d 1886)with a Frank Hall in business atBirkenhead in 1882 to 1886. Wasthis the same man or alternativelyan ex-employee of Noble orGrunwell?

Recently I came across thebusiness card of Henry AdamsWeston (b 1826 d 1907) who in1881 first advertised in theDerbyshire directory as “Henry A.Weston, organ builder, 10a JuryStreet, Derby”. In 1884 and nowresident at 125, Ashbourne Road,he advertised his business addressas “organ builder & joiner, 6½ St.Peters Street, Derby” however thisodd address is clarified in 1885when his address was given asOakes Yard, St. Peters Street,Derby. Actually it is shown on hisbusiness card as Cantrell's Yard butthat may refer to one of the twelvebusinesses that were trading there.Oakes Yard was where theYorkshire Bank and Co-op Travelare now situated in St. PetersStreet and was opposite Nags HeadYard which eventually was boughtby Marks & Spencer before beingdemolished in 1959.

By 1888 Weston, now listed asjust “organ builder”, had moved hisresidence to 35, Wilson Street butby 1891 there appears to be nofurther reference. I have noknowledge of his work on anyparticular organ but over the tenyears or so that he was in businessthere may well be records in someof our churches’ old minutes books.

In the 1891 directory thereappears a trade reference to“William Walker, (reed) organbuilder, Oxford Street, Ripley”. Itmay not now be appreciated, butmany churches and chapels as wellas private residences owned reedorgans and there was a healthytrade in them up until the cheaperelectronic instruments becameavailable in the 1950s.

In the 1895 Belper Tradedirectory we find John Staceyadvertising as an organ builder of24, Bedford Street, Derby, andagain in the Town & CountryDerbyshire directory of 1905.

There was a John Stacey whowas in business in Sheffield from1861 to 1869, having worked forBrindley & Foster. It is of coursepossible for this to have been thesame person as, allowing him theage of 30 when he started hisbusiness in 1861, he would havebeen 65 when presumably heretired. It does seem strange thatthere is a gap of 26 years betweenthe two businesses and there isalso a suggestion that the Staceyswere father and son, but then theson, who would have then been a

relatively young man, would only havebeen in business for about ten years –and there is no trace of himafterwards. I personally prefer theformer explanation; in any case thereare only four organs which can betraced as having been worked on byhim – St. Michael & All Angels, WestFelton, Shropshire, Holy Trinity,Tansley (swell added), the unusualtwo manual (great 3, swell 2, ped 1coup 3) at Junction Street BaptistChurch, and in 1887 the three manualorgan in Greenlane Primitive MethodistChurch, although I always felt that thelatter was an unusually ambitiousinstrument to be accredited to him – itdid have his nameplate on it however!

The last organ builder to start up inbusiness in the 19th century was JohnHousley Adkins who, having movedfrom White to work for Denning ofStamford in 1893/94 started up on hisown in 1898. His first home was at 69,Nottingham Road but he soon movedto 37, Queen Street, having his worksat the 1765 Wesleyan chapel in St.Michael’s Lane. At one time it wassuggested that Adkins bought outGrunwell’s business but, as seenearlier, that ended in 1888 so it wasunlikely that there would have beenanything left to buy ten years later. Itshould be remembered that in 1898Noble was still trading and Stacey hadestablished himself in 1885. Adkins’sson, Lewis, sadly died in 1897, so itwould appear that he came back toDerby to start a new phase of his life,starting from scratch.

With the progress of the industrialrevolution still in full swing, muchwealth was generated and a sideeffect was that a considerable amountwas directed to building and furnishingnot only Anglican and Roman Catholicchurches but also an array of chapels– Congregational, Baptist,Presbyterian, and Wesleyan andPrimitive Methodist churches withsundry names such as Bethel,Ebeneezer, and Mount Zion etc. Notonly did the sponsors compete witheach other in the splendour of theirbuildings but in their pipe organs as

well and in the last half of the 19th

century many were installed in thisarea. It is therefore rather surprisingthat during that period, of the eightbuilders mentioned here, only a veryfew instruments were produced bythem, and a considerable proportionwere either enlargements or rebuildsof older organs.

John Poyser

DDOA - Your AssociationChildren and the Organ (CATO)

The bumper season ofworkshops has continued withthree events at Mickleover andmore at Holbrook and Duffieldparish churches. We werehonoured at Holbrook by a visitfrom Paul Hale, Emeritus Organistof Southwell Minster. Havingheard about our work previously,Paul requested to come and see forhimself. Although he planned tobe a ‘fly on the wall’, we persuadedhim to play a piece for thechildren, Nun danket by Karg-Elert. Entering into the spirit ofthe occasion, he first demonstratedthe opening section several times,each with a different registration,perfectly illustrating the variety ofvoices in the organ.

October 2018 Meeting- Please volunteer to sing!

On the evening of MondayOctober 15th at St Matthew’sDarley Abbey the Association iscelebrating the 100th Anniversaryof CHH Parry’s death: his funeralwas actually on October 16th in StPaul’s. We shall, of course, enjoysome of his organ music, but alsochoral pieces and listen to some ofhis symphonic output. He was atruly great man and UK musiciansowe him a lot. Tom Corfield and Iare hosting the event and wouldgreatly appreciate your support inthe following ways:

1. Please come!

2. We need singers – could youhelp? There will be onerehearsal on the evening of theevent at about 6.15.

3. Tell your WI friends about it –they adore ‘Jerusalem’ after all.

Please contact me if you can jointhe ad hoc choir. I’d appreciate aresponse well in advance of theevent please. 01332 764792 oremail the Editor.

Stephen Johns4

Recent EventsMartyn Noble at St Andrew’sChurch Swanwick

I made my, now annual, visit toSt Andrew’s for this year’s recitalby Martyn Noble (HM ChapelsRoyal, St James’s Palace,London), now his 7th annual visitto Swanwick. Despite less thanfavourable weather conditionsthere were about 80 people inchurch and, as always, we weretreated to a buffet lunch before agenerous amount of music.

Martyn’s choice of programmeanticipated an audience closer toClassic fm than Radio 3. Hisprogramme notes also gave us alittle history of the Chapels Royal,mentioning that Queen Victoriaand Prince Albert were marriedthere on 10th February 1840, sohis recital coincided with theanniversary of this date.

The first half comprised theBach arrangement of Vivaldi’s AMinor Concerto, Grieg’s Morningfrom Peer Gynt No. 1, and one ofMendelssohn’s Preludes andFugues, the D Minor, not as oftenheard in recitals as they mightbe. Martyn reminded his audienceof the composer’s connectionswith the Royal couple and thefact that he certainly played tothem on the organ inBuckingham Palace. This wasfollowed by Bach’s Sheep maysafely graze, 4 movements fromMessiah (Handel) and concludedwith a rousing and livelyperformance of Pomp andCircumstance No.1 by Elgar.

After a short comfort break thesecond half started with thecelebrated Maestoso from theSains-Saëns Organ Symphonyand concluded with the WidorToccata, both pieces being fixedand firm favourites at Swanwick.The ‘filling’ provided a completecontrast, Somewhere (from WestSide Story) - Bernstein, SummerNights (from Grease) - Casey andJacobs, In Your Own Sweet Way– Brubeck, three pop songs Can’tHelp Falling In Love – ElvisPresley, Tears – Ken Dodd andStairway To Heaven – LedZeppelin. Had the recital been afew weeks later the second ofthings might have been a tributeto the late comedian and singer.Walton’s Orb and Sceptreconcluded the royal connectionsbefore the, as ever, rousingperformance of the Widor. Martyn

always performs very well, and hisregular visits mean that he drawsmore out of the organ each year. Asalways, tribute must be paid to ourmember Professor Alan Dronsfield,whose trust generously sponsorsthese recitals.

John Maxwell-Jones

Annual Dinner 2018

Horsley Lodge was once again thevenue for the annual social event ofthe Association. Surrounded bygently undulating pastures androlling hills, the restaurant was theperfect setting for a May evening.By general consent we enjoyed asplendid meal which was served by ayoung staff with great efficiency. Forthe after-dinner speech our specialguest this year was Nigel Allcoat, ofinternational fame as a performer,teacher, composer and improviser.It was a privilege to secure Nigel’spresence in the midst of his action-packed schedule, sandwichedbetween a performance in Glasgowon the previous evening and one inKeble College, Oxford on thefollowing evening. Once on his feet,Nigel entertained us with numerousanecdotes which flowed seemlessly.To give a taste of his grandimprovisation I recount here twostories from the evening.

An inveterate traveller, Nigel hadmany a tale set in foreign parts, themost extraordinary of which was anencounter in Russia back in thecommunist era before ‘perestroika’.He was due to perform at thePhilharmonic Hall in St Petersburg,but his visa for travel was severelydelayed and issued only on the daybefore the concert. Arriving in thecity on the actual day of the concerthe turned up at the hall to discoverthat an orchestra was rehearsing.Eventually settling in to do some pre-concert preparation, he was theninterrupted by a piano tuner whoheld sway for a further period.Despite all such delays, hesucceeded to give his recital thatevening. If the manner of his arrivalin the city was less than straightforward, that of his departure was anadventure indeed: On presentinghimself for check-in at the airport, hewas confronted with “Niet” from aformidable official. Allegedly, theticket wasn’t valid for that flight. Hehad to leave the building and seekout the British Airways office toclarify the situation. There he wasassured that the ticket was perfectlyvalid, however, on returning tocheck-in the “Niet” response was

5

repeated. After yet another shuttlebetween check-in and the BA office,he was arrested by the airportsecurity police on suspicion, of allthings - money laundering! This wasa bizarre interpretation of his to-ingand fro-ing in and out of the airportbuildings. Upon interrogation heshowed the police his organ musicand the concert programme whichfortunately contained his photograph.Eventually his version of events wasaccepted, the charge was droppedand he did get his flight home.

Teaching has always been a speciallove for Nigel. Over the years hisInternational Organ School in Francehas grown and grown. Here in thevillage of Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye(Isère), his second home, the greatAbbatiale has a wonderful four-manual organ reconstructed byBernard Aubertin in the 17th centuryBaroque style. He has held visitingprofessorships at numerousuniversities and conservatoires. Herecounted an occasion at the StPetersburg Conservatoire whenstudent performances wereconsistently inaccurate. He soondiscovered that their scores wereseveral generation photocopies ofphotocopies; in those days it wasimpossible for students to obtainscores published in the West.Realising this, on his return toEngland, he encouraged homestudents to send genuine copies toRussian students.

We thoroughly enjoyed Nigel’smusings, an animated mixture of theserious and humorous. We wish himwell as he prepares for his busy roundof seminars and recitals, at home andabroad.

Laurence Rogers

Guest speaker, Nigel Allcoat

6

Tom Corfield recital

It is a testament to the high esteemthat the Derbyshire musicalcommunity still holds for TomCorfield, that his ‘Wine and Cheese’recital at St Michael’s, Holbrook, inMay attracted a full house. Our highexpectations were rewarded by adiverse programme brilliantlyexecuted.

Starting with great panache, theGrand Choeur by Théodore Salomewas launched at a ripping speed andset the tone for a virtuosoprogramme. It was lovely to hear thewhole set of Whitlock’s Five ShortPieces, in particular the Scherzo andPæan which demand an exceptionaltechnique of the player. The modesttitle of this suite does no justice to itsdemonstration of the breadth of thecomposer’s musical imagination andcraftsmanship. Tom introduced everypiece with his characteristic pithyremarks. Before the Partita on ‘Venicreator spiritus’ by Flor Peeters, herecalled that he once turned pages forPeeters, remembering his terror of notwishing to lose his place in the scoreor turning over too many pages atonce. (Members may recall Tom’sformer Newsletter article setting outthe criteria for distinction in the skillof page turning – See July, 2014.)

Bach’s Prelude & Fugue in G followedat a cracking pace, perhaps too muchso for my taste, nevertheless full ofthe joyfulness that one expects of apiece in G major. Prelude, Fugue andVariation by César Franck, came overas the masterpiece it truly is; Tom’scommand of registration seemed tobe unhindered by the modestresources of Holbrook’s two-manualinstrument. Again, registration wasthe key to the entertainment value ofthe Two Derbyshire Marches byHaydn. Originally scored for militaryband, in Tom’s hands we had a clearglimpse of Haydn’s irrepressible senseof humour. Then Tom presented aguessing game in playing just twopieces from Animal Parade by IainFarrington. Out of nine differentanimals represented in the suite, Ithink most of us identified theponderous gait of the hippopotamus,but the second movement was moreof a teaser. This animal must havebeen schizophrenic, alternatingbetween ambling along and chirpinglike a canary. It turned out to be agiraffe!

In triumphal conclusion, Tomrounded off his splendid recital withCarillon by Vierne. Then came thewine and cheese!

Laurence Rogers

The Big Welsh Sing – ACelebration of Welsh Hymns

The resonance of Welsh Hymns isan indispensable component ofChristian worship and this was aninspired focus for the May meetingof the Nottingham and DistrictSociety of Organists (NDSO).Brainchild of Ian Watts, NDSOPresident, the programme gave usWelsh organ music, a seminar onWelsh history and the ‘Big WelshSing’.

The venue was Beeston MethodistChurch, an ideal location forenjoying massed singing. (DDOAmembers visited here in April andwere very impressed with this finebuilding and its 1902 Wadsworthorgan.) A challenge of organisingsuch an event is to attractsufficient ‘mass’ to realise this joy.On this occasion there was nodoubt; the church was heavingwith supporters eager to sing.

After an introductory voluntaryplayed by Denis Littleton, afascinating seminar was presentedby Derek Wileman, David Gabe andRick Morrish. We heard about thecultural and religious history ofWales, its music, the composers ofhymns, and the birth of the malevoice choir tradition. From theAnglo-centric perspective thatpervades most public discourse inour lives today, this was a poignantreminder of the distinct identity ofthe Welsh nation. From Celtictimes Wales had traded copperwith Mediterranean countries andits links with Europe developedquite independently from those ofEngland. In religion, links withRome were stronger than thosewith Canterbury. At theReformation, Calvinist theology

had a greater hold than in Englandand the growth of independentchurches was strong -Congregational, Baptists and WelshMethodist Presbyterians. In thisenvironment, congregationalsinging developed an importantrole and hymnody thrived.

With the industrialisation ofWales, slate in the north and coalin the south, the populationincrease created close-knitcommunities. Chapels became acommon focus of community lifeand male voice choirs were born.Many have survived into the post-industrial period and continue tothrive today, as is evidenced bythe annual ‘1000 voices’ concertsat the Royal Albert Hall. The NDSOevent gave us a taste of this greattradition with Carlton, Mansfield,South Notts and Bestwood MaleVoice Choirs performing the mostcelebrated icons of the repertoire,Gwahoddiad and Morte Christe.

The programme concluded withthe massed singing of Welshhymns, eighteen in all! So manyfavourite tunes raised the roof –Hyfrydol, Blaenwern, St Denio,Aberystwyth, Ar hyd y nos, Llanfairand inevitably Cwm Rhondda.Surprisingly, Guide me O thougreat Jehovah was sung to a Welshtune, Capel y Ddôl for a hundredyears before the now famous tuneby John Hughes was adopted from1907. After a bit of phoneticcoaching we even sang two hymnsin Welsh! NDSO members tookturns in playing the organ for thehymns. This was a joyful event,notable for the many smiling facesas well as the stirring and upliftingsinging.

Laurence Rogers

7

Bedfordshire Organs - Rodney Tomkins

GreatOpen Diapason 8Stopped Diapason 8Principal 4Harmonic Flute 4Fifteenth 2Sesquialtera IIMixture IVTrumpet 8Clarinet 8Tremulant

SwellGedackt 8Salicional 8Voix céleste 8Gemshorn 4Flageolet 2Larigot 11/3Mixture IIIHautboy 8TremulantSub Octave

St Andrew’s, Bedford

Organ by Harrison & Harrison 2016PedalOpen Diapason 16Bourdon 16Principal (ext.) 8Bass Flute (ext.) 8Trombone (wood) 16

3 unison couplers

I am nowadays a regular visitorto Bedfordshire where I stay withmy son, Nicholas, in a village onthe A6 a few miles south ofBedford. Now, without the tie ofa regular organ post, I am evenable to spend a weekend away.

Over the twenty years or so Ihave been visiting the area Ihave made the acquaintance ofseveral interesting instruments,quite a number of which arewhat I would regard as historic –something about which I havealways been very enthusiastic.Bedford itself can boast its ownVictorian builder, J Trustam, inthe middle years of the C19th.The two examples I have played(a 1m and a 2m) seem to be inthe tradition of Hill or Bevington.As for an example by the latterbuilder, there is a delightful 2mwest gallery organ in the villageof Silsoe; this instrument boastsa BIOS Historic OrgansCertificate.

Yet another such certificationhas been awarded to the 4mearly Hill (1846) at Turvey. Thisis a fairly medium sized villagechurch and, needless to say, theorgan’s fourth manual has butone all-important stop.

Action, of course, is allmechanical. Some further workby Hill in 1855 (and later) wouldaccount for certain moreRomantic colours which could nothave featured in the original1846 instrument. I have aninvitation to go back whenever Ilike, so perhaps I will have theopportunity to fathom out someof its anomalies. Perhaps themost obvious substitution musthave been, at some point, thereplacement of a Great Mixtureby the additional Diapason.

Judging by the quality of thehouses in the village street,Turvey must always have beenquite a desirable place. Oncloser scrutiny of the stop list itbecomes clear that this is whatmay be regarded as a modest 3manual organ of up-marketvillage proportions, to whichsome megalomanic benefactormay quite well have suggested“it would be nice to have a Tubastop” !

GreatTenoroon DiapasonBourdonOpen DiapasonStopt DiapasonPrincipalTwelfthFifteenthPosauneOpen Diapason

Tuba to Great

To conclude, something verydifferent – a brand new (2016)H&H in St Andrew’s, Bedford,which I recently visited. The earlyC20th building with later, eastend, extension has excellentacoustics and the organ, locatedto the left, in front of the chancelarch, fills all parts of the spaciouschurch with a gloriously rich tone– a truly aristocratic instrumentby a ‘Rolls Royce’ builder. Thereare two carved Gothic cases, sideby side, the westernmost one forconsole and Manual pipework, thefurther one, with 16ft frontage,for Pedal.

Key action is mechanicalthroughout and conveyedsideways to the Pedal case.

Stop action is electric, withstate-of-the-art divisional andgeneral pistons equipped withstepper and sequencer. Whatmore could one ask for ?

Rodney Tomkins

GreatTenoroon DiapasonBourdonOpen DiapasonStopt DiapasonPrincipalTwelfthFifteenthPosauneOpen Diapason

Tuba to Great

SwellTenoroon DiapasonOpen DiapasonStopt DiapasonSalicionalVoix CélestePrincipalFifteenthCornopeanHautboy

5 unison couplers

All Saints, Turvey

Organ by Hill 1846

PedalBourdonOpen (wood)VioloncelloViolone

SoloTuba Mirabilis(encl. In Sw.)

ChoirOpen DiapasonStopt Diapason BassStopt Diapason TrebleHohl FlutePrincipalWald FluteCromorneHautboyTurvey: Decorated pipes of the central facade.

St Andrew’s, Bedford: Pedal case on the right.

www.derbyorganists.co.uk

Items of news or articles for the September/October edition of the should reach the Editor by Monday27th August, either via e-mail: DDOAnews@gmail.com or by post: Dr Laurence Rogers, 24 St.David’s Crescent,Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 4SS. The Secretary, Andy Storer, may be reached via mail@derbyorganists.co.ukPlease 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 OutingSaturday 7th July 2018

A VINTAGE DAY IN MANCHESTER

LAST MINUTE BOOKING NOW

Three fine organs are on offer at three vintage locations:● Manchester Town Hall (Cavaillé-Coll, T.C.Lewis)● St Philip’s Salford (Samuel Renn)● Manchester Cathedral (Kenneth Tickell)

Descriptions of the organs appeared on Page 7 of the May/June Newsletter

Coach pick-up details:0800 Belper - Lion Hotel0815 Darley Abbey - Church Lane (towards Derby)Then pick up along A6 to Five Lamps pub (if needed).

1100 Manchester Town Hall1400 St Phillip's, Salford1730 Evensong at Manchester Cathedral and try the new organ

Return1900 (approx.) Manchester Cathedral2100 (approx.) Derby

Please make your booking as soon as possible in this format:

To: Andy Storer, 33 Radcliffe Drive, Derby DE22 3LB. storer35@btinternet.com(01332 341852)Name........….……...… Number of places.........… Pick-up point.................

Cheque payable to “Derby & District Organists’ Association” (£20 per person)

Professor Robert Pascall R.I.P.

Members will, I’m sure, be sad tohear of the death of Prof RobertPascall who was an engaging after-dinner speaker for us a few yearsago and also guest speaker at someof our meetings. He was very wellknown in the East Midlands andfurther afield. Quite a few of usknew him personally – JamesMuckle worked with him at CliftonParish Church as well as being anacademic contemporary atNottingham University. I had thepleasure of sharing his company asan undergraduate at Keble Collegewhere he was Organ Scholar in the1960s and he was also Best Man atour wedding in 1966, Godfather toour elder son Chris and Patrick’sProfessor at Nottingham.

Robert had originally, as a pupil ofHA Bate in London, intended tobecome a cathedral organist but,

having obtained a D Phil at Oxforddecided the academic life was forhim. He became a Lecturer atNottingham and subsequentlyProfessor before moving to Bangorin 1998. His interests were wide-ranging but he was perhaps best

known for his work on Brahms,whose music he loved and editedextensively, as well as his expertisein Musical Analysis – an extremelytaxing discipline! He was also adedicated teacher of undergraduatesand an able administrator, seeingthrough the establishment of thenew Music Department premiseslinked to the Djanogly Hall. Hisorgan playing was informed byscholarship but also a commonsense approach which eschewed anysuggestion of ‘flashiness’ . Above allRobert was a man of absoluteintegrity, dedicated to the higheststandards in his own work and thatof those he with whom he came intocontact – he was also great fun tobe with and wore his learning lightly.Many people will mourn his passingand count it a great blessing to haveknown him.

Stephen Johns