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The beautifully conceived and executed case takes its inspiration from its Gothic surroundings
C&O - March April - FEATURES - Gallery T.indd 24 11/02/2014 15:19:08
www.choirandorgan.com
2015/16
mediA PACk
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About Choir & orgAnEstablished over twenty years ago, Choir & Organ is the leading independent magazine for all those interested in the choral and organ worlds.
in each bi-monthly issue:» beautifully illustrated, in-depth features about newly built and restored organs
» profiles of leading organists, choral directors, and composers & their repertoire
» international news, topical coverage of festivals, symposia and other events, and free, newly commissioned sheet music
» exclusive reader offers and competitions
» specialist reviews of the latest sheet music and CD releases
» regular tutorials on choral direction by David Hill, chief conductor of the BBC Singers and musical director of the Bach Choir
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“A source of inspirAtion And scholArship … if you Are not
A subscriber, you should become one right AwAy!”
philip brunelle, Artistic director of Vocalessence and Vice president of the international federation for choral music
Why Advertise With Choir & orgAn?This bi-monthly title is the ideal opportunity to reach a highly targeted and unique international audience of 12,000 for your products and services.
Regular articles focus on new and restored instruments as well as unparalleled access into the careers of leading organists and choral conductors. This sees us in partnership with key influential organisations in the industry.
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the FACts» Frequency: bi-monthly
» readership: 12,000
» regular advertisers: Mander Organs, Harrison & Harrison Organ Builders, Royal College of Organists, British Institute of Organ Studies, Westminster Choir College, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Oxford University Press, Naxos, Linn Records
» geography: Choir & Organ magazine’s audience is truly international, with more than 50% of our total readership residing outside the UK. 60% of our print audience are based in the UK, while over 70% of our digital audience are based outside the UK www.choirandorgan.com www.choirandorgan.com MARCH/APRIL 2014 CHOIR & ORGAN 2322 CHOIR & ORGAN MARCH/APRIL 2014
GALLERY
end up being bland and tonally insipid in
their quest to be all things to all people.
Worse, some end up sounding hectoring or
even aggressive, as if to make up for their
confused identity.
The moment I heard the Great 8ft princi-
pal (Open Diapason II), I realised that here
was an instrument confi dent in its own skin
and beguiling in its own rights. The sound
was warm but clear, not massively powerful
but able to envelop rather than attack the
room. In fact this sums up the whole instru-
ment, as I realised when building up the
Great chorus. The Swell is at the top of the
case and sings wonderfully into the Quire.
Dynamically, it is almost the equal of the
Great, although the chorus is a little lighter
in effect, despite a pleasantly darker feel to
the 8ft and 4ft diapasons (another Victorian
legacy)? The Choir chorus confi rms that it
is very much the tertiary division, but with
suffi cient presence and having more impact
than many such divisions on 19th-century
English organs. The pedal sounds are
pleasingly weighty without losing clarity.
As importantly, the touch feels different
between the divisions, giving vital musical
feedback to the player: a fi rm but very
responsive Great, a slightly deeper Swell and
a light Choir action, speaking a little nearer
the top of the keys without compromising
the control of releases. The pedal touch
is superb and well-sprung, avoiding that
overly fragile feel encountered on many
instruments. I wondered whether the Swell
might be regulated to be just a little heavier
to match its depth (the instrument is still
awaiting some fi nal tweaks before its offi -
cial inauguration) – certainly the coupled
weight of all three manuals together could
take this.
So much for the instrument’s backbone:
what of the individual registers? Flutes are
beautifully contrasting and characterful,
from the full and pleasantly nasal edge of
the Swell fl utes to the more neutral Choir
Gedeckt and the broad Great Chimney
Flute. The Harmonic Flute is appropriately
large and wide, while able to take its part
in the chorus to form a fi rmer plenum if
desired. The Great Trumpet is very much
a chorus reed, and a well-blended one at
that, whereas the Choir Major Trumpet is
halfway between a bright orchestral trumpet
and a smaller-scale Tuba. It is able to stand
alone as a solo register (albeit against a
judiciously balanced accompaniment) or
sit with the tutti without dominating. The
excellently effective swell boxes – the Choir
division is enclosed, too – add to its versatil-
ity, as I also discovered when registering the
Full Swell. Here, the reeds seem to take their
tonal inspiration from Father Willis, with
fi re and body, and the swell box enables a
wide dynamic range. The Swell Oboe, to
quote John Panning (Dobson’s vice presi-
dent and tonal director), ‘is carefully treated
to blend with the fl uework while remaining
characterful for solo use – a nod to Stanford
rather than Franck.’
Other examples of this versatility and
blend are apparent in two of the Choir
registers. The Corno di Bassetto might
take its nomenclature, like the rest of the
organ, from English traditions, but is rather
chameleon-like. Used alone or with the
Gedeckt and with the box half-open, it is
an English 19th-century clarinet. When
combined with the Diapason and with
the box open, it can act as a Cromorne in
earlier French repertoire, albeit a rather
polite example. The Geigen Diapason itself
is similarly versatile. It can function either
as a Cavaillé-Coll-type Salicional or, with
the box nearly closed, as a more anglicised
Dulciana. With the (American-inspired)
Geigen Celeste, it can be used as an Unda
Maris in romantic French repertoire.
Of course, even a fi nely voiced and
intelligently conceived organ such as this
has to take compromises if it seeks to be
versatile. For instance, the Great cornet
séparé is a winning, mellifl uous sound,
but one which lacks the bite and scale of
either a north Germanic solo stop or the
breadth of a French baroque example.
This is not a criticism – any organ which is
more than a mere copy of one particular
specifi c school cannot and should not try
AMERICAN BEAUTYDaniel Moult is beguiled by the new Dobson organ in Oxford University, built as part
of the 750th anniversary celebrations of Merton College. MAIN PHOTOS BY COLIN DUNN
There’s a good reason why organ cases are photographed in glori-ous sunshine, so my expectations were not too high as I opened the Merton
College Chapel door on a dark and
dank January evening. Any reservations
were blown away as I saw the beautifully
conceived and executed case, taking its
inspiration from its Gothic surroundings
but having the solidity and size more akin
to some of the Victorian additions in the
Chapel. Even from the most disadvanta-
geous angle it pleases the eye, not least as
the side panels are decorated with sten-
cilled Pedal Bourdon pipes (a Victorian
trait). Designed by the organ builder Lynn
Dobson, the case is a wonderful creation
and one which manages to assert its place
in the room without dominating (although
it houses quite a large instrument) or
appearing too slight (a possible criticism
against the 1968 Walker organ it replaced).
The same philosophies of seeking inspi-
ration from the past without belonging
to any one school and of a scale avoiding
extremes seem to apply to the instrument
itself. Again, I had reservations before my
fi ngers fi rst touched the keys. The console
looked handsome and ergonomically sensi-
ble, although the stoplist suggested a rather
eclectic organ. Eclecticism has perhaps
received a bad name in organ circles. Many
instruments seeking to be versatile often
The reeds seem to take their tonal inspiration from Father Willis, with fire and body
‘A wonderful creation’: the new Dobson organ in Merton College
JOH
N PA
NN
ING
/DO
BSON
PIPE ORG
AN
BUILD
ERS
View of the medieval chapel from the organ
slug
www.choirandorgan.com march/april 2015 choir & organ 29
A friend, on hearing I was writing an anthem for the reinterment of Richard III, quipped that I should title myself ‘Mistresse to the Late King’s Musicke’ – it is indeed a unique
experience to find oneself composing a piece for
a Plantagenet king! An interest in Richard III has
been a constant in my life, although my views on the
character of the king have changed radically through
the years – not surprisingly with my own experience
of life, and also given the ongoing body of scholar-
ship which has developed so much from the default
‘Shakespearian’ position.
It all started in the 1960s: when I was 12, I saw
the Olivier film of Richard III (1955). I not only
loved the play and the melodramatic, technicolour
presentation, but of course totally fell for Walton’s
music. I persuaded my father to buy an LP from the
World Record Club – Walton’s own recording with
the Philharmonia. The early music movement had
not really made its way to Sheffield at that time, so I
found Walton’s cod Elizabethan sounds very winning
and imitated them a bit in my own compositions at
that time. All this started me reading about the king,
and Josephine Tey’s book The Daughter of Time very
soon introduced me to the Richard III Society and a
shift in my views. Down the years my opinions have
kept shifting, but nowadays I see him as that strange,
medieval mix of pragmatic warlord and pious, schol-
arly thinker – a mix we nowadays only tend to find in
the Middle East.
In 2012 the University of Leicester announced
that they had begun the search for Richard’s body in
a wide location that finally centred on a council car
park. I couldn’t help thinking that, if they discovered
the body, there might be some sort of service to give
ric
ha
rD ii
i SO
ciE
TY
The name of the roseThe sensational discovery of the body of King richard iii in a
Leicester car park set Judith Bingham composing an anthem for the
medieval king’s reinterment in March
Is this the face of a king? A reconstruction of the face of Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet monarchs
CO_0215_F_Bingham Richard III T.indd 29 11/02/2015 17:59:45
www.choirandorgan.com march/april 2015 choir & organ 23
THAXTED
The Church of St John the Baptist, Our Lady and St Laurence at Thaxted in Essex is one of the most spectacular medieval churches in East Anglia. It is a place of pilgrimage for architectural
historians and also for musicians: Gustav Holst lived
in the village between 1914 and 1925 and composed
The Planets there. But now there is another reason
for making a pilgrimage to Thaxted. Since 1858, the
church has housed the largest surviving late-Georgian
pipe organ in the country. For many years its condi-
tion had been deteriorating, and concerns had been
raised (by BIOS, among others) about its future. But
last year, following a fund-raising campaign by a
group of local residents, Martin Goetze and Dominic
Gwynn Ltd completed a painstaking restoration of
the instrument. It can now take its place as one of the
very few intact English church organs pre-dating the
Victorian reform of organ design, which sounded the
death knell for so many Georgian instruments.
The organ was built in 1821 for St John’s Chapel,
Bedford Row, London. This was a proprietary chapel
north of Theobalds Row – a modest brick build-
ing, fitted with galleries and large windows, where
a congregation loosely attached to the Established
Church maintained a minister whose views were
to their taste. There was also a singing master and
an organist. By the end of the 18th century it had
become known as a centre of evangelicalism and was
committed to the reform of parochial psalmody, so
the maintenance of an organ to encourage congrega-
tional singing was essential.
In 1812 Daniel Wilson (later Bishop of Calcutta)
was appointed minister. He was a powerful preacher
who attracted large congregations and the decision
was taken to enlarge the galleries. The old organ by
John Harris (1703) was removed and replaced with
a new instrument by Henry Cephas Lincoln (c1788-
1864). Its innovative features included FF compasses
for Great and Choir, a second Great open diapason,
pedals and unison (8ft) pedal pipes, and an enlarged
Swell with tenor e compass and three imitative reeds.
The organ was completed by November 1821.
Lincoln was one of the leading London organ
builders. The Prince Regent commissioned a large
organ for the music room in the Royal Pavilion
at Brighton (1818); it is now in the ballroom at
Buckingham Palace and was restored by William
Drake in 20021. He also made a number of organs
for new suburban churches in London; a contempo-
rary writer commented on the ‘remarkably brilliant
chorus’ and ‘rich and powerful tone’ of the instru-
ment in St George, Camberwell (1824)2. Later, he
attempted to adopt the reforms of the 1840s (C
compasses, Pedal Organs and novelty stops), but his
business failed when he was unable to complete a
vast new organ for Gauntlett at St Olave, Southwark
(1846). He then sank rapidly into obscurity, but was
remembered posthumously as ‘one of the finest organ
builders of modern times’3.
The new organ was opened by John Purkis (1781-
1849), a blind organist who held the appointment
at St Clement Danes. A gentleman-amateur from
In search of the essencea late georgian pipe organ in Essex has been restored by goetze & gwynn. consultant
Nicholas Thistlethwaite treads the path between conservation and practicality
© m
ich
aEl Ba
iliE©
mic
ha
El BailiE
The restored H.C. Lincoln organ in Thaxted Parish Church offers a ‘rare window’ on to late Georgian instruments. © michaEl BailiE
The restored console, and (bottom) the pedal board
CO_0215_F_Thaxted T.indd 23 11/02/2015 17:55:54
www.choirandorgan.com march/april 2015 choir & organ 47
national children’s choir
aware of the joy of singing, there are still yawning
gaps in choral music provision: ‘Some children have
nothing at school. My biggest regret is that I can’t offer
this kind of experience to everyone.’ Nonetheless, Gray
has embarked on a programme of open workshops
which will allow children to participate in activities
under the auspices of the NCCGB, working with the
organisation’s professionals, and gaining experience;
although conceived as rewarding ‘stand-alone’ events,
they might also bring benefit to children thinking of
going on to take part in the formal auditions.
The NCCGB’s holistic approach begins with the
audition process itself. ‘We always talk to the children
after they have sung,’ says Gray, ‘because some we’d
like to have but their voices aren’t quite ready, and
for them we might make a deferred offer. And some,
for whatever reason, may not wish to take up a place.’
Once accepted for a course, children and their parents
are drawn into the embrace of the NCCGB’s pastoral
care system, headed by Kim Reffell, a former school
bursar who followed her daughter into the pastoral
team, before going on to take over as choir adminis-
trator in 2007. Parents preparing to say goodbye to
their young offspring – some of whom might never
have been away from home before – will be reassured
by the NCCGB website’s comprehensive ‘Frequently
Asked Questions’ section, which covers every aspect
of the course experience from clothing to expecta-
tions of behaviour, filming and recording on mobile
devices, food, and health and wellbeing; an even
more detailed Handbook awaits course participants.
Many of the pastoral team, which offers full-time
cover at the courses, are former members of the choir,
keen to return after going on to work in a variety of
musical and non-musical fields; armed with medical
and personal profiles provided by parents for every
participating child, the team is equipped to support
and deal with any emotional and medical eventual-
ity from simple homesickness to allergies and other
chronic conditions – a qualified nurse attends every
course and in some cases a child will be assigned a
personal mentor if parents notify a circumstance
which merits it.
For Gray and Reffell, the safeguarding system is
an essential part of a framework which is intended
to allay anxieties, for parents as well as the children,
so that the young singers can undertake the musical
demands of the courses in a happy and relaxed
atmosphere. But the freedom fully to enjoy not
only the training but the recreation periods – which
might include sport, craft-work, quizzes, films and
a much-anticipated Cabaret Evening – does involve
submitting to a few rules, not least the vexed question
of rationing the use of mobile phones: attendees are
expected to hand in their mobiles at the beginning
of the course – these are registered and returned
every evening for 15 minutes so that the children can
phone home. ‘Older girls can find this a challenge,’
says Reffell, ‘but Senior Choir members can keep their
phones as we expect them to be mature enough to
behave responsibly.’ Tablet computers, laptops and
DVD players are verboten for Juniors, but Seniors
can bring computers for revision purposes: ‘This is
all about being able to go away from home, but being
safe,’ says Gray. Is the gentle easing of technology-
fixated youngsters out of their private bubbles, to be
shown the joy of concentration in a shared experience
such as singing, all part of the holistic approach? ‘Yes,
if you stretch their abilities without stress, the results
are amazing!’
ShrEW
SBUrY Sc
hO
Ol
hosting a youth choir from Beijing has led to an nccGB tour in china in 2018
dan ludford-thomas rehearses the senior choir
CO_0215_F_NCGGB T.indd 47 11/02/2015 18:15:52
slug
www.choirandorgan.com22 choir & organ march/april 2015
CO_0215_F_Thaxted T.indd 22 11/02/2015 17:55:37
slug
www.choirandorgan.com46 choir & organ march/april 2015
The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain (NCCGB) began life as the brainchild of Lissa Gray, singer, teacher and founder of the Hampshire County Children’s Choir: ‘In 1998,
I looked around and there wasn’t a children’s choir
involving people from all over the country and from
all backgrounds. There seemed to be a need, and
having launched it, the project just grew and grew.’
That growth is measured by the fact that the original
Millennium Youth Prom group of 38 has swelled to
around 250 currently active members, split across
junior and senior choirs; children are able to join – by
audition – at numerous entry points between the ages
of 9 and 19. The NCCGB’s work is structured around
residential courses which may separate children from
their parents by hundreds of miles. The organisation
therefore goes out of its way to emphasise that an
appropriate level of family care is provided for course
participants: ‘It’s about giving talented young singers
the opportunity to work together and enjoy making
music under the guidance of inspired teachers,’ says
Gray. ‘But all the children are encouraged to develop
their abilities within a caring environment.’
This year’s courses take place in Shrewsbury (6-12
Apr) and Edinburgh (1-8 August). Securing a place on
a course involves taking part in auditions – these are
held up and down the country and are publicised to
all state schools via the music hubs, by direct mailing
to the private sector, and via the website: www.nccgb.
com. Gray points out that although central initiatives
such as Sing Up! have made some gains and Gareth
Malone’s TV projects have helped make adults more
The national children’s choir of great Britain made its concert debut in the
Millennium Youth Prom at the royal albert hall in 2000. But, notwithstanding its
concerts and tours, the backbone of the work happens out of the public eye at its
annual residential courses. Lindsay Thomson looks in. phOTOS cOUrTESY NccGB
FULLY STRETCHED
NCCGB founder Lissa Gray: ‘It’s about giving talented young singers the opportunity to enjoy making music’
CO_0215_F_NCGGB T.indd 46 11/02/2015 18:15:34
www.choirandorgan.com98 choir & organ march/april 2015
Mortality, forgiveness and under-standing – these themes have resonated down the centuries, and are central to a new choral work by
Yorkshire-based composer Emily Levy.
In paradisum – dedicated to victims of
violence – sets a text by US essayist Andre
Dubus II alongside two movements of the
Requiem (Lux aeterna and In paradisum),
the emphasis being on hope and peace.
The work came about when the Marian
Consort’s artistic director, Rory McCleery,
commissioned Levy to write a piece that
would give the opportunity for a four-part
adult choir and a youth choir to perform
side by side with the Consort – ‘an impor-
tant step up from either listening to us in
concert or attending a workshop led by us.’
McCleery explains, ‘We wanted something
to complement our education programme,
something approachable and accessible to
a wide range of performers – so the SATB
choir could be a good adult chamber choir,
school sixth-form choir, or college choir.
Emily is fantastic at writing music that is
very beautiful, but which also draws dispa-
rate groups together.’ Levy jumped at the
chance: ‘I’m a big admirer of the Consort’s
sound, and combining several groups of
singers really appealed, as I like to think
texturally and spacially when I write; it
immediately suggested lots of possibilities.’
The theme was chosen to tie in with
the Consort’s touring programme of
‘Lamentation and Consolation’. Levy
explains: ‘ We looked for texts that could
work well with the familiar, devotional
words [of the Requiem]. I hoped to find
something that was immediately recogni-
sable as contemporary, non-liturgical and
in English.’ McCleery adds, ‘The message
of the texts is very important, especially in
the context of all that has been happening
recently in the news.’
Levy describes the structure: ‘The first
section, Lux Aeterna, is based around the
idea of everlasting light; it’s very textural,
using vocal sound effects and layering of
vocal lines. The middle section sets words
from Dubus’s Broken Vessels: “We receive
and we lose and we must try to achieve grat-
itude; and with that gratitude to embrace
with whole hearts whatever of life remains
after the losses.” It is sung by the children’s
choir, with the other groups in a supporting
role, creating a backdrop of sound. The final
section combines all the voices in sustained
blocks for the first time, with a persistent
rhythmic motif running through all parts.
My style is informed by my roots in choral,
medieval and classical music with heavy
influences from folk and jazz.’
Benjamin Nicholas conducts the
premiere in this year’s Passiontide at
Merton season, after which it will tour.
Further dates and performances are at
marianconsort.co.uk. www.emilylevy.co.uk
Maggie Hamilton
platformperformances of note
emily levy: in paradisum Greir
Emily Levy: In paradisum(world premiere)The Marian consort, Merton college choir, oxford Youth choirs / Benjamin nicholas (dir)27 Mar, Merton college chapel, oxfordTickets: 01865 305305, www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford
ali
cle
ary
eric
ric
hm
on
d
the marian Consort Emily levy: ‘I like to think texturally and spacially’
CO_0215_R_Platform T.indd 98 11/02/2015 18:37:51
www.choirandorgan.com www.choirandorgan.com MARCH/APRIL 2014 CHOIR & ORGAN 2322 CHOIR & ORGAN MARCH/APRIL 2014
GALLERY
end up being bland and tonally insipid in
their quest to be all things to all people.
Worse, some end up sounding hectoring or
even aggressive, as if to make up for their
confused identity.
The moment I heard the Great 8ft princi-
pal (Open Diapason II), I realised that here
was an instrument confi dent in its own skin
and beguiling in its own rights. The sound
was warm but clear, not massively powerful
but able to envelop rather than attack the
room. In fact this sums up the whole instru-
ment, as I realised when building up the
Great chorus. The Swell is at the top of the
case and sings wonderfully into the Quire.
Dynamically, it is almost the equal of the
Great, although the chorus is a little lighter
in effect, despite a pleasantly darker feel to
the 8ft and 4ft diapasons (another Victorian
legacy)? The Choir chorus confi rms that it
is very much the tertiary division, but with
suffi cient presence and having more impact
than many such divisions on 19th-century
English organs. The pedal sounds are
pleasingly weighty without losing clarity.
As importantly, the touch feels different
between the divisions, giving vital musical
feedback to the player: a fi rm but very
responsive Great, a slightly deeper Swell and
a light Choir action, speaking a little nearer
the top of the keys without compromising
the control of releases. The pedal touch
is superb and well-sprung, avoiding that
overly fragile feel encountered on many
instruments. I wondered whether the Swell
might be regulated to be just a little heavier
to match its depth (the instrument is still
awaiting some fi nal tweaks before its offi -
cial inauguration) – certainly the coupled
weight of all three manuals together could
take this.
So much for the instrument’s backbone:
what of the individual registers? Flutes are
beautifully contrasting and characterful,
from the full and pleasantly nasal edge of
the Swell fl utes to the more neutral Choir
Gedeckt and the broad Great Chimney
Flute. The Harmonic Flute is appropriately
large and wide, while able to take its part
in the chorus to form a fi rmer plenum if
desired. The Great Trumpet is very much
a chorus reed, and a well-blended one at
that, whereas the Choir Major Trumpet is
halfway between a bright orchestral trumpet
and a smaller-scale Tuba. It is able to stand
alone as a solo register (albeit against a
judiciously balanced accompaniment) or
sit with the tutti without dominating. The
excellently effective swell boxes – the Choir
division is enclosed, too – add to its versatil-
ity, as I also discovered when registering the
Full Swell. Here, the reeds seem to take their
tonal inspiration from Father Willis, with
fi re and body, and the swell box enables a
wide dynamic range. The Swell Oboe, to
quote John Panning (Dobson’s vice presi-
dent and tonal director), ‘is carefully treated
to blend with the fl uework while remaining
characterful for solo use – a nod to Stanford
rather than Franck.’
Other examples of this versatility and
blend are apparent in two of the Choir
registers. The Corno di Bassetto might
take its nomenclature, like the rest of the
organ, from English traditions, but is rather
chameleon-like. Used alone or with the
Gedeckt and with the box half-open, it is
an English 19th-century clarinet. When
combined with the Diapason and with
the box open, it can act as a Cromorne in
earlier French repertoire, albeit a rather
polite example. The Geigen Diapason itself
is similarly versatile. It can function either
as a Cavaillé-Coll-type Salicional or, with
the box nearly closed, as a more anglicised
Dulciana. With the (American-inspired)
Geigen Celeste, it can be used as an Unda
Maris in romantic French repertoire.
Of course, even a fi nely voiced and
intelligently conceived organ such as this
has to take compromises if it seeks to be
versatile. For instance, the Great cornet
séparé is a winning, mellifl uous sound,
but one which lacks the bite and scale of
either a north Germanic solo stop or the
breadth of a French baroque example.
This is not a criticism – any organ which is
more than a mere copy of one particular
specifi c school cannot and should not try
AMERICAN BEAUTYDaniel Moult is beguiled by the new Dobson organ in Oxford University, built as part
of the 750th anniversary celebrations of Merton College. MAIN PHOTOS BY COLIN DUNN
There’s a good reason why organ cases are photographed in glori-ous sunshine, so my expectations were not too high as I opened the Merton
College Chapel door on a dark and
dank January evening. Any reservations
were blown away as I saw the beautifully
conceived and executed case, taking its
inspiration from its Gothic surroundings
but having the solidity and size more akin
to some of the Victorian additions in the
Chapel. Even from the most disadvanta-
geous angle it pleases the eye, not least as
the side panels are decorated with sten-
cilled Pedal Bourdon pipes (a Victorian
trait). Designed by the organ builder Lynn
Dobson, the case is a wonderful creation
and one which manages to assert its place
in the room without dominating (although
it houses quite a large instrument) or
appearing too slight (a possible criticism
against the 1968 Walker organ it replaced).
The same philosophies of seeking inspi-
ration from the past without belonging
to any one school and of a scale avoiding
extremes seem to apply to the instrument
itself. Again, I had reservations before my
fi ngers fi rst touched the keys. The console
looked handsome and ergonomically sensi-
ble, although the stoplist suggested a rather
eclectic organ. Eclecticism has perhaps
received a bad name in organ circles. Many
instruments seeking to be versatile often
The reeds seem to take their tonal inspiration from Father Willis, with fire and body
‘A wonderful creation’: the new Dobson organ in Merton College
JOH
N PA
NN
ING
/DO
BSON
PIPE ORG
AN
BUILD
ERS
View of the medieval chapel from the organ
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www.choirandorgan.com www.choirandorgan.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 CHOIR & ORGAN 5554 CHOIR & ORGAN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
CANDÉ CANDÉ
Willis director who came from London to
work for Skinner in July 1927, returned to
England in June 1928 to collect his wife and
two sons. While across the pond, he went
to Candé to measure for the new organ
(pencil sketches of which still survive).
Candé’s stoplist is more orthodox than the
usual Skinner player, containing not only
the colour voices, harp and chimes the rolls
require (save an Echo department) but also
independent diapason and fl ute choruses.
At Candé, the roll player asks for every stop
individually except the Piccolo, Octave and
III Mixture. But even those stops are heard
when the player’s crescendo or full organ
devices engage. Completed in Boston in
March 1929, the organ was installed and
ready for inauguration at Candé by Marcel
Dupré that August.
Dupré would return in June 1937, when
the Bedauxs offered Candé to Edward and
Mrs Simpson for their wedding. Bedaux
had become friendly with the Windsors,
and after the wedding attempted to
increase the connection by sponsoring a
US tour for them. A barrage of negative
publicity turned on both parties, however,
such that the Windsors never went to the
US and Bedaux returned to France and
suffered a breakdown. After the second
world war began, Bedaux worked with
the Germans as an economic adviser;
he remained a US citizen, and as such in
January 1943 was captured in Algeria.
He was transferred to a Florida jail, and
committed suicide 13 months later await-
ing trial on charges of treason. His wife,
Fern, died in 1972, leaving Candé to the
French government.
The library was remodelled with simple English Gothic-style
panelling, which the console cabinetry was built to match
The organ is located above the library into which the tone emits
JOSEPH
DZED
A
JOSEPH
DZED
A
Although the house lay empty until the
later 1990s, in the last decade Candé has
been the object of renewed attention. The
regional consul general, the dedicated Guy
du Chazaud, has taken Candé to heart. The
ground and fi rst fl oor rooms have been
conservatively cleaned, and set up in a self-
guided tour. An exhibit on the Windsors
includes even Mrs Simpson’s wedding
dress. Best of all, the organ has been
overhauled. After Yale University Skinner
experts Joseph Dzeda and Nicholas
Thompson-Allen were brought in to
advise, Manufacture Bretonne d’Orgues
was awarded the project. With great gusto
and wonderful respect, the fi rm’s director
Nicolas Toussaint tackled an organ that
– with its duplexed pitman soundboards,
percussions, and fussy player mechanism –
could not be more un-French.
Toussaint’s approach entailed a more
preservationist bent than most US work in
this fi eld. Where perishable materials had
obvious life left, they were left untouched.
The pipework was conservatively treated,
including preservation of cone-tuned
trebles. In a nod to today’s visitors, windows
were fi tted to allow both pipe chambers and
player relay to be seen. A modern record-
playback device permits the docent to run
the organ without damage to the fragile
paper rolls. Thompson-Allen and Dzeda
remained involved through the project,
coming to France four times to advise on
technique and approach.
The restored organ was celebrated in a
weekend of festivities on 13-15 September
this year. To an invited audience of 100
(half of whom had to be seated in the next
room), Vincent Warnier opened with a
recital of both original and transcribed
music. Warnier’s concluding improvisation
featured a short but passionate affair with
the celesta. Lectures and demonstrations
took up the Saturday, to a solid audience,
particularly given torrential rain. Warnier
gave informal demonstrations throughout
Sunday. Thanks to the generosity of the
consul general, Dzeda and Thompson-
Allen returned to take part in the weekend
and give lectures.
Alas, no one got married.
Jonathan Ambrosino is an organ technician, consultant and journalist in Boston.
Letter from Marcel Dupré to Ernest Skinner on 27 August 1929, praising the fi rm’s organ at Candé
CO
URTESY JO
SEPH D
ZEDA
London Symphony OrchestraLiving Music
LSO Singing Days
020 7638 8891 lso.co.uk
Sat 4 Jan 2014 Haydn The Creationwith Simon Halsey
Sat 25 Jan 2014 Rachmaninov Vesperswith David Lawrence
Don’t miss the chance to sing with a world-class choral conductor this January. Join LSO Choral Director Simon Halsey in a workshop on Haydn’s The Creation, or sing Rachmaninov’s Vespers with LSO Community Choir Conductor David Lawrence. Each Singing Day ends with an informal performance which friends and family can watch.
Whether you sing regularly, or haven’t sung since school, LSO Singing Days are a unique opportunity to get to grips with a classic choral work. Some sight-singing ability is required.
Sung in English, with piano accompaniment Tickets £17 (includes music hire) Afternoon spectator tickets £5 (from 3pm) 11am–4.30pm Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s, London
‘Simon Halsey gave such an insight into the work. It was so inspiring!’
2012/13 Singing Day participant
Untitled-8 1 21/10/2013 16:59:28
II. GREAT (71/2" wind, enclosed), 73 pipes
Diapason 8
Chimney Flute 8
Cello 8
Cello Celeste 8
Flute Harmonique 4
Piccolo 2
Bassoon 16
English Horn 8
Corno d’Amore 8
Clarinet 8
Vox Humana 8
French Horn (10" wind) 8
Tuba (10" wind) 8
Tremolo
Chimes (25 tubes, G to g)
III. SWELL(71/2" wind, enclosed), 73 pipes
Diapason 8
Rohrflöte 8
Salicional 8
Voix Celeste 8
Flute Celeste II 8
Octave 4
Mixture (15.19.22) III
Cornopean 8
Tremolo
Harp (from Celesta) 8
Celesta (61 bars) 4
I. SOLO GREATAll Great stops available
via duplex action
I. SOLO SWELLAll Swell stops available
via duplex action
PEDAL(Flues 6", reed 10")
Contrebasse (metal, in Gt.) 16
Bourdon (wood, in Sw.) 16
Cello (ext. Contrebasse) 8
Gedeckt (ext. Bourdon) 8
Trombone (10" wind) 16
Bassoon (Gt.) 16
Chimes (Gt.)
Bass Drum
Tympani (Bass Drum with roll action)
Château de Candé, Monts, Indre-et-Loire, FranceSKINNER ORGAN COMPANY, OPUS 718 (1929); REST. NICOLAS TOUSSAINT (2013)
C&O - November December - FEATURES - Cande T.indd 54-55 12/05/2014 10:36:22
PRINT DISPLaY
Individually Designed Organs from Viscount
Viscount Classical Organs Limited, Prestige House, 23 Telford Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 4LD
Tel: 01869 247 333 | Email: [email protected] | www.viscountorgans.net
St. John’s, Stratfield Mortimer
Sadly faced with a pipe organ that was deteriorating, and having received independent advice that it would be a waste of money to try to renovate it, we decided to look for a digital organ as a replacement. Having looked at three suppliers’ instruments and quotations we chose Viscount Classical Organs. We did require slightly more than just an organ as we also wanted to retain the existing front case and display pipes.
The three manual custom built Viscount organ we chose would not fit into the space left after removal of the old console from the casework, and to place it in front of the casework would destroy the sightline to the Sanctuary. This was no problem as Viscount’s staff were able to move the casework back into the organ chamber, and it is now 1 metre from its original position. This also required replacement of some old floorboards and carpet to be laid. Fortunately we still had some of the existing carpet. The carpentry work to the front case, filling in where the old console was, the replacement floorboarding and recarpeting, all carried out by the Viscount team, was excellent and if anything, has visually improved the balance of the Chancel.
The advice and help given to us by Viscount Classical Organs leading up to the purchase was of considerable assistance, and the installation, placing of the 9 speakers and voicing to the building is all excellent. We now have a versatile custom built 3 manual organ that enhances the worship at St. John’s, Stratfield Mortimer.
Pedal
Sub Bass 32
Open Wood 16
Open Metal 16
Bourdon 16
Principal 8
Bass Flute 8
Choral Bass 4
Mixture IV
Bombarde 16
Swell
Open Diapason 8
Chimney Flute 8
Echo Gamba 8
Voix Celeste 8
Principal 4
Wald Flute 4
Fifteenth 2
Mixture IV
Contra Fagotto 16
Cornopean 8
Oboe 8
Tremulant
Great
Bourdon 16
Open Diapason 8
Hohl Flute 8
Stopped Diapason 8
Principal 4
Harmonic Flute 4
Twelfth 2-2/3
Fifteenth 2
Mixture IV
Trumpet 8
Choir
Gedackt 8
Dulciana 8
Gemshorn 4
Nazard 2.2/3
Flageolet 2
Tierce 1.3/5
Mixture III
Clarinet 8
Tuba 8
Tremulant
Couplers
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Swell to Choir
It is comfortable to play in its console layout and a joy to listen to and look at. The quality is evident both to the ear and the eye. The new Physis technology used by Viscount has certainly taken away the common criticisms of electronic instruments and it would be difficult not to think that we have ranks of pipes hidden somewhere.
Nick Munson - Chairman, New Organ Committee
1876_Custom_Ad_2.indd 1 07/12/2012 09:43004_C&O_0314.indd 2 14/02/2014 12:14:14
aPP BaNNER
www.choirandorgan.com72 choir & organ May/june 2013
kenneth leighton
‘When Kenneth Leighton died, Britain lost one of its fi nest contemporary composers, who never received in his life-
time quite the recognition that was his due.
He died at the peak of his powers, and I
have no doubt that we have been deprived
of some enriching music.’ This was the
view of Gramophone magazine, a year or
so after Leighton’s untimely death at the
age of 59 on 24 August 1988. In this 25th
anniversary year of his passing, there is an
opportunity to reassess Leighton’s position
among Britain’s 20th-century composers,
and in particular his contribution to the
fi eld of organ and choral music.
Born in 1929, Leighton was a chorister
at Wakefi eld Cathedral, and later studied
Classics at Oxford University, staying
on in Oxford to study composition with
Bernard Rose before travelling to Rome on
a Mendelssohn Scholarship, to study with
Petrassi. He held positions at Leeds and
Oxford universities before becoming
Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh
University in 1970, a position he held until
his death.
During his lifetime Leighton received
several prizes for his compositions, and
published more than 100 works. To most
readers, he is doubtless known primarily
as a composer of organ music and over 50
choral works, ranging from small-scale
unaccompanied carols to large choral
symphonies; but in fact he composed many
fi ne works in a wide range of genres – the
orchestral and instrumental works are
well worth exploring. An accomplished
pianist, he wrote many solo works for the
instrument, and used it extensively in his
chamber music. His opera Columba was
completed in 1978, and he wrote several
acclaimed symphonies and concertos,
including one for the organ. Readers
whose perception of his style is based on
an anthem such as Let all the world, for
example, might be taken aback by the
instrumental colour in his orchestral works,
© SH
aLITH
the city of edinburgh, where leighton spent the last 18 years
of his life as Reid Professor of Music at the University
Twenty years after the founding of the Kenneth Leighton Trust, greg Morris assesses the
contribution this often neglected composer made to British choral and organ music
Touching the numinous
PRINT aDvERTORIaL
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sCheduLe 2015-16 issue Copy deadline Publishing date issue theme
May/June 2015 14/04/2015 27/04/2015 Festivals
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March/april 2016 12/02/2016 27/02/2016 Summer Schools and Short Courses
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