another toccata " Le Clerc " on Westpoint Organ

[wljmrbill]

Enjoy.. I know some do not care for Miss Bish..Oh well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdq6qKxVnk

[dll927]

Sometimes she comes across as almost a female Virgil Fox. She seems to do very little that isn't show pieces. I don't question her ability, but I could do with a good bit less of the flamboyance.

BTW -- that's hardly the West Point organ. I think it's the Air Force Chapel one in Colorado.

[Krummhorn]

Hi Bill,

I do enjoy some of the offerings of Bish, but agree that most of what we are given to see are the flashy displays of musicianship. Even dear Virgil was able to play the quieter tunes without looking like he was swatting flies off the keydesks.

Equally as difficult to play are the softer toned pieces ... Prelude, Fuge et Variation of Franck comes to mind - a very technical piece on many accounts, but clearly no room for any "flamboyance" at the console during its playing.

And yes, it's the Möller at the Air Force Chapel, Colorado.

[Contratrombone64]

shame that clip was of the woman at the helm, I'd much rather have gazed lovingly at the organ then her annoying swaying hither and thither. Thanks for the link, I love the organ, it's beautiful and now I know what the chapel looks like from without.

[dll927]

That chapel is in about the same ilk as St. Basil's on Wilshire Blvd. in L. A. It's so modernistic you need to be reminded it's a church.

For a while, St. Basil's played the role of being the archbishop's seat, since the old St. Vibiani's in downtown L. A. was about to collapse and was no longer used. (I think they finally did some restorations on it.) But not long ago, they opened the new cathedral on Temple St., which is right in downtown again. It is also known as Mahoney's Palace. (Roger Mahoney is the L.A. archbishop, about to be replaced by a new guy from San Antonio TX.)

For the novices, yes, L.A. really does have a 'downtown'. The fact that it has been described as fifty communities in search of a city has some truth, but it does have recognizable areas. The new cathedral is called Our Lady of the Angels, so they didn't forget the city's name!! And it's quite a layout.

I get something of a kick out of people's descriptions of Bish.

I just heard of a new one - a French lady named Suzanne Chaisemartin. She appears to be about contemporary with M-C. Alain. How many organists are there around who don't seem to get much publicity?