Search results

Have you ever been to an organ recital by a professional when something has gone horribly wrong? I can remember two such experiences, but I won't name names as I wouldn't want to destroy anyone's reputation! The first was a very emminent British organist giving a recital at Birmingham Cathedral...

As we all know, "full" pedalboards come in two varieties: 30 note and 32 note. But do any organ compositions actually use the two extra pedals? As far as I can remember, I've never come across one, but my repertoire is admittedly very limited. So my challenge question to all organ "anoraks" is...

They are in our thoughts at this time of terrible suffering and loss.

I set myself the enjoyable little task of looking for all 12 major organ works on Youtube - and I found them! SIX PIECES (1860's) 1. Fantasy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIZN0SVDizw 2. Grand Piece Symphonique http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy4hJocyrLM...

Self-explanatory really, a spin-off from the verbosity challenge. Here's one to get it started ... Took a more elevated seat, we hear. Good for taking the mickey. (6) . . . . R .

I have always thought of Merkel as a writer of (good) short pieces, but here's something a little more substantial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-cSP6qWmAs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxAHgWTNhJA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ee7gKvXMAE

He was a great actor who could play any part from a spy to a bin man, but perhaps he will be most remembered for this ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FdV-O8o7ok

Technically, I have seen a UFO, but it was rather a boring one - nothing like a flying saucer. I was walking across a field at dusk when something above the trees caught my eye. I don't really know what it was, but it appeared to be a piece of translucent material (eg clear polythene sheet)...

The first is my favourite (by a narrow margin) but I haven't found a Youtube recording I liked - not until today. Nathan Laube interprets it beautifully, the recording is nice and clear, and that all-important Vox Humana is quite delicious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tare6rI_d-s...

What? You can't find your fiddle? There must be something else you could use .... ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQdASKnIFCg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDy_vZHEi6E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9lk7Ddmv1E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TKN0XgyXy8

Here is a full performance of a work very dear to my heart. But how did the mild-mannered organist of St Clotilde come to compose such a sizzlingly erotic outpouring of raw emotion in the first place? One theory is that he had fallen deeply in love with his student Augusta Holmes, and expressed...

Just discovered this charming little song by my idol C.F. Perfect for calming the mind at bedtime... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SlaNR9Xbus

"Panis Angelicus" has become one of those musical cliches - a song better known than its composer - and it goes without saying that every up-and-coming classical singer will want to make a recording of it. But in spite of the endless repetition, it never quite loses its simple magic. Here are...

A few years ago the UK TV programme "The South Bank Show" featured Dame Gillian Weir (for whom I have a lot of admiration). At one point she was shown teaching a US student and encouraging them to strike the keys of a tracker action organ quite hard in order to accent notes. I hadn't come across...

Does anyone here know for sure whether Thomas M Franck, the distinguished international lawyer who died recently was a descendant of Cesar Franck? The second link below says that he was (though it is not very accurate in its musical details) but his Wickipedia entry (third link) says that he...

This is my thread. Clear off!

Another atmospheric masterpiece from the genius Louis Vierne.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84RMbM3bUbc but does anyone know the background to the writing of this piece? What was the connection between the organist of Notre Dame and a small town in Leicestershire? I'd love to know.

Here in the UK we've got ourselves into a very strange situation with our units of measurement. We were supposed to switch to the European (SI) system decades ago, but we never quite got there. True, the metre-kilogram-second system is universal amongst technical folk like scientists and...

Isn't music wonderful? http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x85f4v_bach-prelude-n-1-clavier-tempere_music http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38tqs_ave-maria-bach-gounod-bobbymcferrin_music http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6i5zl_maurane-catherine-lara-sur-un-prelu_music

I would be interested to know what opinions/experiences you have regarding dreams. I think dreams are utterly fascinating, and it surprises me we don't talk about them more, since we all probably spend as much time dreaming as we do working (maybe considerably more in some cases!). Does anyone...