July / August 2017Number 61

Derby & District Organists' AssociationRegistered Charity No. 510567

Newsletter

organ in the western gallery. Thehandsome case provides a crowningglory to the church furnishings. Allthis is in stark contrast to the blandarchitecture of the neighbouringshops. One would hope that localpeople are proud of such beauty inthe midst of their bustling town.

In its present form, the splendidcase dates from the nineteenthcentury when James Wyattelaborated the case of an earlierone, rumoured to have been built bySnetzler in 1774. The contentswithin the case have changedseveral times. In 1899, followinghis success up the road at St Paul’s,Robert Hope-Jones built a four-manual organ. This was ‘disposedof’ in 1972 and parts of hisinstrument, including the console,are now in the Lancastrian TheatreOrgan Trust’s museum inManchester.

A New Summer Recital Series

Concerts & RecitalsLunchtime Organ Recitals at StModwen’s, Burton-upon-TrentWednesdays 12.30 pmFree admission. Retiring collection.28th June Arthur Tipper (Tutbury)5th July Jeremy Hampton12th July Tom Corfield (Derby)19th July Andrew Storer (Derby)26th July Stanley Monkhouse & Tony Westerman (Burton)2nd August Laurence Rogers (Melbourne)9th August Cathy Lamb (Lichfield)

Derby Cathedral Summer RecitalsWednesdays 7.45pm Admission £8.19th July Hugh Morris (Derby)26th July Rupert Jeffcoat (Chelsea)2nd August Jennifer Bate9th August David Davies (Exeter)16th August Michael Overbury (Newark)23rd August Gordon Stewart

Leicester Cathedral Summer RecitalsTuesdays 7.30pm Admission £7.50,Students £5, Under 16s free.4th July Tom Bell & Richard Brasier11th July David Cowan (Leicester)18th July Carleton Etherington25th July Hugh Morris (Derby)1st August Richard Hills (London)8th August Josef Laming (Oxford)15th August Christopher Ouvry-Johns22nd August Jonathan Hope (Gloucester)29th August Simon Headley (Leicester)

Member’s NoticeMrs J.Willers wishes to dispose of her latehusband’s two-manual and pedal electronicorgan. Further details may be obtainedfrom her on 0793 0616 305.

Photo: St Modwen, Burton-upon Trent.19th Century case thought to incorporate earlierwork by Snetzler.

It was the recent Sunday afterEaster when Tony Westerman tookup residence as Organist at StModwen’s, Burton-upon-Trent, andno sooner had he moved on to theorgan bench than he had organiseda series of ten lunchtime organrecitals for the summer months.Clearly he has been inspired by thequalities of the instrument and hasalready dedicated himself topresenting it to a wider audience,which it justly deserves. Memberswill recall our visit to Burton twoyears ago when many of us wereintroduced to this notableinstrument in a setting of classicalsplendour of an equally notable, andcertainly beautiful, church. As avisitor, it is truly striking when oneenters the church to be greeted by agrand vista of elegance and grace.The experience is enhanced stillfurther when, standing in the centreof the aisle, one turns to view the

DDOA Events 2017

23rd September (Saturday afternoon)Visit to organs in Newark and Halam (nearSouthwell)

19th October (Thursday) 7.30pmManuals only seminar. Melbourne PC

20th November (Monday) 7.15 pmAGM

The present instrument wasoriginally built for Holy Trinity,Burton-upon-Trent by Hill & Son in1871 at a time when the firm wasproducing organs with bright boldchoruses, somewhat along the linesof the German builder, Schulze.The instrument was built into achancel chamber and voicedaccordingly. When Holy Trinityclosed in 1971, the organ wasbrought to St Modwen’s in 1972and installed within the old case byHill, Norman and Beard. Theoriginal voicing was retained, butnow that the pipe work is situatedin the spacious gallery with thesoundboards arranged laterallyacross the gallery, the egress ofsound into the nave isunencumbered, and full organ canbe quite overwhelming. The well-equipped drawstop console ispositioned where the organist canhear everything, an unusual luxury

for most organists! Music of theBaroque period fairs very well indeed,but it is possible to play works frommost periods successfully, such is theflexibility of the instrument.

For the first season of lunchtimerecitals Tony invited several of ourmembers to contribute. His brief wasto “play pieces that are melodic,rhythmic, entertaining, or perhapspieces which would not normallyfeature as final voluntaries; anopportunity to let our hair down alittle.” It will be interesting to see howeach player interprets this! Forstarters, Tony gave the first recital,setting the bar very high withtoccatas, trios and variations;needless to say, all played brilliantly.He teased out an impressive range ofcolours in his registrations. Thespecification shows a plentifulendowment of reeds and mixtures, butTony used these with restraint andcharmed our ears with many different

solo stops, in particular somecharacterful flutes.

As the series progresses it will beinteresting to see what unusualrepertoire comes out of thewoodwork. At the time of writing Ican report that David Johnson’sexcellent recital, second in theseries, included ElizabethanSerenade by Ronald Binge, aformer cinema organist fromDerby, who arranged many worksfor the Mantovani orchestra in the1950’s and was responsible for thecharacteristic sound of cascadingstrings in pieces such asCharmaine. I wonder if ArthurTipper, of Wurlitzer fame, might beable to offer us cascading stringsin his recital? Report to follow!

Laurence Rogers2

St Modwen’s Church,Burton-upon-Trent

GreatOpen Diapason 8Stopped Diapason 8Octave 4Fifteenth 2Mixture IIIPosaune 8

Swell to Great Swell suboctave to Great Swell octave to Great Positiv to Great

SwellSpitz Flute 8Salicional 8Principal 4Fifteenth 2Mixture IIIShalmey 16Trumpet 8

Swell Octave Swell Suboctave Swell Unison Off

PositivGedeckt 8Chimney Flute 4Flute 2Larigot 11/3Sesquialtera IICymbal IIICremona 8Posaune 8Tremulant

Swell to Positiv

PedalContra Bass 16Bourdon 16Octave 8Gedeckt 8Super octave 4Mixture IITrombone 16

Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Positiv to Pedal

Swell Octave to Pedal

Built 1871 by Hill & SonMoved 1972 by Hill, Norman & BeardIn recent years Michael Thompsonhas maintained the instrument withgreat care.

Tony Westerman, Organist at St Modwen’s

Belper Arts Festival

It is usually a special occasionwhen an organ recital attracts apacked house for an audience,and such was the case whenTom Corfield played at St.Peter’s Church as part of theBelper Arts Festival in May. Inaddition to a strong local turnout, the audience was boostedby the presence of many DDOAmembers and Derbyshiremusicians, a strong affirmationof the regard with which Tom isheld in the community.

It is so good when the recitalistintroduces the pieces, conveyingpersonality to the music,composer and performance, andin this Tom did not disappoint. Ialways look forward to his pithycomments which are oftencoloured by a veiled butirrepressible quiet sense ofhumour.

The programme was aninteresting, if slightly quirky, mixof pieces in a variety of styles,reflecting Tom’s broad repertoireand musical interests. Bach wasrepresented by the Alle breveBWV 589, perhaps lessfrequently heard in recitals thesedays, but a clear reminder ofBach’s gift for effortlesslyflowing counterpoint. It was nosurprise to hear music by FranzSchmidt (1874-1939), acomposer much studied and

Recent EventsAnnual Dinner

In beautiful rural Derbyshire, HorsleyLodge, near Coxbench, was once againthe venue for the Annual Dinner. Thefriendly congenial atmosphere,combined with excellent food andservice, made it a most enjoyableevening and a clear highlight in theAssociation calendar.

admired by Tom. Here heoffered Four Chorale Preludes incontrasting moods. Apart fromthe final Nun danket, the otherchorale melodies were lessfamiliar to an English audiencethan might be the case for aGerman congregation, howeverthe variety of Tom’s choices ofregistration secured our interestthroughout. A particularfavourite of mine was theIntroduction and Passacagliafrom Rheinberger’s 8th Sonata.The dramatic introduction is anuncompromising wake-up callfollowed by a broodingpassacaglia theme whichbecomes increasingly hypnoticin the following twenty fourvariations. Again, Tom provedto be the master of invention inhis constantly evolvingregistration changes, butwithout any combination aids,his devoted assistant,Rosemary, rendered it allpossible without destroying theflow. The recital concluded withthe barnstorming Final fromVierne’s 1st Symphony. As withall the previous pieces, theperformance was immaculate;all the themes were clearlydelineated, modulations glidedassuredly from one key to thenext, there was a constantbubbling of rhythmic energy, allin all, a fitting finale.

Laurence Rogers

3Tom Corfield takes a bow after his recital at St Peter’s Church, Belper.

The Revd. Peter Barham with Chairman,John Maxwell-Jones.

Our guest of honour was theReverend Peter Barham, Vicar of StMatthew’s, Darley Abbey and StEdmund’s, Allestree. Peter has wideinterests and we discovered in hisafter dinner speech that he lovestelling stories and does so withgusto. For our audience he focusedmainly on organists and churchmusicians he has known through histravels and ministries in diverse partsof the country, Northumberland,Yorkshire, Lincoln, The Fens andSuffolk. His flamboyant style hadsome of us aching with laughterseveral times as he painted portraitsof nameless, often quirky, characters(mainly organists), whoseconservatism and musical tastesmust have tested the reformingambitions of many a less tolerantcleric than the humane Peter.Underpinning all the jollity, we couldread a deep respect for organists andthe difference they make to countlesspeople’s lives. “As partners in theministry of the Church, what wouldwe do without them?” Petersummed up the organists he hasknown and been influenced by as “atalented and hard-working bunch”.We can hardly disagree with that!

Laurence Rogers

The DDOA visit to Selby Abbeyand Doncaster Minster proved to bea most interesting and rewardingday - our thanks to Terry Bennettfor arranging access to two of thecountry's most significantinstruments. Our thanks also go toDr. Roger Tebbet and his wife whooffered us a warm welcome toSelby, with only a caution aboutusing the Pedal reeds whilst theshop was open, more of which,later.

Selby Abbey

The Hill organ in Selby Abbey(NPOR N07165), recently restoredby Principal Pipe Organs of York, isusually associated with recordingsmade by Fernando Germani in the1960s, recordings with which manyof us grew up. Germani regardedthe instrument as one of the finestof its kind in the country and spentten days recording in the Abbeycreating what were considered to bedefinitive recordings at that time.

The tonal structure of the organhas been preserved and speakssurprisingly well into the nave ofthe building despite being situatedin two cases east of the crossing;the generous acoustic of the Abbeywould be kind to most organs, butis unusually good at carrying thesofter stops to both east and westwhilst still retaining theircharacteristics. The Abbey itself isa beautiful, light, welcomingbuilding with a strong sense of itspast emanating from the palecream stone - truly, a hidden gemthat is well worth visiting.

At the south side of thecrossing is the restoredManchester Cathedral console,which is used for concertsthough not for nave services atthe moment as it is not possibleto see what is happening at thealtar. When in Manchester theconsole was finished in a verydark oak stain, but is now thesame light, warm oak as thechancel console, which weused.

Playing the chancel console isa comfortable experience witheverything in reach, and isideally placed to hear mostthings during chancel services,though hearing the choir duringnave services must makeaccompaniment difficult. TheChoir organ appeared to speakinto the north transept, whichwould provide good support forthe choir during nave services,though judging balance wouldrequire experience. Bothconsoles are well-equipped withregistration aids - alwayshelpful to the manyinternational recitalists whoperform at the Abbey.

When playing the organ, onehas the impression of a rathergrand Edwardian lady speakingin well-modulated, mellifluoustones. The Great Diapasonsare beautifully graduated,providing a solid foundation forthe chorus, though I did feelthat the upper work was not asbright as one would expect

DDOA Visit to Selby and Doncaster - Tony Westerman

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from Hill (possibly a result of mydeteriorating perception of higherfrequencies) whilst the Great flutespour down the nave like liquid honey.Graduated crescendos are easilymanaged until one reaches the reeds,which are devastating, and it is at thispoint that my analogy with the grandEdwardian lady fails - the reedscompletely dominate the Great andSwell pleno rather than grace it with aglittering tiara.

The Swell flues had great charm.The Voix Celeste would blend happilywith three other stops at 8' pitchallowing considerable subtlety inshading, whilst the Diapason chorushas the same smooth progression asthat on the Great. However, the Swellbox was surprisingly ineffective,certainly no match for the reeds,which like those on the Great, arevery powerful - the Contra Faggotowas more like a Trombone, toopowerful to use as a pedal reed inBach, or, I would imagine, for choiraccompaniment.

And now to return to the Pedal reedswhich are most certainly not lady-like,with the 32' Contra Trombonesounding like a series of mortarsgoing off and the Abbey acousticpicking up every explosion; notsurprisingly, as the shop is just belowthese reeds, they are not popular withthe staff working there. Whilst onedoes like to explore the wholedynamic range of an instrument, onehas to consider those unable toThe ex-Manchester Cathedral console at Selby. It is virtually identical to the nave console.

Selby: One of the matching Chancel cases.

escape to another part of thebuilding, or in this case, outside.

As we see an increasing numberof fine instruments fall into a stateof disrepair, it is heartening to seethe clergy team and organist, ofwhat is essentially a large parishchurch, find the energy and driveto raise the very considerablesums necessary to match theirvision - a truly stunningachievement.

Doncaster Minster

Darren Williams, Director ofMusic at Doncaster Minster,greeted us enthusiastically; Darrendirects the four Minster choirs aswell as playing for services. TheSchulze organ of 1862 (NPORK00629) contrasts sharply with theSelby instrument, though each ispossessed of charm in abundance.The acoustic in both buildings issimilar, with Doncaster perhapshaving a slightly longerreverberation period, though thequieter stops don't find their wayinto the nave quite as easily as atSelby, perhaps due to the greatheight of both chancel and naveceilings.

The five-manual Nicholsonconsole (1999) is placed on araised platform opposite thesubstantial north-aisle organchamber, allowing the player tohear everything very clearly; it is aposition that discouragesregistering too many stops for longperiods!

This instrument had atransformative effect on Englishorgan building during the latenineteenth century and it is easyto see why: the pipework is ofspotted metal, affording gooddevelopment of the upperharmonics; there are fourmutations on the Pedal, as well astwo mixtures; the Swell and Greathave twenty five ranks of mixturesbetween them, and there is a 32'flue on the Great.

Wind was originally supplied bysix pairs of foot-operated bellows -one imagines that considerablestamina was required to supplywind to over ninety stops. Abbott& Smith replaced the bellows in1894 with a gas engine in anexternal, purpose-built chamber120' from the organ, the windbeing transmitted through two30cm diameter glazed clay pipeswhich run underground. The effecton tuning of blowing cold airthrough organ pipes at a higher

temperature can be imagined.The remote blowing chamber is,surprisingly, still used, though oneof the transfer pipes has nowcollapsed, so no Tuba at presentand too many stops drawn willresult in the organ running out ofwind.

Wind supply is not the onlyproblem as the Echo manual isunusable at present as access isvery difficult (no H&S concerns in1862!). A visit to the huge organchamber left members gasping atthe climb and also at the sheerscale of the instrument: thereservoirs are on the ground floor;the Great chests, at first-floorlevel, are enormous, allowinggenerous spacing of the pipework;the Swell box (second floor level)presents a positive wall ofshutters, whilst the Solo and Echoare higher still. Apart from theEcho, accessibility is good, thoughthis is a very expensive instrumentto maintain.

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Your AssociationChildren and the Organ

May and June were busy monthsfor the CATO team whichpresented workshops for localprimary school classes at HolbrookChurch, All Saints, Matlock and StLuke’s, Derby (Bishop LonsdaleSchool). As ever, the enthusiasticresponse of pupils continued toenergise presenters and theresidual satisfaction of a valuablejob ‘well-done’ was the undoubtedreward. On these occasions we

were glad to be joined by DavidJohnson, whose spirited playingand engaging repartee added muchto the lively atmosphere. Thethree part format, presentation -groupwork - plenary, has servedwell, but we have experimentedwith varied plenaries; At St Luke’s,we revived the plastic tubeorchestra (each pupil tapping atube) for a duet with the organ -an excellent ensemble exercise forplaying in rhythm.

Laurence Rogers

So, what of the playing? It isquite simply a delight. Diapasonchoruses build gradually with themixtures adding differing degreesof brilliance; mutations addpiquancy without overpowering thefoundation stops; the Pedal oftwenty-seven stops can provideweight or clarity of line (the eightreeds have their own stop jamb);manual reeds add a tiara-likeglitter to the full organ sound.

In the nave, full organ ismagnificent and provides thatsense of spine-tingling majestythat stays in the heart and mind.The flutes are magical, as are theSolo reeds, all of them of quitedifferent character and charm.

Our thanks to Darren Williams forgiving up so much of his time andfor speaking to us about the organ,and his hopes for the future of theinstrument, with such enthusiasm.

Tony Westerman

Photos: David Shooter

Doncaster: The five manual Nicholson console of 1999.The music desk has been lowered over the fifth manual, which is just visible.

www.derbyorganists.co.uk

Items of news or articles for the September/October edition of the should reach the Editor by Monday21st 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.

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Forthcoming DDOA Meetings

Prom Concerts at the Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke on Trent ST1 3AD

12 noon, 15th July & 12th AugustRegular Newsletter readers will know that my Trust supports organ concerts, primarily with the purpose of seeing

that they do not run at a loss. Each year it part-sponsors a couple of the noon-day concerts at the Victoria Hall.1The organ here is by Conacher (1888), enlarged and remodelled by Henry Willis III in 1922 and is in thecuratorship of the Victoria Hall’s Consultant Organist Michael Rhodes FRCO. With four manuals and 72 stops it isone of the finest in the Midlands. Thanks to the A50 road it is about 45 minutes of driving time from Derby andfree parking (for up to three hours) is available if you shop at Tesco’s superstore, a few minutes walk from thehall.2

The concerts that the Trust is sponsoring this year are at 12 noon on Saturday 15th July and Saturday 12th

August.3 The first will be given by Nathan Laube (b. 1990), Assistant Professor at the Eastman School of Music,Rochester, New York. When not teaching, Nathan tours extensively, predominantly in the USA and Europe, givingconcerts that demonstrate his virtuosic ability and insights into the organ repertoire. For DDOA membersuncertain as to attend his Hanley concert, have a look at his rendition of Healey Willan’s Introduction, Passacagliaand Fugue recorded last year on the newly-restored organ in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, which he is goingto play at Hanley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIwVPafaWk0. Breath-taking!

Gert van Hoef plays at the second of the concerts, like Nathan making a return visit to the hall. Born in 1994,Gert is presently studying at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague, Holland. Gert has a huge presence on YouTubeand a following to match. For those who have not so far encountered this talented organist, have a look at thecomplete recording of his last Victoria Hall concert (2015) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HowudzPGfc.So far it’s been viewed 150,000 times. What more needs to be said?

Notes

1. Regular admission £9.00, concessions £7.50. Tea, Coffee, hot and cold snacks are available from the hall cafebeforehand and light lunches afterwards.

2. Alternative parking is available at near-by John Street car-park, monitored by number-plate recognitioncameras. Take care not to over-stay! (£3 for 3 hours).

3. Victoria Hall Organ website www.victoriahall-organproms.co.uk

Forthcoming Events - from Alan Dronsfield