not sure if any of you have come across this already Quite concerning.
Regards,
Justin Ankus
from the April 17, 2006 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0417/p04s01-woeu.html
Organmakers groan over new rule
A European Union law on lead in pipes could undermine Britain's organ industry.
By Mark Rice-Oxley | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
LONDON - Ah, the magnificent din of a good pipe organ in full cry, one moment all bells and bird chatter, the next a thunderous rumble from the lower registers and a subterranean boom that sounds like a large ship is docking somewhere nearby.
Needless to say, it's a sound that has underpinned church and choral music for centuries. And yet in a bizarre legal quirk, the future of the instrument has been called into question in Britain, Europe's largest organ-building nation, as a result of an opaque European ruling governing the substances used to construct organ pipes.
Two European Union directives, which come into force in the 25 EU countries in July, ban the manufacture of "electrical equipment" containing more than 0.1 percent lead. The statutes are intended principally to reduce the volume of lead seeping back into the environment mainly from discarded mobile phones and other disposable modern technologies.
But the 1,000-year-old art of organ-building appears to have been swept up in the legislating zeal. Most organs these days are powered by electricity and use a certain amount of lead in their extensive run of pipework to achieve the appropriate musical voicing. Old pipes aren't discarded but are instead melted down and reused.
Senior EU officials have insisted that they do not want to penalize organ-builders, and it seems highly unlikely that "eurocrats" will start snooping around churches, ready to pounce the moment an organist strikes up with a Bach voluntary.
But the British organ-building industry is alarmed at the way the EU laws (entitled the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives) are being interpreted in Britain.
British officials say that organs are indeed affected. "If an organ has electrical components, then in theory it is likely to come under the remit of the directive," says one government official on customary condition of anonymity. He adds that special exemptions will be required for any of the 80-odd companies that build organs in Britain.
One such company, Harrison and Harrison, is pulling out all the stops to campaign for legal clarification. The company is currently working on three organs that will, under the new post-July rules, be illegal. "This was meant to be all about mobile phones which is what makes it all so stupid," says Katharine Venning, a company director who is also president of the Institute of British Organ Building. "From July 1 it appears that new organs would be illegal. And yet organ pipes never get thrown away in landfill sites."
It gets worse. The law clearly pertains only to the manufacture of new organs. But several churches that have collected large six-figure sums to revive their ancient musical heirlooms are worried that their renovation works might also be jeopardized. In some cases where an old instrument has had to be largely rebuilt, it is unclear whether that qualifies as a new-build or just a renovation.
But according to a statement from Reijo Kemppinen, the Head of the European Commission in the United Kingdom, British organ builders need not worry about the future of their craft.
"Organists can ... even continue to repair and upgrade [organs] with lead without any further restrictions under RoHS," wrote Mr. Kemppinen last month. But, he added, British organ-builders should apply for a derogation of the law if they want to continue building new pipes. "As far as we know, no such derogation has been applied for yet," he wrote.
Despite official reassurances, if you're Neil Shepherd, director of music at the 13th century Cirencester Parish Church in western England, it's all very worrying. The church's organ, a splendid beast with more than 3,000 pipes ranging from two inches high to 16 feet long and constructed in the late 19th century by one of the most famous names in the business, Henry Willis, has been feeling its age for some years, he says.
"It's 115 years old, and some of its parts go back even further," he says. "If I was 115, I'd be sounding a bit tired."
The church is spending more than $1 million to revive the musical centerpiece, and at least half of the instrument will be new when finished. If it's finished.
"I suppose it all depends on whether we get an exemption" for the work, says Mr Shepherd. "The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. I'd like to think that people will be able to see sense and realize they can't bring to an end a craft that has been going on for centuries."
No exemption would mean no renovation and, eventually, no organ. "We'd have to use a piano," says Mr Shepherd, an accomplished organist with a penchant for Bach's Toccata and Fugue, and French recital works. "The majority of church music was designed to be played on an organ with a traditional choir. It's just not the same on a piano."
Registering the facts
• Seven of the world's 10 largest pipe organs can be found in the United States.
• The world's largest playable pipe organ is located in a Philadelphia Lord & Taylor store.
• The organ - along with the clock - was considered the most complex of all mechanical instruments before the Industrial Revolution.
• A hydraulic organ appears in a Roman mosaic, along with organists and other musicians, at a gladiator contest.
• Throughout history, pipe organs have been powered by water, wind, foot pumps, massive multifolded bellows, mechanical pneumatic action, and electricity.
Source: The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
The Victorian Theatre Organ Society of Australia is putting on a young Theatre Organist Competition. It has two age divisions:
Junior (14 years of age or younger at the date of entry application)
Senior (15 to 21 years of age at the date of entry application)
Prizes range from $100 - $500 plus a certificate put one year free TOSA membership.
The closing date for entry into the competition is 1 August 2006.
TOSA-NSW really doesn't want Victoria to walk away with this one, so for local (Sydney area) entrants we will provide access to a Theatre Pipe Organ*, coaching by experienced Theatre Organists, and professional recording services. For more information contact the Secretary TOSA-NSW, Debra Marschall at:
Rich Marschall
President, TOSA-NSW and member OMSS
* A Theatre Pipe Organ is just a highly unified pipe organ (i.e. pipes are reused as much as possible) with a funky stop layout and console finish, otherwise it is just an ordinary AGO console with all the standard features plus the availability of a few odd effects. They are designed for light entertainment.
P.S. My incoming email server is usually turned off due to several hundred incoming spams per hour when it is on. I can be reached on the same numbers as above or on my company's messaging link on the page http://www.hydrophones.com/MAI-Audio <htp://www.hydrophones.com/MAI-Audio>
Recital at St Pats Church Hill Grosvenor Street Sydney Sunday April
2nd at 1.45pm
Angelo Castaldo from Naples Italy
Gustaf Mankell (1812 – 1880) Swedish
Sonata
Allegro Concertante – Adagio – Allegro vivace
Marco Enrico Bossi (1861 – 1925) Italian
Ave Maria
Hans Uwe Hielscher (1945 - ) German
„In Dulci Jubilo"
Choral, Vivace, Andante, Allegretto, Presto, Adagio, Allegro
Joseph Bonnet (1884 – 1944) French
Romance
Henrik Andriessen (1892 – 1981) Dutch
Toccata
Would anyone be available to play for a funeral this Thursday,
at 11 am, at Bill Cruse's church in Ashfield?
I don't know what fee is offered, but I imagine it would be
realistic..
Please 'phone Bill's secretary, Lyndal, on 8752 4600 asap.
John Aitchison.
Hi there members, I have just joined your group, at the suggestion of
Godelieve, because I thought you might be interested in my research on
spirituality and music within the church setting.
I am currently studying a Masters degree at UNSW and my research topic
is an attempt to understand more about what people mean when they
describe a musical experience as 'spiritual' or 'transcendent'. I
think we have all had these experiences where the music seems to take
over, and we are moved powerfully, and yet an explanation for such an
experience seems ever so ellusive.
This is why I am studying this topic and this is why I would like to
invite you to help me do just that by filling in a questionnaire. I
would love to include anyone who has had strong experiences of music
in the church. Furthermore, by participating you can help clarify some
of the wooly thinking about music that we see so often around us.
If you would like to help me out, please email me and I will send you
the electronic version of my questionnaire. You can simply complete it
and email it back to me.
Thank you for allowing me to submit this topic and do engage with me
on this topic if you like - I find everyone has something to teach me.
Regards
Peter
Featuring music from The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni etc with
Stephanie Acroman (Soprano), James Roser (Baritone), Robert Goode (Organ), Enid
Manton-Hall (Piano) and Melissa Abraham (Trumpet)
Being the 250th year of the celebration of the birth
of Mozart, this is an evening designed to please our hearts! A delightful
evening for everyone.
Concert to benefit the work of the Red Cross for the Pakistani
Earthquake.
$20 for adults and $15 concession or children.
Enquiries: Ring 9880 2457 or 9498 2888
(Received by mail too late for inclusion in Autumn Sydney Organ
Journal.
From:
GCM E-List [mailto:gcmelist@...] Sent: Monday, 13 March 2006 10:28
PM To: GCM E-list Subject: GCM elist bulletin -
April 9 performance of St Matthew Passion
Palm Sunday, 9 April 2006
at 6pm
Sydney Chamber Choir presents J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion
The intense human drama of Christ’s crucifixion, told in music of power
and pure beauty.
Sara Macliver - soprano
Sally-Anne Russell - alto
Paul McMahon - tenor (Evangelist)
Stuart Haycock - tenor
Mark Donnelly - baritone (Christus)
Stephen Bennett - bass
Sydney Chamber Choir
Choirs of MLCSchool, Burwood and SCEGGS Darlinghurst
Baroque orchestra featuring the Early Music Ensemble of the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music
Conducted by Nicholas Routley
City Recital Hall Angel Place
Tickets from $45 (includes GST; booking fees may apply) - Concessions
available
Box Office, City Recital Hall
Angel Place: phone 8256 2222 or
www.cityrecitalhall.com
This e-list is a volunteer-run free service to those interested
in church music.
To unsubscribe, reply with REMOVE in the subject line.
Information in this e-mail is forwarded "as received" and is not
necessarily endorsed by the Guild of Church Musicians.
Information must be submitted in PLAIN TEXT in the body
of an e-mail in a form suitable for forwarding.
Please submit information at a suitable time for forwarding - we do not
hold over information for later distribution.
We do not forward attachments or photographs, so please don't send them.
Godelieve
Home:(02)9871-0825 Fax: (02)9871-0826 Mobile: 0404-837-363
godelieve@...
www.notjustnotes.com.au
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Edgeloe [mailto:medge@...]
Sent: Tuesday, 14 March 2006 3:40 PM
To: Michael Edgeloe
Subject: (16 March, a few days early) For Bach's Birthday
On Thursday 16 March at 6.30 p.m. in the Big Schoolroom at Sydney
Grammar School, ROBERT WAGNER plays an all-Bach recital on the
magnificent new Mander pipe organ. Details are attached. Admission
is free.
Do feel free to forward this information to friends who might be interested.
If you no longer wish to receive these occasional musical announcements,
please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list.
Michael Edgeloe
Easter Organist required
The Parish is in Inverell, Anglican Catholic.
The Liturgy is 'sensible High Church'!
The Organ is latest model Johannus, 2 man, pedal, 19 stops-full external speaker system.
Three services reqd: Holy Thurs, Good Friday, Easter Sunday.
Small congregation.
Fares payable (including flight, if necessary)
Fees $150 per service
Accom, meals provided.
Congregational singing, possibility of Soloist.
Contact details:
fassolo@...
Phone: 02 6721 4549
Fr. Michael Pope P.P., Rural Dean
Just a reminder that there will not be an organ recital this Friday at St Andrew's Cathedral due to security reasons and television set up for the Queen's visit next Monday.
The Sydney organ database is as complete as it can be for the moment. Over the weekend I scanned in all the details from the Gazetteer for the organs which hadn't been visited over the past 40 or so years and written up in the Sydney Organ Journals. I have gone through all the Journals I have back to the mid-60s.
Thanks to the members who have supplied me with corrections and some further photos. Some of the Gazetteer information is no doubt out of date (being published in 1981) but I felt it was better to at least have some information about the organs than none at all.
In a count this morning, I have found that we have 350 organs listed in Sydney.
Cheers,
Mark
-- Mark Quarmby Assistant Organist, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney 1006/5 Albert Road
Strathfield NSW 2135
AUSTRALIA +61 2 9746 8742 (Home)
0413 166 803 (Mobile)
Email: mark_quarmby@...
Website: http://mq.sydneyorgan.com
Apologies everyone - I said in my previous email 'this Thursday, March 16th'
The date of March 16th is correct, I am just a week ahead of myself.
Hope to see some of you there.
Regards,
Bob W.
*************************************
This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain privileged information or confidential information or both.
If you are not the intended recipient please delete it and notify the sender. Unless the contrary is indicated expressly in writing,
Sydney Grammar School does not license or authorise reproduction, publication or adaptation of this e-mail or any
attachments to it or the doing of any other act with them or it which is referred to in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
*************************************
I will be playing an organ recital to celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday on the Mander organ at Sydney Grammar School this Thursday, March 16th. The concert starts at 6.30pm, lasts for approximately 1 hour and admission is free.
Sydney Grammar School is located on College St in the city (next to the Australian Museum) and is conveniently located close to excellent restaurants. Parking is available in the school grounds from 6pm. You would be most welcome!
The programme consists of the following masterpieces (some rarely heard in concert):
1. Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 550 2. Trio sonata #3 in d minor BWV 527
3. 3 Chorales
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV 717 Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott BWV 720 Erbarm' dich mein, o Herre Gott BWV 721
4. Toccata and Fugue in F major BWV 540
Regards to all,
Bob Wagner.
*************************************
This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain privileged information or confidential information or both.
If you are not the intended recipient please delete it and notify the sender. Unless the contrary is indicated expressly in writing,
Sydney Grammar School does not license or authorise reproduction, publication or adaptation of this e-mail or any
attachments to it or the doing of any other act with them or it which is referred to in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
*************************************
Does anyone know of anyone who needs an emergency fill-in
organist, just for a couple of weeks? I'm not needed at my
usual venue (Randwick Presbyterian) because part of the ceiling
has caved in and the place is unsafe for public worship!
John Aitchison.
email < jpaitchison2003@... >
telephone 98764124
I have published some arrangements of the Adagio K156 and
Adagio K458 (both from String Quartets by Mozart) for organ to be used as
possible recital pieces this year. They can be found on sibliusmusic.com -
advanced search – Mozart, Organ, Godelieve Ghavalas. You will need to
download Scorch to view and hear the music, although the midisounds are not
quite the sounds intended . . .
I can’t pay very much – what would
you ask? We could ask for an additional recital which would be on a Sunday at
1.45 – 2.35. – normally about 60 people and they pay $5 to get in .
. .
Would you have enough people to perhaps
have a separate recital – say Monday evening at 7pm for 1 hour? –
we could advertise but no guarantees . . .
From:sydneyorgan@...
[mailto:sydneyorgan@...]
On Behalf Of sarah kim Sent: Thursday, 16 February 2006
3:17 PM To:sydneyorgan@... Subject: [sydneyorgan] st ands
recital
Hi Mark,
If
there's a spot for a recital up until June (i.e. someone pulling out in the
last min), could you please let me know?
From:sydneyorgan@...
[mailto:sydneyorgan@...]
On Behalf Of Mark Quarmby Sent: Wednesday, 15 February 2006
4:22 PM To: Sydney organ Subject: [sydneyorgan] Organ
Concert Diary
The next Concert Diary brochure (centre pages of the
next Journal) are now available on the website to download and print out (and
give to friends!).
Just go to the Concert Diary page and you will see the link towards the bottom
of the page.
You might also like to check out the 74 Sydney
organs which so far have been documented with links to many organs from other
states which have been documented on the OHTA website. Some of the young
organists have taken on the project of documenting their school chapel organs
or local parish organs. Sam Allchurch (Sydney Grammar) has just done St
Matthew's, Manly which will be visited during the next organ ramble. One
of the girls at PLC Croydon is working on the Davidson organ there.
Cheers,
Mark
-- Mark Quarmby Assistant
Organist, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney 1006/5 Albert Road Strathfield NSW 2135 AUSTRALIA +61 2 9746 8742 (Home)
0413 166 803 (Mobile)
Email: mark_quarmby@...
Website: http://mq.sydneyorgan.com
The next Concert Diary brochure (centre pages of the next Journal) are now available on the website to download and print out (and give to friends!).
Just go to the Concert Diary page and you will see the link towards the bottom of the page.
You might also like to check out the 74 Sydney organs which so far have been documented with links to many organs from other states which have been documented on the OHTA website. Some of the young organists have taken on the project of documenting their school chapel organs or local parish organs. Sam Allchurch (Sydney Grammar) has just done St Matthew's, Manly which will be visited during the next organ ramble. One of the girls at PLC Croydon is working on the Davidson organ there.
Cheers,
Mark
-- Mark Quarmby Assistant Organist, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney 1006/5 Albert Road
Strathfield NSW 2135
AUSTRALIA +61 2 9746 8742 (Home)
0413 166 803 (Mobile)
Email: mark_quarmby@...
Website: http://mq.sydneyorgan.com
From:
Paola Vertechi [mailto:vertechi@...] Sent: Monday, 13 February 2006
12:44 PM To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Subject: MusicFest 2006
I am attaching an information sheet on an event which will take place
on June 21 and 24 in Sydney,
to which all professional and non-professional musicians are invited to
participate. It was originally set up in France
in 1982 as La Fete de la Musique, and it will be the first time that it will
take place in Australia.
If you want to know more about the event, you can go to the website: www.musicfest.org.au, where the
interested parties can register on line.
I would be grateful if you could circulate the
information within your organization.
Best regards,
Paola Vertechi
Administration and Student Officer
Italian Institute of Culture Cultural Office of the Consulate
General of Italy
Lvl. 45, Gateway, 1 Macquarie
Place Sydney NSW 2000 (Australia)
Ph.: +61 2 9392 7934
Fax: +61 2 9392 7935
I will be playing the "Kyrie" (five pieces) and "Gloria in
excelsis Deo" (nine pieces) from Couperin's "Mass for the
Parishes" at St Andrew's Cathedral, this coming Friday
lunchtime (3rd February) at the usual time of 1.10.
Happy Candlemass to all..
John Aitchison (FRCO)
"CONTRIVED TO EXCITABLE"
"Music by Olivier Messiaen (1908-92) comes in three flavours:
birdseed, marshmallow and firewater. The first is contrived,
the second sickly, the third excitable.
'La Nativite de Seigneur', nine organ movements, is largely
marshmallow stuff.
When John Aitchison played most of it at St Andrew's Cathedral
last month, he made it as eloquent as possible with judicious
tone colours and rhetorical expression, but the music wobbled
along regardless, no doubt delighting organ cultists."
(I was rather tickled by the categorisation of "Jesus accepte
la Souffrance" and "Dieu Parmi Nous" as "marshmallow"!)
I have just received this message regarding a church requiring an organist for 3 weeks. If anyone knows of anyone who may be able to help, please ring Wilbur on the number given.
The Catholic Church in Adelaide St, Woollahra, actually near Bondi Junction
Interchange, needs an organist for the next 3 Sundays from 29th January at 11 am
service. Lasts 45 minutes never more. 4 hymns plus Alleluia and Agnus Dei
(Colin Smith)
Viscount electronic, not too bad as electronics go. $120 for 45 minutes not
too bad. Very nice priest and cantor.
Please contact Wilbur 0419 522220
A reminder that on Thursday - Australia Day - the Society will be holding an organ ramble on the Upper North Shore. Perhaps someone from the committee can tell us what/where the 2pm venue will be for those only able to come in the afternoon.
26 Thu Australia Day Organ Ramble on the Upper North Shore
11.30am Sungrak Baptist Church (ex-St Margaret's Presbyterian), Eastern Road, Turramurra
12.30pm Lunch break
2.00pm TBC
3.30pm St John's Uniting Church, Coonabarra Rd, Wahroonga
Refreshments afterwards
Times and venues may be subject to alteration.
Enquiries: Neil Cameron 02 9499 2776
I have done a lot more work on the Organ Music Society website this past month. I have documented 56 of Sydney's organs. If you know of any churches/institutions which have websites and have a page already set up about their organ (such as St James, Sydney University, St Luke's, Mosman) can you please send me the web address and I will add them to our archive.
If you find any errors, typos etc, please feel free to contact me and let me know what they are. Many of the articles were scanned in from old Sydney Organ Journals and I have already corrected thousands of typos resulting from the scanning process and may have missed some of them.
Regards,
Mark
-- Mark Quarmby Assistant Organist, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney 1006/5 Albert Road
Strathfield NSW 2135
AUSTRALIA +61 2 9746 8742 (Home)
0413 166 803 (Mobile)
Email: mark_quarmby@...
Website: http://mq.sydneyorgan.com
Maestro Mario Duella will be playing an organ recital at St
Patrick's Church Hill, Grosvenor Street Sydney on Monday 23rd
January at 7pm. Admission is free.
He studied music at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, and has
diplomas in Choral Music, Conducting, Organ and Organ Composition.
He has played in venues worldwide, made recordings, and is also
known as a harpsichordist and consultant for restoration of historic
organs.
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 541
"Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" BWV 645
Louis-Nicolas CLERAMBAULT (1679-1749)
From "Suite du Premier Ton":
Basse et Dessus de Trompette
Récit de Nazard
Caprice sur les Grands Jeux
Alexandre GUILMANT (1837-1911)
Deuxième Meditation
Giacomo de VIT (1777-1842)
Rondo
Adagio
Vincenzo Antonio PETRALI (1832-1889)
From Messa Solenne: Allegro Brillante
Andante mosso
Allegretto grazioso
Filippo CAPOCCI (1840-1911)
Canzona
Oreste RAVANELLO (1871-1938)
Preludio in forma di studio - Opus 50 No 1
Marco Enrico BOSSI (1861-1925)
Allegretto - Opus 92 No 3
Scherzo in g minor - Opus 49 No 2
In case you have not yet heard, the British organ virtuoso, Wayne Marshall (organist in residence at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester) has asked to play a recital at St Andrew's Cathedral on his birthday, while he is here in Sydney. The Festival of Sydney has brought him to Sydney to conduct (play?) a Gerswhin concert. He will be playing the organ recital at the Cathedral this coming Friday 13th January at 1.10pm. Gold coin donation. His program will be mostly improvisations on Australian melodies plus some Vierne. As far as I know, this will be his first organ recital in Sydney. Like me, you have probably only heard his rather distinctive CD recordings...
We now have about 12 members on this group and I have just sent Geoff Bock an article for the next SOJ telling our members how to join. If you see and/or speak to anyone interested in the organ this week, please pass on the details of this recital. We are very fortunate that we have been able to have him play. It was only confirmed a couple of weeks ago so I couldn't advertise it in the last SOJ or in the Organ Recital brochure.
The photo’s are great ! I particularly enjoyed the shots from St Patrick’s at Parramatta. I have only heard a recording of the organ and never seen or heard it “in person”. How slack of me! I must make an effort to go out there and get to a recital. Thanks for loading on your shots.
Kylie
On 7/1/06 11:57 AM, "danielmitterdorfer" <danielm@...> wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I've added some photos that I've taken, of organs in and around Sydney. Go to
http://au.photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sydneyorgan/lst?.dir=/Organ+
Photos+by+Daniel&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t
to view them.
Thanks to all who have been so quick to join this group. We are hoping this will
be the best
way to contact Organ Music Society members. Over the past few days (and nights!)
I have
been working on rebuilding the Society's website (and also the OHTA website).
Now that our
server has 2GB of memory we can add lots of photos and mp3's. You might like to
check out
our website http://sydneyorgan.com and see all the changes and improvements.
There is
now a comprehensive section on Sydney's organs. All the organs in the CBD have
been
documented with histories, specifications and photos (some have mp3s). Several
suburban
organs have been done as well. If you would like to document your instrument and
any
others you have access to, we can build up the suburban database.
Many thanks to Adrian Chong in Singapore for his help with the art work on the
site.
Please spread the news about this facility and invite other members to join. I
only have 36
email addresses in my address book to use for invitations. I will prepare
something for the
next edition of the SOJ and hopefully most of our members will join.
Regards,
Mark (webmaster)
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