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Tag Archives: Music
The Little Renaissance
It is quite tongue in cheek that I coin such a notion about a period of time that contained so much in the way of spiritual, musical and cultural activity, the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first … Continue reading
The Organ sings again
We are almost at the anniversary of when I went to London with a large van to bring another organ to France. In late January of this year, I wrote the melancholy A New Purpose after the main article on … Continue reading
Combat de la Mort et de la Vie
I went today to an organ recital at St Ouen in Rouen, where there is just about the finest Cavaillé-Coll organ ever built. The recital was played by Thomas Lacôte, titular organist of the Holy Trinity church in Paris where … Continue reading
York Minster organ specification revealed
I mentioned some time ago that the organ of York Minster was being restored to more or less its 1931 specification. The project is due to be completed in 2020. This is an exciting development. Specification from Harrison & Harrison.
New Unity
I am just about set for the organ removal from Newington Green Unitarian church to re-install the instrument in the parish church of Vermenton in the Yonne region of France. I have been making use of the skills I acquired … Continue reading
Spinarseholes!
I spent most of my teenage years in York and was fascinated by the Minster organ. I occasionally got to play it (outside services) and the exhilarating experience would be something like flying a fighter jet! I knew John Rothera … Continue reading
Playing Classical Music on your PC or Smartphone
I have been through the wars trying to find the best way to play my favourite music on my computer (with an output to my stereo amplifier and speakers) – or on my smartphone through a portable speaker or earphones. … Continue reading
In Memoriam
Richard Strauss wrote these words in 1945 shortly after he completed Metamorphosen, a study for 23 solo strings: “The most terrible period of human history is at an end, the twelve year reign of bestiality, ignorance and anti-culture under the … Continue reading
Pocket Symphony
I went to a concert yesterday evening in the public hall of Veules les Roses (where I often go sailing), where La Symphonie de Poche played some arrangements of classics and a few Bourville songs from the 1940’s and 50’s, … Continue reading
A real treat for the end of the year
I wish England was this! In the Fen Country: Landscape and Music in the Work of Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams This is a truly beautiful posting on the English music that broke with the German Romantic fashion promoted by … Continue reading
