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www.ydoa.co.uk The York & District Organists’ Association is affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists (IAO) and

serves all who are interested in the organ and its music.

The PipeLine The YDOA Newsletter:

July 2013

York Minster

Mr Philip Paul

Patron: Dr Francis Jackson CBE (Organist Emeritus, York Minster)

President: Raymond Sturdy, 01904 693908

Secretary: Philip Paul, 01904 638423

Treasurer & Membership: Robert Firth, 01609 761683

PipeLine Editor: Maximillian Elliott

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Contents

1. Words of Wisdom .................................................................................................................... 3

A message from the Editor: .............................................................................................................. 3

2. Looking Back ........................................................................................................................... 4

3. Next Event................................................................................................................................ 6

4. Upcoming Recitals & Concerts ...........................................................................................7

Locally ...................................................................................................................................................... 7Further Afield ........................................................................................................................................7

5. Gallery ........................................................................................................................................ 8

6. Articles....................................................................................................................................... 9

7. Organ of the Month ............................................................................................................. 11

8. The Trivia Section ................................................................................................................ 12

The Caption Competition ................................................................................................................ 129.

11. Next Edition .......................................................................................................................... 14

Note......................................................................................................................................................... 14

The People Section ...............................................................................................................13

10. Appeal Section ..................................................................................................................... 13

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1. Words of Wisdom

A message from the Editor: Welcome to the July Edition of 'The PipeLine'. As Editor, it

brings me great pleasure to highlight some of the latest summer activities for musicians in York. The

York Minster 'Promenade' Concerts were a great success and showcased the Cathedral Organ to a

diverse public. Now, at the beginning of July, we can start to look forward to the Summer Organ Festival

at the Minster (every Saturday in August). Within the city centre, the regular series of recitals at Central

Methodist Church is now underway, as well as the YDOA-sponsored series at St Helen's and St Martin's.

There will also be regular recitals at the two All Saints Churches in the city. All Saints', Pavement's

recitals continue, as always, on bank holidays and All Saints', North Street's recitals will be on specific

Fridays in the summer. For more details about any of these concerts please see page 7. It is really

pleasing to see so many organ-related events taking place in the city and I hope that further instruments

will be heard by way of regular recitals, soon!

Details of forthcoming events can also be found within this edition – and we look forward to you joining us.

Maximillian Elliott

**DIARY DATES** Upcoming Association Events, 2013.

July Saturday 20th

August Saturday 24th

Outing to Helmsley, Coxwold and Easingwold

Outing to Leeds

Sept Saturday 28th Outing to Knaresborough

October Saturday 26th (2:30) Annual Recital followed by AGM and Tea

Please keep an eye on our website at www.ydoa.c o.uk and your future newsletters for any changes or additional information about these events. More detail on the next event can be found

on page 6 of this edition.

Note: Some of these events are to be confirmed. Whilst the association and its officers will do their best to keep to these sometimes the best laid plans can be frustrated by factors outside their control! Any changes will be notified in the Pipeline, on the association website and by email.

November Saturday 23rd (2:30) Harpsichord Concert and Talk by Alan Cuckston

December Two Social Evenings will be held early in the month

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2. Looking Back

Our June meeting took place in Rochdale and gave us the opportunity to visit two celebrated instruments. Nigel Holdsworth, Vice-President, writes:

A small number of us crossed over into Lancashire last Saturday intent on playing two instruments in Rochdale. The weather was kind and beside the usual delay getting through the 50 mph section of the motorway beyond Leeds we arrived on time.

St Chad's Parish Church was our first rendezvous where we were met by by the organist Philip Lowe who after making us very welcome, outlined the history of the instrument followed by a short recital:

Prelude on 'York' Charles WoodSecond movement of Sonata in E flat EC Bairstow

Philip played these pieces well and they demonstrated many of the original 'Hill' colours to great effect.

Following this we were let loose to do what we had come for. While we enjoyed playing the instrument, tea and coffee appeared and a most convivial time ensued. Philip Lowe has been organist at Rochdale PC for well over 20 years and was in addition, a mine of information about organists throughout the north of England, past and present.

The organ at the Parish Church has been totally rebuilt within the last few years by PPO and is indeed a joy to play. With the addition of the new pedal Trombone, the pleno is a very fine sound. The Hill choruses blend superbly and the flutes each have individual characteristics. The Harrison detached console has been fully restored and with everything within easy reach, is very comfortable for the player.

The organ case at Rochdale is in an alcove in the north choir aisle (like Wakefield cathedral), and the console is positioned in in the chancel, between the choir stalls and the altar. Whilst it is very easy to hear the balance between a solo stop and the accompaniment at the console, we found that a little way down the nave is a spot where the whole organ blends perfectly. Top marks for both Hill and PPO!

Amongst those pieces we had brought to play at the Parish Church were:Romance sans Paroles BonnetSchmücke dich, o liebe Seele BrahmsAria A CarterNo 4 from of Five Fancies N PonsonbySt Anthony Chorale BrahmsElegy N RawsthorneFestive Trumpet Tune D GermanSortie in E flat Lefebure WelyPrelude and Fugue in D Buxtehude

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As lunchtime approached we thanked Philip Lowe for his welcome and hospitality and made our way down the steps to the town centre. In the churchyard, Peter Stott identified a number of ancestral grave stones bearing his surname and we identified a statue to John Bright alongside a splendid bandstand in the adjacent park.

The Town HallThis is either a gem of a building or a hideous Victorian-gothic monstrosity depending on your point of view. It is certainly impressive. Last weekend was a festival celebrating the history of the co-operative movement and the piazza was decked out with bunting, bouncy castle, face painting, stalls, produce and numerous raffles. The ground floor was a hive of activity. We made our way up the grand staircase into the Great Hall. If you have not been before, the scale of this room is certainly impressive; Adrian Crawford describes it as "Awesome". It is certainly that with its stained glass windows, patterned walls and ceiling, and a hammer-beam roof complete with angels. Pevsner describes the room as "of great splendour", and it does have a wonderful acoustic. There is a Mural of the signing of the Magna Carta covering the wall at one end - and the four-manual Binns occupies central position on the platform at the other. The full-organ sound is simply stupendous! We settled down on the cushioned bench along the side wall, lunches were unpacked and the music flowed.

"Once you've found Swell to Great, you're alright"Thank you Adrian! This stop takes some finding as it is engraved with the additional word unison (as opposed to octave or sub octave). Some of us used the reversible thumb piston to make it show itself.... I have to confess that it took me ages to spot it.

Binns built this organ exactly 100 years ago and it was opened on 9 July 1913 by King George V and Queen Mary. Walkers completely rebuilt it in 1979. The only alterations were the provision of additional pistons with a capture system and a new electro-pneumatic action. Tonally, it sounds today pretty much the same as it did when Binns finished it.

From our 'Town Hall' repertoire, we performed:Festival March Arthur InghamThe Dambusters March Eric CoatesBolero de Concert Lefebure WelyErbarme dich, mein Gott J S BachToccata from the Suite Gothique BoellmanToccata WidorElfes BonnetPiece heroique Franck

Despite the size of the instrument, the console is surprisingly comfortable. The biggest challenge to the visiting player is the bench. It is somewhat high off the ground and although adjustable, it is quite a step up to get on....and quite a step down to get off. Although there is a handrail, one almost needs a ladder!

Thank you to everyone who attended and brought such varied and interesting pieces. It was as they say - 'A great day out'

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3. Next Event

OUR NEXT EVENT: SAT 20TH JULY 2013 – Outing to Helmsley, Coxwold and Easingwold

- We shall arrive at the All Saints' Church, Helmsley for 11.00. The organ is a 2 Manual Harrison and

Harrison. Parking is available in the Market Place.

- The next stop will be St Michael's Church, Coxwold for 13:30. The organ is a 2 Manual Nigel

Church (More information about this organ is available in the 'Articles' Section). There will probably

be enough time to partake of light refreshment, before we get to the church, in the nearby

Faucenberg Arms for those who wish to do so.

- The Final stop will be at St John and All Saints' Church, Easingwold for 14:30. The organ is a 2

Manual Abbott and Smith.

- The afternoon will be concluded by 17:00.

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4. Upcoming Recitals & ConcertsLocally

Planned events in the summer in York & North Yorkshire include:

The series of lunchtime concerts for the city centre has now commenced. Here is a list of the remainder of this year's summer recitals:

Wednesdays: St Helen's - 10th July (Nigel Holdsworth), 7th August (Philip Paul), 4th September (TBC).

Thursdays: St Martin's - 22nd August (Philip Paul).

Thursdays: Central Methodist - 4th July (John Bradbury), 18th July (John Pemberton), 1st August (Matthew Atherton), 15th August (Philip Paul), 29th August (TBC), 12th September (Nicholas Page), 21st September (John Scott Whiteley), 26th September (Edmund Aldhouse).

Fridays: All Saints', North Street - 2nd August (Maximillian Elliott), 27th September (John Bradbury).

The Summer Series There will be 5 recitals this year:3rd August - Andrew Millington (Director of Music at Exeter Cathedral)10th August - David Pipe (Assistant Director of Music at York Minster)17th August - Gordon Stewart (Kirklees Borough Organist)24th August - John Scott Whiteley (Organist Emeritus at York Minster)31st August - Robert Sharpe (Director of Music at York Minster)

Further Afield

For the more adventurous amongst you, recitals during summer elsewhere in Yorkshire include:

Huddersfield Town Hall Regular recitals take place on Mondays at 1.00pm. Admission is £5 (£3.50 concessions). Details of all concerts in this hall are at: http://kirklees.gov.uk/visitors/documents/ConcertSeason.pdf

Leeds Town Hall Regular recitals take place on Mondays at 1.05pm. Admission is free. Details of the programme of organ recitals and other music can be found at: http://www.leedsconcertseason.com

An excellent resource for finding future organ concerts near you can be found online, by visiting the comprehensive and thorough http://wwww.organrecitals.com

York Minster

York City Centre

Doncaster MinsterSaturday 13th July 2013 at 7pmTHOMAS HEYWOOD - Music by: Sir Edward Elgar, W. T Best, Verdi, Handel and LemareIncluding: Pomp and Circumstance March No.4, Variations on God save the QueenFantasia on Sailors’ Hornpipe & Rule Britannia

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5. GalleryIf you would like to see your photos included here next time, please send on photographs to

Maximillian Elliott at tubamagna@hotmail.co.uk no later than 20th July 2013.

Top Left: Alan Hardwick at the Town Hall Organ.Top Right: Peter Stott at the Town Hall Organ.Centre: Trombone Rank at the Parish Church.

Bottom Left: Adrian Crawford at the Town Hall Organ.Bottom Right: Alan Hardwick at the Parish Church Organ.

Thanks to Nigel Holdsworth for these photographs.

This month's gallery is made up of photos from the June YDOA Event in Rochdale

Top left: Our Patron, Francis Jackson.

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6. ArticlesAn article by Committee Member, Helen Roberts, about her trip to St Michael's, Coxwold with 'The

PipeLine' Editor, Maximillian Elliott. It is hoped that members will appreciate this month's event even

more by reading this article.

Last September Max and I visited St Michael's Church, Coxwold and spent a pleasant afternoon playing the organ.

I had previously visited the church whilst on a “Garden Crawl” in the village.The organ was built by Nigel Church & Co in 1978, a gift from Captain Malcolm Wombwell and replaced the Denman organ. It is 2 manual and pedals and situated in the west gallery.St Michael's Church has many interesting features including an octagonal tower and a curved altar rail.

The village has some lovely buildings including Shandy Hall which was the home of Laurence Sterne the writer. There is also a tea room.

Organ Specification

Great Chimney Flute 8Salicional 8 (missing on NPOR)Principal 4Mixture III

R’positiv Gedackt 8Flute 4Principal 2Sesquialtera II

Pedal Subbass 16

CouplersGt - R’positivGt - PedalR’positiv - Pedal

Top Right: The organ in the gallery.Botton Left: Max at the console.

Botton Right: Helen walking into the church with the churchwarden.

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7. Organ of the Month'The Organ of the Month' comprises of a series of articles looking at different local instruments, alphabetically and, this month, will take a look at the organ located in:

All Saints' Church, Pavement, York

FACTFILE: AT A GLANCE!

Builder: Wood Wordsworth & Co.

Year: 1964

3 manuals/pedals

Phillip Sangwine (Director of Music at All Saints' Church, Pavement) writes:

Organ HistoryThe current church dates from the 14th century and has been much altered due to the city council constantly widening the streets in front of it and either side of it over a period of two hundred years. The first known organ was installed in a loft possibly in the quire of the church and “various repairs to the organs were made between the years 1568 and 1584.”1 I have not been able to ascertain if it was on a quire screen or to one side of the quire. As the following information about this organ is limited to an incident in 1656 when the “organ loft [was] removed due [to] south isle collapse and some of the pipes sold.”2 When York surrendered to Parliamentary troops in the Civil War a condition of the surrender was that the Cathedral and Parish Churches were not to be damaged afterwards. If the organ was in the quire and with services mainly being undertaken in the nave it is possible if the organ was small that it may have been left alone if it was not being used. It is interesting to speculate as to what happened to the rest of the organ as there is a receipt in the churchwarden accounts for 1707 stating “for organs and backboard 00:01:00” 3 but at this time I cannot find any other evidence regarding its existence. The current organ (or the start of its development)We do know that an organ was erected in 1791 and “a Snetzler instrument from Hazelwood Castle was erected.” 4 This organ was given to the church as a gift and Hazelwood Castle can be found near Tadcaster. The organ was installed after a faculty was obtained from the diocese and the organ was placed on the gallery at the west end of the church under the tower. Two of the pews were removed from the gallery to allow the organ to be situated there; the gallery on which the organ was situated was semicircular and extended across the whole of the west end of the church. The size of the organ is unknown as it had come from a private dwelling but at a lecture by George Benson given at All Saints during 1914 he stated that “The organ, which, when erected in 1812[Wrong date] was then considered a finer one than that at the York Minster, for it was furnished with a double diapason – a stop which the Minster Organ, though in other respects a fine instrument, is in want of.” 5 This could mean that the organ was of some considerable size

11If you would like to see an instrument you know included here next time, please send photographs and information to Maximillian Elliott at tubamagna@hotmail.co.uk no later than 20th July 2013.

and contemporary pictures of the chapel at Hazelwood Castle show that the building is quite large; one stop on the current instrument is believed to come from this organ.The organ was moved from its original position in 1848 when the church was comprehensively reordered. The reordering “removed the whole of the galleries” and “also to place the organ on the floor of the said church near to the said font and adjoining the vestry.” This means that the organ was placed at right angles to its previous position and placed facing northwards beside the font that sat in the middle of the church under the tower.

SpecificationSWELL GREAT TREMULANT CLARION 4CLARION 4 TRUMPET 8OBOE 8 DOUBLE TRUMPET 16CORNOPEAN 8 MIXTURE IIICONTRA FAGOTTO 16 FIFTEENTH 2MIXTURE III TWELFTH 2 2/3FIFTEENTH 2 HARMONIC FLUTE 4NAZARD 2 2/3 PRINCIPAL 4STOPPED FLUTE 4 HARMONIC FLUTE 8PRINCIPAL 4 OPEN DIAPASION II 8LEIBLICH GEDACT 8 OPEN DIAPASION I 8OPEN DIAPASON 8 BOURDON 16VOIX SELESTES 8 SALICIONAL 8 CH – GT

GT + PED COMBS SUPER OCTAVE SW – GT UNISON OFF GENERALS ON TOES SUB OCTAVE SWELL ON TOES

PEDAL CHOIR CLARION 4 TREMULANT CORNOPEAN 8 CORNOPEAN (SW) TRUMPET 8 CLARION 4TROMBONE 16 TRUMPET 8CONTRA FAGOTTO 16 DOUBLE TRUMPET 16FLUTE 4 MIXTURE IIIFIFTEENTH 4 LARIGOT 1 1/3BASS FLUTE 8 TIERCE 1 3/5PRINCIPAL 8 FLACH FLUTE 2QUINT 10 2/3 PICCOLO 2CELLO 8 NAZARD 2 2/3BOURDON 16 STOPPED FLUTE 4VIOLONE 16 GEMSHORN 4DULCIAN 16 LEIBLICH GEDACT 8

SPITZ FLUTE 8SW - PED DULCIANA 8CH - PED CONTRA DULCIANA 16GT - PED

SW – CH

1855 – Organ rebuilt and moved to the end of the south aisle of the chancel by Joseph Bell who had been an apprentice to Robert Postill. Rebuild included the introduction of pedals.1900 – Organ rebuilt and put into the new organ chamber by the firm “Thomas Hopkins and Son” by this point the firm was run by Walter Hopkins. Instrument expanded to a three manual at this point.1963-64 – Organ removed from the chamber as the chamber was to be demolished to widen the road. Instrument split into two cases and enlarged again by Wood Wordsworth of Leeds.1992 – Renewal of action and solid state memory added. Principal Pipe Organs.1996 – Full strip down and clean by Principal Pipe Organs after a bungled church restoration by a now defunct building / cleaning company.

Note all the flue work on the Great and Swell are totally straight without extension. Other parts of the organ are also straight or are of extension.

References1 David Griffiths, ‘An annoyance to musical ears: music in places of worship excluding York Minster, c. 1550 – 1925’, A Musical place of the First Quality, A history of institutional music-making in York. c.1550 - 1990, York, 1993, p332 John. Ward. Knowles, ‘All Saints’ Pavement’, Notes on the Organs: Organists: Clerks & Quires: in York: Churches since the Reformation, Unpublished MS in York Central Library. 19243 All Saints’ Pavement Parish Records. Y/ASP F14/4. 1705 – 1712. York, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.4 Nicholas Temperley, Jonathan Gray and Church Music in York, York, 1977, p245 All Saints’ Pavement Parish Records. Newspaper cutting Y/ASP 40. York, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.

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8. The Trivia Section

The Caption Competition

The new Caption Competition image is:

Some Jokes:

What do you get if you drop an organ on an army base?A flat major.

Why is an 11-foot concert grand better than a studio upright? It makes a louder noise, when you drop it off a cliff.

Why was the organ invented? So the musician would have a place to put his beer.

Remember this?

A number of intersting captions have been

received:

“This is not funny now...who moved the

stairs?!” (Maximillian Elliott)

"Don't jump John, the tuning is not that

bad!!!" (Phillip Sangwine)

"John turns his back on eighteenth-century

organ building!" (Maximillian Elliott)

What is going on here?

Captions to tubamagna@hotmail.co.uk by the

20th July, please!

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9. The People Section

Shown below are any organist vacancies, requests or offers for deputies and appointments in the locality.

No vacancies have been received. If you know of any vacancies in the area, please contact Maximillian Elliott on tubamagna@hotmail.co.uk for inclusion in the next edition.

10.The Appeal Section

The Organ Appeal

The Hill organ of Selby Abbey has served generations of congregations for regular services, special events, weddings and funerals for over a century.

Many of the greatest organists have played on the Selby Abbey organ. However, it was the three iconic LP recordings, in the early 1960s, by the italian maestro Fernando Germani, which made the organ internationally renowned.

Now, the organ is rapidly deteriorating. It has been repaired a number of times but it is already unreliable. It is clear the organ is nearing the end of its active life and within five years this world-famous instrument could be unplayable.

Our Organ Appeal seeks to raise £675,000 to carefully repair and conserve the Abbey’s celebrated organ so that it’s glorious sound is fully heard by generations to come.

The appeal's lead major donor is The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation.

The appeal is also being supported by The Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation and has been endorsed by many famous international organists.

Any members of the YDOA, who would like to donate to the Selby Abbey Organ Appeal, are encouraged to do so via the website:

http://www.theonlinebookcompany.com/selbyabbey/Content/Welcome

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11. Next Edition

The next edition of your PipeLine newsletter will be the August edition (published on the 1st of August).

Any articles you would like to contribute to the next edition, in addition to any photographs for the ‘Gallery’ section (perhaps of events past and present), or any candidates for the ‘Organ of the Month’, would be most warmly welcomed for publication. Please pass on to Maximillian Elliott at tubamagna@hotmail.co.uk by the 20th of July and NO LATER.

Note

This publication was produced by Maximillian Elliott on behalf of the York & District Organists’Association. (Note: all third party information is printed in good faith and the editor cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies).