rward to hear

Number 8 December 2004 Editorial Comment Organists’ Workshop As mentioned in the editorial of the last issue of SOUNDBOARD, several of the organists’ ‘wish lists’ identified in the 2003 questionnaire are being addressed. Details of the forthcoming workshop for organists (January 22) are to be found within, and it is hoped that this morning session will help organists who wished (i) for training sessions on church music, (ii) to be able to view organ and choir music, (iii) the facility of being able to meet and talk to other organists. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Organ Personalities This issue contains another article in the series of Organist’s Profiles in the person of Eric de Courcy: teacher, choral conductor, cellist, and organist of Waterford Cathedral from 1944 to 1991. He looks back over 75 years of music.

SOUNDBOARD Positive feedback about SOUNDBOARD keeps coming, which is very encouraging, certainly to the Editor anyway. He would like to point out, however, that he can only publish what he receives, and while there are a number of regular contributors, there must be many who have something to say and perhaps are hesitant to make their views known. All we can say is “don’t be shy” — perhaps you can contribute to the lists of voluntaries that are currently being published, perhaps you have something to say about the psalms, perhaps you can report on some interesting musical activity in your parish — there are many such “perhaps”! We look forward to having some new contributors in the next issue.

From next year, it is intended to publish three issues of SOUNDBOARD

each year, the first scheduled for April, and the deadline for material is March 15. You have therefore three months to prepare your contribution!

Psalms At practically every meeting of the Church Music Committee, the singing of the psalms crops up, specifically the difficulty experienced by some congregations in singing the psalms (and canticles) to Anglican chants

There are certainly three reasons for this. First of all, the psalms don’t

have their own unique tunes, such as hymns do; most of the psalms can be sung to any of the 781 chants that appear in the Irish Chant Book. Secondly, since the verses of the psalms are of varying lengths, the tune lengths have to be made to fit the words — and this is what chanting is all about. Finally, to chant properly, one has to learn the meaning of the various signs and symbols that are mixed up with the words of the psalms, as set in the Book of Common Prayer.

There are of course other ways of singing the psalms and in the next SOUNDBOARD, we hope to publish an article, by a number of well- known people, on the psalms. Can we ask for information about the following? • Is the psalm for the day said or sung in your church each Sunday?

• If so, how: said, Anglican chant, plainsong, or sung metrical version?

• Does your choir like the psalms?

• Have you had any comments from members of your choir or congregation about the psalms?

• How do they feel about saying or singing the psalms?

All information supplied will be useful. We look fo ing from you!

SOUNDBOARD A Newsletter for Church Musicians

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?

Editorial Comment

Talking to Eric de Courcy

A ‘Top Ten’ Introductory

Voluntaries Here are some

ideas for voluntaries — from

ten amateur organists

Learning to Conduct Four

students write about this year’s

CNC course in Cork

Church Music in Dun

Laoghaire Ruth Maybury

writes about the music in her

church

The Pipes of the Organ

Aidan Scanlon describes

diapasons

Jesus shall reign, where’er

the Sun Adrian Somerfield

raises an interesting point

about Watt’s hymn

Organists’ Workshop Details

of what is on offer, and how to

book

SOUNDBOARD is published by the

Church Music Committee of the

Dublin & Glendalough Diocese of

the Church of Ireland. Views

expressed in signed articles, letters

and advertisements are not

necessarily those of the Church

Music Committee.

Advertising Rates:

Quarter page € 50

One-eighth page € 30

Secretary:

Ruth Maybury

Editor:

Randal Henly

Church Music Committee Website:

www.churchmusicdublin.org

yes, the Music Club in Waterford was a great source. We had Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten, and Janet Baker when she was just starting out on her now-famous career, and Leon Goosens too.”

He enjoys composing and arranging music, particularly for string quartets. What about non-musical interests? “Ornithology certainly; I have had some great bird-watching holidays, and I love walking too”.

He is still playing the organ most

Sundays, in various churches, but particularly in the Methodist Church in Sandymount, which is very close to his home. “Getting to distant churches on a Sunday morning is not just as easy as it was in the past” he said. He also either conducts or accompanies the Seafield Singers, sharing the task with Alison Young, whose late husband William was its founder.

Eric de Courcy, B.A., Mus.B (Dub), LRAM, ARIAM, grew up in the Baily, Howth and in a musical family; his mother was very musical and his grandfather was organist of the Methodist Church in Sutton.

He was five when he started piano lessons and about ten when he commenced learning the ‘cello at the RIAM. Two years later he went to Wesley College (in St Stephen’s Green) and about then started organ lessons with Willie Watson in St Ann’s, Dawson St. He admits that music came naturally to him and practising was not a chore.

He was 16 when he took up his first organist’s post — in St Patrick’s, Dalkey, where he stayed for five years. “There was no money at home” he admits, “I needed some pocket money and later I wanted to put myself through college.” Following Dalkey, he became organist of the Methodist Centenary Church in St Stephen’s Green for a short time, replacing Havelock Nelson who was moving to Belfast. In 1944, when he was 22, the post of organist of Waterford Cathedral became vacant and he was urged to apply for it. He thought he might spend a “few years” there. He was appointed, and the “few years” became nearly fifty years, lasting until 1991!

The Cathedral choir when he was appointed numbered about 30 and Matins and Evensong were sung every Sunday, with anthems and canticle settings each week. There were three other Churches of Ireland in Waterford at the time, two in the city and one across the river, but one by one these all closed, and the Cathedral become more of a parish

church, still hosting a good choir but not singing the range of cathedral services that had been the case in his early years there. Asked about the Jones rebuild of the cathedral organ, he replied “I think it’s magnificent”.

He was very much involved in musical life in Waterford. He taught in Newtown School and also in Bishop Foy’s School until it closed in the 1960s; he also taught in the Regional Technical College as it was then. He was also in demand as a recitalist and conductor. There were various choral societies in Waterford, one of which produced one or two oratorios every year. Eric conducted most of these during his time in the city. Waterford had a very active Music Club; he went onto its committee before becoming its chairman for eleven years.

Asked what was his preferred form of music making: conducting, playing the organ, or being part of an orchestra, he replied “none of those, my top preference is chamber music”. He pointed out the he was always keener on the piano and cello and never intended to be an organist and that he didn’t have a big organ repertoire (though judging from recital programmes that he showed me, I take this comment with a grain of salt!).

I asked him if he could recall any specifically memorable events: “That’s a difficult one; conducting is certainly very exciting. The first time I conducted Messiah (in Waterford Cathedral) I felt very elated when we came to the Hallelujah Chorus. Messiah doesn’t excite me quite so much nowadays.” I asked him if he had met many famous people. “Oh

He has a couple of very well-filled and most interesting scrapbooks, containing newspaper cuttings, recital programmes, invitations and so on, and essentially portraying his musical life. A couple of other things I learned as we looked through his scrapbooks were that he won the Ida O’Reilly Cup three times for his ‘cello playing and that he was made a Heredity Freeman of Waterford (though he had to pay ten shillings for the certificate!)

Gloria in Excelsis Adrian Somerfield

(St Thomas, Mount Merrion)

In SOUNDBOARD Number 7 (June 2004) the Editor rightly, in my opinion, criticises the unhelpful pointing of the psalms and canticles in the new Book of Common Prayer. But there is worse. The Canticle (as it is described) which we and others have been chanting for many years at Holy Communion (p. 203) is not pointed at all, and the layout is such that it is hard to know how it is supposed to be.

Fortunately, except for the niggling change of ‘his’ to ‘God’s’ in the first verse, it is possible to use the pointing on page 127 of the 1984 Alternative Prayer Book, where it is clearly and beautifully set out.

Indeed, whatever the supposed failings of the APB which caused it to be suppressed, that book was excellently printed and organist- friendly. But then, it was the result of careful and open preparation with

at least two trial runs.

At the organ of Sandymount Methodist Church

TALKING TO ERIC de COURCY Teacher, Choral Conductor, Cellist and Organist

2

Ten amateur organists were asked to list their ten most-often-played introductory voluntaries — and this has resulted in the list that follows. Asterisks indicate the number of those listing a particular piece. Some of the contributors mentioned the fact that some pieces are seasonal, being played on a particular Sunday of the year. It is hoped that this article will provide some ideas for organists to add to their repertoires.

For the next SOUNDBOARD, part 3 of the series will appear: A Top Ten Pieces for Funerals — in the same style. So, we appeal to all organists out there: please let us have a list of the ten pieces that you play most often at funerals. There will obviously be duplication of previous listings, which is to be expected. Please don’t assume that there will be enough contributions without yours; the more there are, the more objective and the more useful the article will be.

Albinoni Adagio in G minor Anima Christi Air & Variations arr. Lawton

*** Bach Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Bach Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier Bach Erbarm, dich Mein Bach Ich ruf’’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ Bach Vater in Himmelreich Bach Trio in C Bach Sheep may safely graze Bach Bist du bei Bain/Jacob Brother James’ Air Beethoven Creation’s Hymn to God Beethoven Pastoral Symphony

(1st, 3rd, 5th movements) Bennett, W God is a Spirit Bizet Agnus Dei

** Boëllman Pierre et notre dame Bruch Violin Concerto (slow movement) Buxtehude Komm, Heiliger Gheist, Herr Gott Caccini Ave Maria Clarke Prince of Denmark’s March

(‘Trumpet Voluntary’) Corelli Sonata 9

** Dvorak Largo (New World Symphony) *** Elgar Chanson de Matin

Elgar Nimrod (Enigma Variations) Faure Pavane Faure Dolly suite Faure Pie Jesu Fiocco Andante Franck Vieux Noel Giordani Caro mio ben Gluck Dance of the Blessed Spirits

(Orfeo et Euridice) Gluck Vieni ai regni delriposo

(Orfeo et Euridice) ** Grieg Morning Mood (Peer Gynt)

Grieg Sarabande (Holberg Suite) Handel Silent Worship

**** Handel Largo Handel I know that my Redeemer liveth Handel Lascia Ch'io Pianga (Rinaldo) Handel Wher'er you walk

*** Handel Air from Water Music Handel Pastoral Symphony (Messiah) Handel March from Scipio Handel La Rejouissance (Fireworks

Music) Handel Art Thou Troubled Haydn Slow Movement from Trumpet

Concerto Howells Psalm Prelude, Set 1, No. 2

Keeble Diapason Movement Korb & Roever Highland Cathedral Lawton, Liam The Cloud’s Veil Lees, Joseph The Lord's Prayer Lloyd Webber, W Communion Lloyd-Webber, W. Romance Lloyd Webber, W Communion in G McDowell To a wild rose

Martini In Moti Oliveti Mascagni Easter Hymn (seasonal)

** Massenet Meditation (Thais) Mee-Pattison Various, from Twenty-three Original Slow Movements Mendelssohn Andante Tranquillo (Sonata 3) Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (slow movement)

** Mendelssohn On Wings of Song ** Mendelssohn O for the wings of a dove

Morricone Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission) Morrow, Mrs. C. The Stranger of Galilee Mozart Alleluia from ‘Exultate Jubilate’ Mozart The March of the Priests Die Zauberflote)

** Mozart Ave Verum Corpus Mozart Et Incarnatus est (13th Mass) Pachelbel Canon in D Palestrina O Bone Jesu Palestrina Ecce Panis Angelorum Peeters Aria Purcell Trumpet Tune Raff Cavatina Robertson, H All in the April evening Saint Saens The Swan (Carnival of Animals)

** Shostakovich Romance (The Gadfly) Stainer God so loved the World Tarrant/Tye Lord, for Thy tender mercy's sake

** Verdi Chorus of Hebrew Slaves Vierne Berceuse Vierne Réverie Wagner March from Tannhauser Wagner Prelude to Lohengrin Warlock Pied-en-nair White, L.J. A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester Whitlock Andante Tranquillo; Folk Tune Williams, Lee Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace

Young, Gordon

Various

Prelude on ‘The King of Love’

Pieces from Liturgical Interludes

NOTES & NEWS 2005 Remuneration Guidelines

For the first time, the guidelines for organists’ remunerations have been issued jointly in conjunction with the Advisory Committee on Church Music of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Commission on Liturgy. This is a significant and co-operative step forward. The new rates are enclosed with this issue of SOUNDBOARD and as well have been sent to all parish treasurers.

E-Mail Addresses and Contact Details Have you changed either of the above recently? Has the Committee got your up-to-date details? If so, contact David McConnell at churchmusicdublin@eircom.net or 01 4973745

3 A “TOP TEN” introductory VOLUNTARIES

Brian Dyson, Robert Gyles, Randal Henly, Valerie Johnston, Philip Lawton,

Ruth Maybury, Norah Morris, John Rowden, Heather Taylor,

4 Learning to Conduct — in Cork Joan Alcorn, Jennifer Huston, Geraint Waters, Carol Wilkinson

The CNC (Cumann Náisiúta na gCór) Annual Choral Conducting Summer School took place in the Music Department of University College Cork from Monday 23 to Friday 27 August last. For the conducting module of the Archbishop’s Course in Church Music, four students went off to Cork for the five days. Three took the basic level in conducting, and the fourth, who had attended Peter Barley’s choral conducting course the previous year, took the transition level — which is the second of the four grades that are on offer. There were ten students in the basic course this year and the transition level course had

about double that. The following article is made up of extracts of the reports written by them.

Initial reactions

“Monday 23 August, 2004. We left the apartment in Castlewhite for the 20- minute uphill walk to the Music Dept of UCC. Signed in, and made our way to meet our tutor and accompanist. As we were a small group of ten, we got to know each other quickly. We were all very self-conscious at the beginning, with arms still and faces rigid with concentration!

Church Music Committee members and students of the Archbishop’s Course in Church Music, who received their certificates after evensong in Christ Church Cathedral on November 7: Kerry Houston, Ruth Maybury, Derek Verso, Jennifer Huston, Ven. Edgar Swann, Archbishop John Neill, Geraint Waters, Donald Maxwell, Joan Alcorn, Carol Wilkinson

learned the basic conducting techniques, tips on running a choir rehearsal, from warm-up exercises to teaching

Course members were from all walks of life and from all age groups, and from differing backgrounds, but all present had some requirement for developing choral conducting and training skills, whether it be for their work (as in the case of the many teachers on the course), to help them in their roles as amateur choral conductors, or as part of another course of study (as was the case for myself).

The first day was totally alien to me as I had never stood in front of a choir before waving my hands about — and the hand actions! Totally foreign! By the second day however, we had a basic grasp of what was required and we started to lose out inhibitions.”

I wondered what I was doing leaving my summer garden

and friendly dog for this draughty building in Cork!”

The course The course took the form of the study, from a conductor’s perspective, of a number of short works (the music for which had been sent to participants beforehand), where each class member was invited in turn to conduct the choir in a piece, or a section of a piece, the rest of the class acting as the choir. The conductor got personal tuition from the tutor, while the rest of the class observed and made mental notes in preparation for their own turns in front of the ‘choir’. Each member of the class usually had one conducting session per day.

The first day passed quickly before we adjourned to a

local hostelry to discuss the day. Then back to the apartment to do our homework — in front of a mirror practising conducting one of our songs. This pattern was repeated for the rest of the week, each day learning some new music and practising conducting it in from of the class.

Each day was split into four sessions of either conducting or vocal tuition. Throughout the week we were introduced to many of the skills involved in training a choir. We

new music, and essentially gained the confidence to stand up in front of a choir and conduct effectively.

By the middle of the week we gained more and more confidence and knowledge in what we were about. We worked long days and also had to prepare homework each night.

We also had two vocal workshops which I found very challenging — but helpful. After many years of incorrect breathing, I am now trying to improve my technique!

As the week progressed, it was interesting to see how

each of us was improving, growing in confidence and also now able to help each other!

At the end of the week, a concert was held for all except those in the advanced class, each class member choosing a piece in which they conducted their fellow class members, the audience consisting of members of the other classes.

The tuition provided by Carmel Griffin was of a high standard, and was notable for her clear instruction and in particular for her encouragement of the less- experienced members of the class. It was particularly rewarding to see class members who had started the course nervously, growing in confidence as the week progressed until they successfully negotiated their final ‘trial by concert’. The partnership between Carmel and Helen Colbert, accompanist for the week, was also notably successful, Helen managing to successfully and sometimes humorously reinforce Carmel’s teaching points through deft use of the accompanist’s art!

High points and low points Great music; good teachers; nice fellow students, many new friendships;

Catering was a nighmare and we had to eat in one of the corridors;

5 All in all, a very worthwhile experience. If I have any criticisms, one would be that in my case the class size was perhaps a little on the large size, which reduced the amount of conducting time that any one individual spent in front of the rest of the class – perhaps there should be a restriction on maximum class sizes here. My main criticism, however, would be that there was too much emphasis on conducting a choir, and not enough on training a choir, (*) e.g., how to identify and rectify problems of tuning, phrasing, ensemble etc. In this regard, it compared unfavourably with the ‘in- house’ training given the previous year by Peter Barley, where these aspects were dealt with more extensively, and were incorporated into the assessment exercise at the end of the course of study.

Final comments:

I would hope that the choral training element of the Archbishop’s Certificate in Church music would be hosted in conjunction with the CNC Summer School in Cork in 2005, especially since the Summer School will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and the city itself is designated the European City of Culture for that year.

The course turned out to be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience, with a great sense of comradeship between the participants, not only within each class but among classes also. Many of the course participants stayed in student accommodation in UCC, so this camaraderie could be continued into the evening. In particular, the willingness of class members to assist and encourage each other was apparent, and contributed to a positive learning experience throughout the week.

Even though this particular choral training workshop

had a much broader canvas than that required by the Archbishop’ Course, the vast musical experience we gained in Cork was of immense value, and our needs in music specific to the Church of Ireland were more than adequately catered for in sessions held in the Theological College with Tom Gordon, Mark Duley and our individual organ tutors.

Personally I found this Summer School very rewarding and satisfying and I came away with great enthusiasm and interest in choral music and singing. The tutors were

very experienced in their craft and in imparting that skill on the rest of us, and we were provided with a very useful repertoire suitable for a variety of occasions and choirs.

From a social point of view I found it very exciting to have the opportunity of meeting other music enthusiasts from all over the country, creating a valuable network of support for future music adventures. It was a nice surprise to see so many other young people there and I’ve certainly made good friends I hope to reunite with at the next Summer School.

My one disappointment was that we did not get an opportunity to conduct a four-part song, but the small group had only one male student!

As this was my first experience of a conducting, I found it very tiring and intense, but also very rewarding.

Overall not a bad week. I needed a holiday after it. I was totally exhausted!’

The Editor would like to thank the four students for their prompt responses to his request for reports on the course.

(*) It might be pointed out that the course was specifically a conducting course. Ed.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor, Thought you might like to know about a new (I think)

piece of organ music by Ronald Watson. It is called ‘Suite for Mrs Thing’ (subtitled ‘A set of pieces for Reluctant Organists’). It consists of five pieces as follows:

• Trumpet March (subtitled ‘Mrs Thing enjoys a change from Purcell’)

• Song (subtitled ‘Mrs Thing is in reflective mood’)

• Jig (subtitled ‘Mrs Thing goes to Ireland’) • Rag (subtitled ‘Mrs Thing reflects on her misspent

youth (if only)’) • Toccatina (subtitled ‘Mrs Thing dazzles the

congregation’)

It is published by fagus-music.com (they have a website). All the pieces (except Rag) are attractive, and more importantly, easily playable. Hope this is of some use.

Regards Mervyn Cooper

(Editor: Interestingly enough, ‘Suite for Mrs Thing’ is reviewed in the September issue of Church Music Quarterly. The review finishes: “The wide variety of styles and moods is refreshing and there is something here for everyone. Ronald Watson is to be congratulated on writing music which is of a high standard, not writing down to the less-experienced player.”

I am a little envious of David Wilkinson with the numbers in his choir; however let me say that I too am lucky with my members. At present I have four sopranos, three altos, three tenors and three basses. I had another couple of sopranos who unfortunately had to leave over the past year, for various reasons. It is sad to lose members but as this sometimes happens, you either try to get new members or carry on with the faithful ones remaining.

As David wrote, music is a key element of worship in the Church of Ireland and this should be remembered whether the congregation be big or small. With a smaller congregation it means that everyone has to sing that little bit harder and louder, although this does not always happen as some people are hesitant to sing out! Shame!

In Dun Laoghaire we have two services each Sunday: 9 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. The 9.00 service every Sunday is that of Holy Communion. On the first and third Sundays the 10.30 is also Holy Communion and on the second and fourth it is Morning Prayer. We have rehearsals each Thursday evening in the Church, which generally last for about an hour, though when we are rehearsing for one of the festivals it can be a bit longer. We also have a short practice on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. lasting approximately 15 minutes before the service begins. This practice gives the choir the chance to go over some music that might have been newly looked at on the Thursday, and running through it once or twice brings it back to memory. A long time has

passed between Thursday and Sunday! We try to sing an anthem on the last Sunday of every month especially over the winter months when we have a full choir. It is a bit harder over the summer with holiday period. The anthems are usually short and easy to learn quickly. I sometimes use a book of ‘One-rehearsal anthems for choirs’, which is great. I have travelled to Canada over the past years and picked up various anthems for the choir. The members always say on my return — "well what have you brought back this time for us?"

How does practice go on a Thursday? Well it can vary. We usually start off with a hymn to open the throats. Then I might get them to sing something like ‘Doe a deer’ a few times varying the singing between softly, loudly, staccato etc. Another one we like to sing is ‘Daisy, Daisy’. Amazing how you can stumble over the words

sometimes especially ‘on a bicycle made for two’ if you are trying to sing it very quickly! We sing this as a ‘round’ sometimes with sopranos and altos starting and then the tenors and basses or using the four parts separately. Makes them sit up and watch me to see who is next to come in. I can change my mind very quickly!! Women can

do this – it is allowed! We then go through all the hymns, psalm and canticles and then get going on the anthem. Sometimes when practising a chant we ‘bleep’ it. Good practice. Try it sometimes with your choir (no charge for this bit of information!) Time passes very quickly especially as I found out only on Saturday 25th September when we were decorating the church for Harvest that the sopranos keep a knife in the choir stalls. This I was told was kept just in case they needed to really make a point about something that they are singing. Do I believe them! Would you? I have been on my best behaviour since then.

Hard work and dedication! Yes that is everything. I feel I have that with my choir. Ask them to learn something and they get to it. They do not all read music so it can be challenging but this does not hold them back. I put the different parts on tape for them to listen to and this seems to help them.

We have a Christmas ‘get together’ which normally, over the last few years has been held in the Rectory with the kind permission of the Rector, but this year we decided to ‘break out’ and go to a restaurant for dinner. We had a most enjoyable time – food and drink enjoyed by all and a good bit of chat and no dirty dishes to wash up afterwards. Great!

Good luck to all you church organists and keep up the good work! It is a demanding job but very worthwhile and I am sure that nearly everyone appreciates your talent.

Any offers to write the next article in this series of music in various churches?

Jesus shall reign, where’er the Sun; Isaac Watts (1674 —1748)

Adrian Somerfield (St Thomas, Mount Merrion)

We sang this well known hymn one Sunday recently, and afterwards a member of the Congregation asked me if I

had noticed that there was a mistake in the current Hymn Book? He claimed that the line “And praises

throng to crown his head” should read what it had always been: “And princes throng to crown his head”. He

maintained that praises could not throng whereas princes could. So I had a look in some other hymnals,

with the results shown:

Irish Church Hymnal (1936 edition) Hy. 433 princes Irish Church Hymnal (1960) 421 princes Irish Church Hymnal (2000) 97 praises Hymns Ancient and Modern (1950) 220 praises Hymns for Today’s Church (1982) 516 princes Clarendon Hymn Book (1936) 203 praises Methodist Hymn Book (1933) 272 praises Public School Hymn Book (1949) 268 praises With One Voice (Australian) (1979) 136 praises

Psalm 72, on which the hymn is based, might favour

princes, but what did Watts write?

6 Music in Christ Church,

Dun Laoghaire Ruth Maybury

Different types of pipe

1. Open Diapason 2. Dulciana 3. Stopped Diapason 4. Oboe (reed pipe)

5. Trumpet (reed pipe)

Introduction This is the first of a series of articles on the pipes which form the stops of an organ. In this, pipe composition and open diapasons or principals are described. In further articles, other types of pipe will be considered.

Pipe composition The vast majority of organ pipes are made of wood or from metal. In general, metal pipes consist of various alloys of lead and tin although the proportions of each metal can vary considerably.

Common alloys are 75% tin/25% lead, 50% tin/50% lead (commonly called 'spotted metal' since it gives a sort of dappled appearance), 25% tin/75% lead (commonly called plain metal). In older Dutch and German instruments pipes of 3% tin/97% lead can be found to this day. Before being formed into pipes, the metal must be hammered to work-harden so the pipes will not collapse under their own weight. Since circa 1864 zinc has come into general use for front pipes and large basses. Zinc is very strong relative to its weight. A drawback when it comes to working on zinc pipes is that it is tough and brittle.

A mix of 99% tin and 1% lead (very rare and only found in Germany, Holland and France) is used for front case pipes on account of its ability to remain untarnished. It also lends itself well to being cast in very thin sheets, for making gamba, dulciana and salicional type stops of great delicacy. There are only a handful of organs in Ireland containing pipes of such a mixture.

Wood such as pine or deal is

commonly used for large pedal stops. Mahogany, oak and other woods (maple, fine fruit woods) are sometimes used for stops shorter than 4’.

Types of Pipe Pipe families are divided into two fundamental types: flues (like tin whistles) and reeds (where a vibrating tongue provides the initial sound which in turn is amplified by the rest of the pipe).

Flue pipes have bodies that can be

cylindrical or conical (where the top

of the pipe may be 2/3, 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4

of the diameter at the mouth). Occasionally flue pipes are wider at

the top than at the mouth. Wood pipes may be four-sided, three-sided, cylindrical (turned on a lathe) or four- sided but tapered, although the latter three types are rare. Another oddity is pipes (either wood or metal) with two mouths.

Pipes may be open (at the top) or stopped, this being done internally by a turned wooden handle sealed with leather, or externally using a metal felted cap. A stopped pipe is approximately half the length of an open pipe of the same pitch.

Open Diapasons The tone of diapasons is specific to the organ, in that it does not mimic any other instrument. The word diapason, literally translated means 'a concord through all tones'. The tone embodies a unique combination of pure fundamental with an even spread of upper partials (hence the reference to 'all tones').

The Open Diapason consists of a set of open cylindrical pipes. On the manuals these sound unison (or 8’ pitch) and on the pedals at 16’ pitch. The pipes may be of either wood or metal, or both. On organs standing on rood screens (such as in many cathedrals and some large churches), there are two diapasons, one on each façade facing away from each other (one East and one West). This trend continued (but for different reasons) up till the mid 20th century where organs had several diapasons (e.g. St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin).

The Open Diapason is the organ’s foundation stop, and on which a chorus of diapasons at

different pitches sit: 4’, 22/3’, 2’,

13/5’, 11/3’, 1’ and even higher.

Whilst all of these pitches may be found as separate stops on some organs, it is usual to find some

(two or more) gathered together and brought into use in a compound stop (e.g. a Mixture or Sesquialtera), drawn by a single stop knob.

On larger organs the manual diapason chorus may be based on 16’ pitch, giving more gravitas, and possibly the pedal at 32’.

The topic of diapason (or principal) choruses and particularly of how different organ builders treat them, is really the subject of a much more

complex and intriguing concept: namely the tonal structure of the organ. The constituent stops is akin to …. say the ingredients for a Christmas cake! You can give

six different people the same recipe, and end up with six very different cakes.

The 4’ diapason or 'Octave' is often

called the Principal. In Germany a diapason at any pitch is entitled principal. In Ireland (and UK) only the manual 4’ pitch and pedal 8’ is so named. This is a hangover from the mediaeval organ.

From 1851 the German builder Edmund Schulze built organs in Yorkshire and since then, we have diapasons called Geigen or Violon Diapasons. Later in the century the quest for more power and smoothness continued. It was Arthur Harrison or Robert Hope Jones who discovered that by putting a thin covering of leather on the upper lip of the pipes, they could be blown harder without misbehaving. This was applied to 8’ stops only.

I’ll end by posing a question – 'when is a diapason not a diapason?' — to which the answer is: when it’s a stopped diapason, which leads us to the next article about flutes, open and stopped.

Aiden Scanlon, Organ Builder & Organist of St Ann’s, Dawson St

7 diapasons THE PIPES OF THE ORGAN:

Last year’s questionnaire highlighted the need for seminars or workshops on various aspects of church music, as well as the opportunity for organists just to meet and talk. Several of the respondents also expressed a desire to be able to view organ and choir music. To help with these matters, the Church Music Committee has organised this forthcoming workshop. The (provisional) programme is as follows:

• Talk by Peter Barley on how to get the best from an amateur choir(*)

• Talk by Raymond Russell on some of the ‘new’ hymns in the 2000 Church Hymnal

• Short demonstration of some computer software for church musicians

• Tea/coffee and ‘chat’ time

• Display of organ music and organ magazines/ journals

• Music sale

• Demonstration of ‘marrying’ a keyboard to a pipe organ (purists/organ builders will disapprove, but it saved the day for a bride last year and made her very happy!)

• Short organ recital followed by the organ being available for visitors to play

Where: St Mary’s Howth, which is at the entrance to Howth Castle/Deer Park Hotel & Golf Club. Coming by car, it would be difficult not to see the church as it is on a hill at the right hand side of the road approaching Howth. The 31 ‘bus (from Lower Abbey Street) passes the church, and runs every 20 minutes approximately. Howth DART station is also close to the church, but unfortunately no trains will be running on Saturdays owing to the current DART upgrade programme.

When: 22nd January 2005 starting at 10.00 a.m. Probably finishing about 12.30 p.m., but if organists want to play on for the rest of the day, the church will be available!

Charge and registration: There is a charge of €10 and this should be sent to Judy Cameron, The Willows, Ballyman Road, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, Tel. 2860122, E-mail: cameronl@eircom.net. Cheques should be made payable to Church Music Dublin. While you may just turn up on the day, it is requested that those intending to be present should register in advance, to ensure that there will be enough handouts and coffee for all!

(*) Mr Barley suggests that if any organist wants help on, or would like him to talk about some particular aspect of church music, to let him know. He can be contacted at St Patrick’s Cathedral and his e-mail address is: peter.barley@stpatrickscathedral.ie

organists’ crossword What a great entry to Crossword 7! Fully correct solutions came from: Eric de Courcy, Anne Corry, Robert Keogh, Isobel Mulligan, Adrian Somerfield, John Keogh, Iris Maguire, William Yeoman, Mary Carrick, Derek Seymour and Janet Ashe.

The lucky two whose names came out of the proverbial hat were Eric de Courcy and Iris Maguire. Well done to both! Token prizes have been sent.

Lack of space means that Crossword 8 will have to wait until the April 2005 issue.

The Howth organ

Two-manual Conacher, built about 1930, and situated on the West gallery. Its short specification is:

Gt: 16, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, Mix(III);

Sw: 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, Mix(II), 8, 8, Trem;

Ped: 16, 16, 8;

Couplers: 3

Music for sale (cheap!) Randal Henly

Over the years, I have acquired a horde of music from friends and relatives of those who have passed on. While some of what I have received has been useful, much of it I will never use, it being either of little personal interest duplicating what I have, or beyond my capabilities. I am hesitant to throw it out when it might be of interest or value to somebody. It will be available for nominal prices, and the proceeds will go to Pipeworks, the Dublin International Organ Festival. I know of others too who have acquired music that they will never use and if you are in that category, let us have this surplus music.

In the last issue of SOUNDBOARD David Bedlow had a note about some

very interesting surplus music and books, and these will be available also — again the proceeds will go to Pipeworks.

You just might pick up a gem at the

Music for Sale table!

ORGANISTS’ WORKSHOP St Mary’s Howth, 22nd January 2005