Lrsm Performer's Diploma, Examination Options

[Barry Williams]

I would be glad of any advice about entering for this diploma please.

As I do not hold a church appointment I will have to borrow an instrument for the examination. (The organ at home is a little small for Cesar Franck etc under examination conditions!)

Has anyone recent experience of taking the LRSM performers' diploma please?

Barry Williams

[Holz Gedeckt]

I would be glad of any advice about entering for this diploma please.

<snip>

Has anyone recent experience of taking the LRSM performers' diploma please?

I did mine back in 1994, so my memory of the experience is rather hazy. The syllabus has probably changed quite a bit too since then. But I remember it being a worthwhile and testing examination.

If there's anything specific which you'd like to know, email me and I'll try and answer. And I really will get round to replying to your answerphone message soon! I've just been a bit busy recently. Sorry, Barry! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Deborah]

Sorry, not done an LRSM on anything. Perhaps one of confutatis' "friends" might be able to offer some advice.

As I do not hold a church appointment I will have to borrow an instrument for the examination. (The organ at home is a little small for Cesar Franck etc under examination conditions!)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Please mister, may I borrow your organ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[organ_dummy]

I would be glad of any advice about entering for this diploma please.
As I do not hold a church appointment I will have to borrow an instrument for the examination. (The organ at home is a little small for Cesar Franck etc under examination conditions!)
Has anyone recent experience of taking the LRSM performers' diploma please?

I did mine in autumn 2007. What would you like to know? I don't think my specialist examiner liked the organ on which I played my programme. It was a four-manual instrument, with over 90 ranks of pipes. Quite an unforgiving instrument, actually, due to the very dry acoustic.

[mrbouffant]

Sorry, not done an LRSM on anything. Perhaps one of confutatis' "friends" might be able to offer some advice.

According to an acquaintance of mine who had a go at LR in 2001 under the 'relaunched' 2000 syllabus the key things are:

- do it on an instrument you are comfortable with (I guess if you are borrowing an instrument, you need unfettered access to it for a goodly time before your exam)

- choose a nice varied programme (Of course LR allows you to specialise a bit, but why restrict yourself given the repertoire which is in the list)

- don't underestimate the Viva

- don't panic during the Quick Study

He always felt that doing the Viva last is best. He found that doing the QS immediately after the recital worked well because his brain was in 'performance' mode and the fingers were still warm to bring off a fair rendition of the piece at hand.

This all sounds pretty obvious to me, but I am sure it is sage advice...

[maledictis]

I can vouch for the acquaintance in question - very knowledgable (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Barry Williams]

Thank you, all, for your advice.

I will probably take the examination on the organ where I have consultation lessons. It is a fine and newly rebuilt instrument, complete with a Vox Humana.

The sight reading always bothers me. It is my weakest point. I will probably play the programme from memory, which I find easy to do. Organists seem not to get extra marks from playing from memory, whereas they are expected to be good sight readers.

Barry Williams

[mrbouffant]

Of course, it is not sight reading per se.. The preparation time the QS affords is invaluable.

You can easily practice taking gr7-type pieces off the shelf and giving yourself 5 minutes to read through and even play some sections. 5 minutes is probably not enough to play the whole thing.

Obviously establishing a good firm start is important - especially from the point of view of pulse.

My friend found it easy to manage the registrations using general and/or divisional pistons on his instrument. That is one less thing to worry about if you have those on the instrument you are looking to do this exam on...

[organ_dummy]

- do it on an instrument you are comfortable with (I guess if you are borrowing an instrument, you need unfettered access to it for a goodly time before your exam)

- don't underestimate the Viva

- don't panic during the Quick Study

Agree with the above.

But given your experience, passing the LR can't be that difficult.

[mrbouffant]

But given your experience, passing the LR can't be that difficult.

My friend's experience suggests otherwise. He worked hard and practiced diligently in order to secure a decent pass. I wouldn't therefore say LR isn't "that difficult"...

[Barry Williams]

Thank you for this.

Whilst I have a repertoire that encompasses some very difficult music, I get do nervous in examination conditions. (It may surprise folk to know that I also get nervous in court, but I have been trained so that it does not show! Advocates who are not at least slightly nervous may not perform as well as though who are.)

I had two attempts at the ARCM Performers' Diploma, but passed the second time with excellent marks because I was able to practice on a small organ (in the room next to Room 90) until about a minute before the examination started. That settled my nerves well.

The LRSM seems carefully designed to avoid the worst of examination stress, yet retain that level of tension which is essential to a good performance. In this respect the Quick Study piece follows the old LRAM, which was widely respected by professionals as being a more realistic test of one's musicianship than other examinations which require phenomenal levels of sight reading - but for quite different purposes of course.

If I may I will post my proposed programme for comment. I hope that the LRSM rules will allow that.

Barry Williams

[mrbouffant]

If I may I will post my proposed programme for comment.

Please do!

FYI my friend's recital was a right dog's dinner:

Vincent Lübeck (1656 - 1740)
Prelude and Fugue in E

Paul Hindemith (1895 – 1963)
Sonata no. 2

Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637 – 1707)
Ciacona in C minor, BuxWV 160

Arthur Honegger (1892-1955)
Fugue: no. 1 from ‘2 Pieces’

J.S.Bach (1685 – 1750)
Concerto in A Minor (after Vivaldi, Op. 3 no. 8) BWV 593

Jehan Alain (1911 – 1940)
Litanies

[organ_dummy]

But given your experience, passing the LR can't be that difficult.

My friend's experience suggests otherwise. He worked hard and practiced diligently in order to secure a decent pass. I wouldn't therefore say LR isn't "that difficult"...

The level of difficulty really depends on the choice of repertoire. I meant to say that, given Barry Williams' experience, he should have no problem passing the LR exam if he picks pieces that reflects his strength and puts in the practice time.

I worked very hard on mine the two months before the exam and managed to secure a decent pass, despite not having a very good knowledge of the exam instrument or organ playing in general. At the time of the exam, I had only been playing the organ for 2.5 years.

With diligent practice, it's not too hard to pass the exam. But it's very hard to pass with distinction. I suppose Barry Williams would probably want more than just a pass or clear pass on his exam.

[mrbouffant]

Any plans for FR, organ_dummy? Do you think your views on LR are broadly applicable to the FR exam? Just curious... (apologies to Barry for going OT)

[Barry Williams]

Thank you. I will take your comments as a compliment.

In 1976 (a long time ago) I did very well at ARCM, but the circumstances were special. I subsequently took FTCL, an examination in which then one was simply recommended for Fellowship. Marks were not awarded, but the examiners really were super and put me at ease. (Unlike at the ARCM.) My other diplomas, in conducting and pianoforte, are irrelevant here, though I suffered somewhat from nerves. Somehow it is less critical on the piano than the organ. A slip (which is what worries most players) is less noticeable. I suspect that the examiners are far less concerned with slips than with the overall interpretation and phrasing, etc. But the player remembers the untidyness and it can throw an otherwise good performance off balance.

For the avoidance of all doubt, I would be more than satisfied with just enough marks to pass. Higher marks would be good, but a pass is sufficient for me!

All the comments are encouraging, so I will give it a go.

The programme will be posted for your criitical appraisal.

Barry Williams