Yes, supplied and fitted. The unit was purchased from a German firm, Laukhuff, complete with revolving star. It's a fairly compact unit, controlled by a hitch-down pedal. It's even possible to adjust the speed, although I don't do this as it would mean climbing through the organ to get to the unit. Our congregation usually gets to hear it during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Of course, the children love it!

*HG turns green with envy*

You lucky person, you! I'll have to start thinking about wealthy parishioners who might be amenable to having their arm twisted....

HG says
"You lucky person, you! I'll have to start thinking about wealthy parishioners who might be amenable to having their arm twisted...."

You could contact the Showmans' Guild - there's probably an old fair ground organ somewhere which wouldn't miss a few bits of pointless , tinkling scrap metal which you could then nail into your otherwise perfectly acceptable church instrument.

Chris Baker - Durham UK

is the programme finished.... are there any more episodes coming up?????

I can't find any this week listed in 'Radio Times'. I think we shall have to stay on the 'look-out' for the next instalment(s) ! If anybody has information I'd be glad to know.

According to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006w6vg there are no episodes coming up, and only a few hours left to hear the broadcasts on that page.

Does anybody know if there's a way to permanently download from the BBC iPlayer?

They can be a liability sometimes. I know of one organist who was checking his general pistons during a dull sermon at Bath Abbey, when of course the stop was pulled and there was an embarrassing tinkling sound at an inappropriate moment.

I know on the rare occasions I have used one (actually on the Bath organ in the Locklair 'Rubrics'), one has to know how long they keep going for after you put the stop in, and then get you page turner to put the stop in a few seconds early, otherwise there is a similarly embarssing tinkle at the end of a piece.

I recall once nearly being caught using a drain outside a vestry at the beginning of an interval in a recital I was giving. Does this count as an embarrassing tinkle at the end of a piece?

I regret to inform you that I have an even worse story. At a major English cathedral where I was playing for the weekend (it will have to remain nameless for obvious reasons), I had offered to assist my wife in child duties. Number 2 son (age 3) came up for morning Eucharist. He was caught short in the communion, but I was able to distract one of the members of the choir who dashed him off to the loo unharmed. However, Number 1 son (age 5 and allegedly much better bladder control) came up for afternoon Evensong, after consuming (unbeknown to me) the contents of something called a Fruit Shoot. He had the same distress signal (legs crossed, unable to move and almost in tears), but this time, I couldn't help. There are far fewer obvious breaks in Evensong. I was hopeful he would hold it, but he didn't, and proceeded to tinkle in the loft, causing much embarrassment and judicious use of Andrex after the service.

I have not returned to this place since.

Given that Bach is alleged to have had, what was it, 26 children, I'm sure he would be amused to read of this rather off topic discussion in one named after his honour. Surely he might have had the same problem at some time or other...

For those who would like to know, a new DVD of John Scott Whiteley's '21st Century Bach' is due for release on 29th June by Signum Vision (actually, I think it's a 2-DVD set). This appears to be of JSW's latest programmes broadcast earlier this year. I've already pre-ordered mine.

Sounds good!

I have the first 2 CD set.
But what is annoying , you have to watch JSW walk down the aisle of each church and up to the loft each time, usually with raincoat over his arm ! The % of music on the CD's is much lower than on most !

Sorry to be off topic again, but No.1 son made debut as page turner last Sunday in a recital. A rather good job actually, though because of his size he had to sit on the end of the stool, which meant a bit of a squeeze!

The first and second series which I have on 4 DVDs were produced and marketed by a different company.
It IS somewhat tiresome that the programmes' "pedestrian" introduction and closure is repeated for every piece played. I had hoped that they would be edited out except at the DVDs' beginning and end, and I cannot understand why they haven't been. Nevertheless, there are bonus tracks which supplement the music well:e.g. re the making of the programmes, the fascinating interview with Christoph Wolff, and registration details together with information about the edition used by JSW.
We'll have to wait and see how the later series is edited.

Hear, hear!


The really fascinating thing about that interview, which is what? 45 minutes long? is that it has every appearance of having been done in one take. Watch Wollf's head closely and see if you can spot any edits. I couldn't. Not saying there aren't any, but if there are I'd love to know how they made it look so seamless.

Thinking about organist no1's unfortunate experience chronicled recently, I would pay over the odds for a completely unedited 21st Century Bach if it featured the great man seating himself at the console, beginning to play and then getting off and kicking it when it ciphered. If he were to be heard muttering something like ".....great useless heap of junk!" it would be even more valuable in my eyes.

Sorry. Had an unproductive practice today. I'll get my coat.

Joking aside, I doubt I could watch a DVD with him walking to and from the console between each piece, much as I enjoy the anticipation factor on the individual television episodes.

Actually I find his walks quite useful as they give something of the feel of the church, and this puts me in the right frame of mind for the performance. Better than just launching in cold. I'm sure it's nothing like actually being there though.

Less reverently, I do so wish that, just once, he'd enter doing a John Cleese Minstry of Funny Walks impression.

Sorry - also getting my coat.

Following Tosher's promulgation of the forthcoming York Minster Recital Series, JSW's Bach series came to mind. I was about to post, when it occurred to me that it surely must have been discussed before. Oblivious to the existence of the Forums when the last post of this thread was conceived, I have just read through all the contributions.

I was surprised however, that no-one mentioned the camera-angles/zooming lenses. Was comment on the same mysteriously frowned upon? I found some of it distinctly annoying!

I recorded a few of the programmes on video at the time, favourite works, neither having a DVD player nor access to BBC4 and no iplayer at my disposal, yet did stay up late to watch many of them on BBC2, enjoying them immensely, but for some of the camera-work.

Watching/listening to the click/clunk of the latch on the church door and following JSW's journey to the organ loft is, I feel, a worthwhile inclusion, setting the scene and giving a flavour of the ambience of the building in question. Many folk don't actually get to experience entering an empty church, although it is a common occurrence for both organists and clergy alike.

My first recollection of hearing a cymbalstern was as a teenager, listening to Peter Hurford's recording of the 'Allein Gott' trio, BWV 664 (I think he also made use of one for 'In Dulci Jubilo', BWV 608, from the Orgelbuchlein).

As for the bees congregating around the bust of JSB (as opposed to JSW), surely they are merely representative of the fact that Bach was one of 'The Three Bs: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms'?