Diane Bish in concert tonight

[Don Furr]

I just returned from a DB concert at Peachtree Roads UMC here in Atlanta. It was a treat.
A 90 rank Mander double case tracker. I don't have the specs in front of me but I can tell you I really enjoyed the Tuba on 22 inches of wind and those 32' open woods were wonderful to hear.
She played among things, Toccata/Gaston Belier, Improvisationon "Victimae Paschali/Charles Tournemire, a four piece Suite by Gordon Young and the finale was that workout piece....Toccata by Denis Bedard. Big crowd, beautiful organ and a great evening.

Don

[odellorgans]

I had the opportunity to see, hear and crawl through the new Mander at Peachtree UMC during the AIO Convention in 2003. Truly an impressive installation.

If I recall, native Cherry was shipped from the US to England for the casework.

[Choirmaster]

I think Diane is a sexy little minx! She rocks my boat with her organ playing. She is most certainly the most attractive and talented of all the organists at present,</P>

[Don Furr]

I had the opportunity to see, hear and crawl through the new Mander at Peachtree UMC during the AIO Convention in 2003. Truly an impressive installation.

If I recall, native Cherry was shipped from the US to England for the casework.
The casework is gorgeous. The console was no knock-out however. Compared to what I've seen over the past several years it looks rather plain. Maybe tracker consoles were meant to be plain!?!?!?!
I do know that Mander had to come back and put assist on the action. Can you imagine playing a lengthly piece of music, full organ with 90 tracker ranks??????? Didn't seem to bother Diane too much the other night!!

Don

[odellorgans]

Mander has been successful in making large mechanical action organs while being able to keep the touch light and responsive. The additional difficulty at Peachtree was the divided installation and detached console, meaning long tracker runs. I would have to go back and check my notes, but I would guess the high pressure stops are on either assisted or electric action of some kind.

[Don Furr]

Edward,
I can imagine having to add electric action to an exsisting tracker would be no walk in the park. I was amazed at how the console sat at an angle to both cases. It favors being in line with the left chamber but it's NO WHERE close to facing the right case. I've only seen trackers that were perfectly in align with the case. I can only dream at what's under that choir floor????

Don

[odellorgans]

Well, I think if you walk behind the console you can actually see the tracker runs to the "south" case.

Angled tracker runs can be more involved, but they have been done. Once the console is detached (as opposed to being en fenetre) dealing with a transverse square rail is not as difficult as one might think. It is not as common, but obviously it can be done and done well. Our Op. 190 has a transverse sqaure rail for its Solo division.

One of the ways modern mechanical action builders keep the manual key action light is by handlng some or all coupling electrically; when dealing with large organs, many modern mechanical action builders do this in one form or another so the player only has to deal with the intertia of the action for each individual manual division. Using optical or "hall effect" keying sensors allows better control and minimal wiring and adjustment in the console. Once that is introduced its actually a rather simple matter to include electric or electropneumatic action for high pressure work.

Pneumatic assist systems such as the Barker machine or the Fisk servo-pneumatic lever are entirely mechanical/pneumatic.

[NYCPhillyOrganist]

Actually, most consoles from England are just Cut-and-dry functional. I dont think that its a tracker or ep difference. I guess some consoles are georgeous and some are just...blah. </P>


What Gordon Young Suite did she do? Jubilation, with the snazzy prelude? She's one of the few widely visible and successful concert organists that is not above playing Gordon Youngs music in public concerts. She's added some things, as I dont remember ever hearing the Tournimire from her on any Joy of Music episodes. That Bedard piece is amazing. Saw her play it on TV in England. What else disd she play?</P>


</P>

[Don Furr]

Actually, most consoles from England are just Cut-and-dry functional. I dont think that its a tracker or ep difference. I guess some consoles are georgeous and some are just...blah. </p>


What Gordon Young Suite did she do? Jubilation, with the snazzy prelude? She's one of the few widely visible and successful concert organists that is not above playing Gordon Youngs music in public concerts. She's added some things, as I dont remember ever hearing the Tournimire from her on any Joy of Music episodes. That Bedard piece is amazing. Saw her play it on TV in England. What else disd she play?</p>


</p>
Yeah, her Jubilation Suite included Trumpet Tune, Aria, Album Leaf and Juilation.
She did an introduction, Theme and Variations on "All Creatures of Our God and King"...
"Five Flute Clocks" (Haydn), "Toccata" (Belier).....Concerto Gregoriano, tr. Bish (Pietro Yon)....."Bolero de Concert" (Wely) and others. She also played the "Toccata" by Denis Bedard which I have heard her play before. I thought it was most impressive.

Don

[giovannimusica]

Ohhhhhhh - Choirmaster.......

Diane Bish is a competent performer.

But a sexy and competent performer is Marsha Heather Long - she lights my fire.............

:-)

[Choirmaster]

Yes, Marsha seems heavenly, but I prefer a more mature, more experienced performer. Diane fits the bill, and she is has her own TV programme. Diana, jouer pour moi...

[giovannimusica]

Yeah - Diane has done well to get her own tv-programme but Marsha is no slouch when it comes to technique and above all, musicianship. Hearing her playing "Naiades" by Vierne gave me an *eargasm* which I'll never forget - Ooooooh la-la :-)

[Choirmaster]

I think we should get Diane and Marsha together on a one-to-one "Battle of the Organ Babes". Get them to play where it will test their fingering and touch. Perhaps a piece with four hands on one organ. What do ya think?

[giovannimusica]

Hey Choirmaster,

I'm all for it - WOOOHOOO

:-)

[NYCPhillyOrganist]

Thats why I like Diane lol. </P>


That Jubilation Suite is nothing more than 4 practical independant pieces from Gordon Young's Preludes for Worship collections, published thru Hal Leonard. They all may be in book 1, but all 3 books are wonderful additions to your collections. </P>


That Diane will take pieces like that and make them a apart of her concertswhile others will mock her for it. Personally, I cant stand a concert of a bunch of academic works. I like the opening and closing to be big, and maybe 2 or 3 others interspersed, and fill in with some little delights to keep em' woke. </P>

[Choirmaster]

and fill in with some little delights to keep em' woke. </P>


Yeh, the lil minx knows how to do that.</P>