What are you listening to?

[Ciaran]

Simon, maybe you should swing by: you could hear Isoir and Hurford (complete sets) as well, also Chorzempa and Walcha (single discs). I'll remember to turn on the sub!

[Diapason]

I may have to do just that, Ciaran, thank you! I could bring along 1 or 2 of the Oortmerssen discs as well to see what you think.

[Jared]

^^ Simon, if you like to pop over to Hereford, you'd always be more than welcome!

Schumann:
Carnaval op.9
Claudio Arrau (1961)

[Jared]

Schumann:
Novelletten op.21
Fantasiestucke op.12
Sviatoslav Richter (1979)

[Diapason]

Thank you Jared. Actually, a Hereford trip is one that could happen some day for nerdy organ reasons. Plus, doesn't the cathedral there have an enormous wooden hand that can be operated to conduct congregational singing? I can only imagine the hilarity if it's ever used.

But if I'm ever in Hereford, I'll definitely let you know.

And speaking of Anglican cathedrals, I'm currently listening to:

[Jared]

^^ yes, I believe you're right!

well, we have a twin bedded Guest Suite here if you wanted to bring over Mrs Nerdy Organ too, and of course we have Hereford, Worcester & Gloucester Cathedrals, Malvern Priory and Tewkesbury Abbey all within a few miles... as well as Elgar's birthplace museum!

[Diapason]

I did a weekend in Tewkesbury once, visiting with our church choir from Dublin, and accompanying the services as our choir sang. It remains the most nerve-wracking weekend of my musical career, but I look back on that as an utterly fantastic experience. The services there have more pomp than anything I've ever seen elsewhere, but they do it astonishingly well.

Christ, even typing this has brought on the goosebumps.

[Jared]

^^ well, Tewkesbury is less than 20 miles from where I grew up, and from the point of view of churches, concerts and musical tradition, it is very rich indeed. By moving back to Hereford, I've almost come 'home' and won't be moving away again...

[Jared]

Schumann:
Liederkreis op.39
Ian & Jennifer Partridge

Twelve Poems (Kerner) op.35
Thomas Hemsley & Paul Hamburger

[Jared]

my first listens to these two wonderful sets which arrived in the post yesterday, has been a delight...