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A small connection with the Middle East war
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Principally the loss of life and the disruption to the world order through the war in the Middle East overfills our news and minds with horror. But something you may not know: the pipe organ in the Christchurch Town Hall has between 10 to 13 pipe organ "siblings" in Israel and Lebanon and nearby Palestinian states that were also installed by the Austrian builder Rieger. And spare a thought for the organists in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem; Because of the complicated religious arrangements there, the organist has to coordinate with several denominations just to practice or play. It’s probably one of the most diplomatically complicated organ jobs in the world, even before you think about the possibilty of bombardment.
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Quick diary notes for Cantabrians
- Friday 17 April, 7pm at St Michael and All Angels Church lounge: Friends of the Christchurch Town Hall Organ AGM
- Sunday 19 April, 2.30pm at All Souls Church, 30 Church Lane, Merivale: Town Hall organ curator Martin Setchell will play a special fund-raising concert to support the Christchurch Methodist Mission’s important work. Tickets are available here.
- Staying with the Garden City, an early reminder that the annual King’s Birthday Concert in the Town Hall will be on Monday 1 June at 2pm (note the earlier start this year). The concert will also round off the New Zealand Organ Association’s King’s Birthday Weekend Festival, which Christchurch is hosting in 2026. More details and registration information for the concert will follow
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This month's giveaway is 3 copies of the latest in scribble books (if in fact, there are any other versions of scribble books). The Organist eyes only book was born of a constant need to have something with me on which I can doodle, list, note, remember, muse etc. Names, shopping list, whatever. So here it is. Perhaps a handy gift or one for your organ tuner? Each page features an organ, or part of one, with a grided opposing page to write on. (Go here to learn which organs are featured) .
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Everyone is welcome to enter for free. Simply reply to this newsletter with your own email and your address and you will go in the draw to win one of these handy organist scribble books. Entries close on March 31.
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I've had my head in instruction manuals and meetings with the webdesigner for weeks now. So it is a relief to fossick around for a few delights to keep in our swellbox:
- Not that many readers will be champing at the bit to tackle a Royal College of Organists exam, but it is fascinating to see the demanding tests organists are put through in the process. And a bonus is that this video was introduced by Anna Lapwood 8 years ago, before she became a household name.
- Talking of the RCO, their podcast series, called unsurprisingly "The Organ Podcast" has a series of fascinating interviews and explorations hosted by BBC TV and Radio producer Mark O'Brian which are available free from Spotify, Google, Apple and others.
- If either you or any of your friends confess to finding it hard to like organ music, this discussion page is for you. Full of recommended pieces, and it's not too nerdy.
- Music flavours cheese? Huh. The researchers should have tried Bach.
- Check out this best Android app I have found in years. Typeless. Seriously, this speech-to-text app is light years ahead of others - absolutely fantastic. No more clunky hunt and peck attempts on squidgy phone keyboards. Typeless has changed my life - truly - and I don't say that lightly.
- Humour is a great escape from the awful anxieties of the world. And who better than the wonderful Gerard Hoffnung. If you don't know him, his website offers plenty of cartoons and stories. The concerts section even features one of his amazing events filmed by Movietone news. Go on, escape from the world!
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Dudley was meant to be writing this newsletter but he got distracted. I had to tell him that our readers wouldn't be interested in hours of bird-squirrel-mouse videos and he's now got the huff.
So, until later - and don't forget to enter the draw for the Scribble books, and have a good wander around the new-look website.
Jenny
PS Our sister website pipelinepress.com readers will get their own modernised website once I recover from this one, so don't fret !
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