Peterborough pitch change

[mercia]

How unusual is this ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-25092918

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0hMH61Hzyo

[ardcarp]

Lichfield has a very sharp organ. I'm not sure if that will ever be 'corrected'.

But for Peterborough:

we were granted permission to do this work, on condition that we used [organ makers] Harrison & Harrison Ltd in Durham," he said.

Well, very fine organ builders obviously, but doesn't that break some sort of restriction of trade (anti-trust) law?

[MrGongGong]

Nooooooooooooooooo

This sounds like a terrible idea
from the folks I know who know about these things
its a huge undertaking and only worth doing if you want to play other instruments with it !

I'm sure that Harrisons will do a fine job (as they have on the RFH)
BUT

WHY ?

Are we going to start "retuning" all the instruments at 442 ?

Oooops I had forgotten most instruments are now made to that anyway ..........

Or is he the only organist who can't transpose ?
Most of the ones I have met can play a full orchestra score at sight with transpositions and all ........

[ardcarp]

Or is he the only organist who can't transpose ?

I don't think even the RCO required transposition in quarter-tones.

[MrGongGong]

I don't think even the RCO required transposition in quarter-tones.

Stuck in the past matey
So what pitch was the instrument MADE at ?

[ardcarp]

Stuck in the past matey
So what pitch was the instrument MADE at ?

Tried it once but got me fingers stuck in the cracks.

No idea...but pitch wasn't fixed in days of yore.

[MrGongGong]

Tried it once but got me fingers stuck in the cracks.

No idea...but pitch wasn't fixed in days of yore.

And it aint fixed now either

Incidentally , i'm just building a software patch to use in a recording with a tabla player and singer tomorrow.So i've made a pile of drone based things using a pitch-frequency chart (A@440 equal temperament) BUT I bet that this will all need to change depending on the humidity or the room, temperature and the pitch at which the other musicians want to base their material on. Pitch isn't "fixed" and neither is Easter

[LeMartinPecheur]

Given the thread title and

I thought this was an unusual story - but perhaps it isn't unusual at all

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-25092918

I honestly thought this was going to be about Peterborough United switching to an Astroturf pitch!

[Serial_Apologist]

Given the thread title andI honestly thought this was going to be about Peterborough United switching to an Astroturf pitch!

That's funny - I had visions of this mighty organ from Peterborough being whizzed past on the M10, playing the famous Toccata and Fugue, and the pitch suddenly dipping as it does so.

[ardcarp]

Eureka. The solution is so obvious. And save £350,000 into the bargain.
A Doppler organ!

[Roger Judd]

When I was working at Ely Cathedral, once a year we joined with Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals to sing a joint evensong, and I've never forgotten Murrill in F(sic) at Peterborough - I don't think the tenors forgot it in a hurry either!

The St Michael's College, Tenbury organ used to be around a semitone sharp and the pitch was lowered to 'standard' in the 1950s. The sharp pitch of the 1897 Lewis organ in Southwark Cathedral was very successfully dealt with (coincidentally by Harrisons) when it was restored in 1991.

Going the other way, I understand that the Klais organ in Birmingham's Symphony Hall is having to be tuned sharper as the CBSO's pitch has risen.
RJ

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Pitch isn't "fixed" and neither is Easter

The only people who benefit from the chaos of having multiple pitches are musical instrument manufacturers. The losers are the underpaid musicians forced to splash out on several instruments when one would do.

Easter is fixed as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

[Finzi4ever]

When I was working at Ely Cathedral, once a year we joined with Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals to sing a joint evensong, and I've never forgotten Murrill in F(sic) at Peterborough - I don't think the tenors forgot it in a hurry either!
RJ

I remember those occasions as a treble all too well, Roger: once with a commissioned triple choir piece (written out in illegible mss) that we weren't really on top of, from Kenneth Leighton who was also there to witness our mangling of it and for the seemingly long-running feud we had with Norwich choristers who had thrown lit bangers onto our coach. We were envious of the Peterborough boys, not only for their rather more refined singing, but because they also got to wear cloaks!

[MrGongGong]

The only people who benefit from the chaos of having multiple pitches are musical instrument manufacturers. The losers are the underpaid musicians forced to splash out on several instruments when one would do.

Easter is fixed as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

To which I say

Embrace the chaos it's part of life .........


(thanks for the Easter tip )

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

To which I say

Embrace the chaos it's part of life

Anarchy?