Organs (and Gifts and Goodies)

2012-02-22T09:44:00.001-08:00

February 22nd 2012, Hagley Park, 12.51pm

February is an important day of remembrance for the organ fraternity in New Zealand. Three men working for the South Island Organ Company were killed when the Durham Street Methodist Church collapsed as they tried to remove the damaged organ from it. Neil Stocker's widow, Margaret and daughter Louise were at the memorial service in Hagley park yesterday. Read the Press report.

2012-02-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

IN REMEMBRANCE

12.51pm, 22 February, 2011

Remembering the 185 people killed in the Christchurch earthquake and aftershocks;

the many hundreds injured;

the thousands struggling still to lead a normal life;

and

the rest of us who, nearly 10,000 aftershocks later,
don't know what the next day will bring.

The Terrible Day we will always remember

We give thanks for every day.

Wanaka, New Zealand

2012-02-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

It's still paradise.

2012-01-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

Inquiry into collapse of Durham Street Methodist Church

The heritage church on Durham Street, Christchurch, wasn't the only building to collapse on February 22nd. Large earthquakes do that to buildings. And the three men working inside weren't the only ones to die in the city that day. But what hurts most for those of us in the organ world is that the men were working hard at their job as organ builders to try to extract the remains of the organ that had been earlier damaged by the 7.1 earthquake in September. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse and their deaths is being held today in Christchurch and our hearts go out to the South Island Organ Company and the families of Neil Stocker, Scott Lucy and Paul Dunlop.
Church deaths probe

2012-01-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

New newswaffle

In a flurry of fingers and sweating brows, I have finally released the latest NZOrgan.com newsletter - the first for 2012. Having kicked my previous provider (YMLP) into touch after a horrible munched up version was released, I am trialling Mailchimp. So far, for the small relinquishing of a few bananas, it is looking good. See for yourself. This issue contains updates on the state of organs in our area, coming events, a competition (yay! - a lovely Zazzle "organist at your service" tote bag up for grabs), websites to womble through, and more. Let me know what you think - it's always - well, usually always - good to get feedback from the punters.

2012-01-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

Viewing demolition work in the CBD from Re:start Cashell Mall

Thank you Lonely Planet - a welcome and timely chapter update on the state of Christchurch - and news for travellers! Lonely Planet Update on visiting Christchurch, New Zealand is a freely available chapter that was updated in December and has been released in advance of the next publication of the New Zealand Lonely Planet Guide in September.

Rebuilding Shakeytown: 12 days of (Canterbury) Christmas

2012-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

Rebuilding Shakeytown: 12 days of (Canterbury) Christmas:
A delightful blog and blogger - well worth following:

"Hat tip to the CSO , who performed their version during the Cantabrian Christmas concert. (I've altered a few things to suit the photos I've...

London screening for earthquake film

2012-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Christchurch - a year on
On February 22nd, 2012, there will be a screening of the must-see feature length film "When A City Falls", at The Ritzy Cinema, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London, SW2 1JG, United Kingdom (More info) To quote from that site: "This feature length documentary presents personal stories that changed the lives of so many people and the face of their historic city. This is a chance for people to come together to remember those who lost their lives but also to look to the future of Christchurch. It will also give us chance to show the people of Christchurch that we still care about them a year after the quake."
Highly recommended for anyone but especially if you are trying to understand what the people of Canterbury have been through in the last 16 months. You can see a trailer of the film on YouTube

Assorted Goodies: The Marryatt Monument - Never Again

2012-01-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Assorted Goodies: The Marryatt Monument - Never Again: City Council CEO Tony Marryatt returns from holiday to quake-rattled Christchurch and is forced by his desperate minders to face the media ...

Posted from the wonderful Blog "Assorted Goodies" - thank you!

2012-01-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

Ultimate test of strength for pipe organs

Knox Church, Bealey Ave. The organ is still inside.

Not only humans and animals, but buildings, facilities, the land, and a subject close to my heart, pipe organs, have suffered in the last 16 months. Thanks to Rebuild Christchurch I am told that it is 488 days from the start of the Canterbury Earthquake sequence at 4.35am on September 4th, 2010. And we're still counting.
All this translates to

1 year 4 months, (16 months)
42,163,200 seconds
702,720 minutes
11,712 hours

In this time we have had 9342 earthquakes in our region.
(And a 4.8 just this morning. ) We have lived through on average an earthquake every one hour and twenty minutes.Gosh.

2011-12-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

Much music binding in the marsh?

2" organ music binder

New Year brings out the postman-sorting instincts in us; a time to wade through piles of discarded detritus that are used as coffee-cup ballast on our desks, or re-organise the tipsy bookshelves into something better than the green ones, red, blue and yellow all in neat little piles. We potter, stack and toss out. So I'm delighted that someone has had the sense to choose one of the lovely blue organ music binders from the shop. They're great for tidying those photocopies of wedding pieces that you need to get your hands on in a hurry - or maybe more likely funeral voluntaries, at this time of year. I love the fact that you can add stuff too - names, addresses, blood type... anything you want.
So - good choice, buyer person!
Music binders (3 designs, 3 sizes):

2011-12-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

There's a first time for everything
Petitions were always for others who had the gumption to stand by their convictions. I was always too woolly for that, hoping for an easy, peaceful non-confrontational outcome to issue I was uncomfortable with.
SO at the tender age of, er, ah, cough-cough late 50s, I surprised myself by starting an online petition to ask dear Mr Marryatt, our overpaid city Chief Executive, to refuse the 14.4% pay rise of $68,000 or so that he has been given by our boys' club of a city council.

The trouble with our Mr Marryatt's pay rise is that I see friends who haven't got an inside toilet. They have leaking roofs and floors with great holes in them. On Boxing Day I walked up numerous driveways knee-deep in silt to see abandoned homes, children's toys and former glorious gardens covered in yukky, creeping silt that never seems to disappear. I looked for people to help, only to be told that they were fine and there were so many others much worse off who could do with help.

Hear that, Mr Marryatt? Others worse off than the poor sods who have had to make a hobby out of clearing drains, drives, back yards, hallways of silt, fungus, water, rubbish? Yes, and there are. I think you are one of those worse off. Because, know what? You must be the most unpopular person in Christchurch right now. .. Luckily for you of course, you aren't here to feel the pressure. That will come when you return from Australia's Gold Coast. But I hope for your sake that next time there's a big aftershock, your house escapes damage. The teams of willing volunteers (look up the word if you don't know what it means) may be tempted to look elsewhere for people to help.

But meanwhile, back to my petition. It's online and can be signed by anyone.
Sign the Petition on Marryatt's pay rise

2011-12-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry not to see you there, Tony

I was very disappointed not to see you at the post-quake clean-up in the eastern 'burbs of Christchurch yesterday, Tony. As CEO of Christchurch City Council, you might have rolled up your sleeves and joined the hundreds of volunteers shovelling silt from their liquefied properties on Boxing Day. We waited for you.

Then one of the students told me you were on the Gold Coast having a break. That's nice. It's hard being the Chief Executive of a munted earthquake city. I hope when you get back home that if you live in one of these devastated streets that one of your friends has been round to clear your driveway so you can get in to what remains of your home.

One of the elderly women I met was doing just that for a friend; she herself didn't live in the street and was alone heaving barrows of the foul grey heavyweight gunge into the street - until the helpers turned up. It seems quite a few couples broke up for the day so that one could open the shop for the annual bargain-fest, while the other tried to make their home vaguely habitable. Makes sense. No business owner can afford to lose trading after the year they've had here, and no homeowner is happy to sit back just to watch the silt creep back into every nook and cranny of their house. Besides, in hot weather it's really hard to move about in gumboots all the time and the dangers of falling down hidden sink holes probably makes people want to postpone their beach-lounging for a bit, even if it is Christmas.

So there they all were, and there you weren't. I guess you were hard at work spending that $68,129 pay rise (back-dated to July this year, you lucky boy) while in Oz. Much better to spend it outside New Zealand - their goods and services are so much better than ours - and besides, if we get money here, what can we spend it on - more shovels? Plastic buckets?

It's good that after this little 14.4% pay rise you'll get $538,529 each year to tide you over the income from your directorship incomes. Could come in handy in this fragile economy. Excellent stuff. And you'll have such a tough job when you get back, Tony. Imagine! - signing off all those demolition jobs, making up the rosters for the bin men, taking consultants, engineers, advisers, bowls trainers et al off to boutique wineries for junket lunches.... phew! You'll be exhausted at the end of the day!

But we can be confident that you'll handle it with aplomb; you had good training in September when you attended the 5-day International City-County Management Association conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.We - the rate-payers of Christchurch - thought you didn't have enough money so we paid for your ticket to this marvellously educational working trip. My friend Bob said "The trip would help him to "keep abreast of best practice in local government, not only in New Zealand but also internationally". I just hope you took notes when you went on the boutique winery tour, a boat tour and played bowls. I think everyone shovelling yesterday would also be very happy to know they had paid for you to have these invaluable experiences, and that it would, in the end, benefit us all.

And if you find yourself short on cash again, Tony, don't hesitate to ask! Simply knock on any door in Christchurch right now, tell them you're a bit short, and ask if they could lend you a fiver.

I dare you.

P.S. And my friend Bob? Sorry mate, but I'm not your friend anymore. Good luck in the next Mayoral elections.

2011-12-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

Post latest quake (December 23rd)

A little bit of earth movement: 6.0 on the Richter scale, several over 5.0 and 67 aftershocks in the first 24 hours after the initial quake struck, wasn't the most pleasant of gifts from Mother Nature on December 23rd; but now we're old hands at recovering equilibrium and moving on. No injuries apart from a grazed heel when I tried to fly down some wooden stairs a tad too quickly.
Where we live in Christchurch, we are most fortunate to have solid, non-liquefying soil, so that even if we bounce around on land that becomes a massive trampoline, the after-effects are nothing like as bad as those suffered by homes further to the east of the city, nearer the coast. Spare a thought this Christmas for those who will be shovelling silt from their house, yard and street. Many no doubt, will have finally tossed in the towel after months of battling earthquakes and their off-spring. We are all weary of it now.
It's difficult to become even excited when the swarm start to batter us; we often just sit at our desks, grab a monitor to keep it from toppling, and ride it out. The routine of checking damage is now second-nature.
So it's Christmas morning here in Christchurch - Santa is still filling my pillow case (and making me a cup of tea) and a wonderful day ahead of us with friends. For the moment, 24 hours at least, I haven't a care in the world.
Oh, actually, I AM a bit worried about my glazed ham. Bit of an experiment, this one.
Merry rocking Christmas, everyone.

All tied up?

2011-12-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Quick, easy and snazzy!
Have you got Christmas all tied up? If not, how about cruising over to http://www.zazzle.com/organs* and sifting through the lovely collection of organ ties? It's growing by the day, ladles and jellyspoons, and I'm sure you'd find something for that difficult-to-thrill relative or friend. Several of the latest feature organs from Leipzig, Exeter, Birmingham and Dillingen. I've bought one of the Christchurch Rieger for my Added Extra, (keep stumm please!) and I KNOW he'll like it as it features his beloved instrument that is still out of bounds in the quake zone. (Interestingly enough, several others have also bought one, even though they are from overseas. That's nice) There's also a range of funny sayings ties ... you'll get the idea once you start looking.
Open the tie drawer here!

2011-12-05T12:17:00.001-08:00

Up close and Personal

Good to see that someone else likes this new 2012 pipe organ calendar enough to buy one!

The detail in many organ facades is fascinating - but it's just this that the ordinary person in the audience or pew just can't see. What a wealth there is: The intricate carving, exquisite inlay work, fine gilding and even, on occasions, the funny little additions that are the result of a private joke of the artist or architect. That's why I designed this calendar, so that those not fortunate enough to get closer can see some of these beauties for themselves. The cover photo, by the way, shows the front of the smaller gallery organ in the Marktkirche, Halle, which is supposed to be the organ that Handel began learning on. See the individual pages

2011-12-03T20:46:00.001-08:00

Newsletter alert!
The December newsletter has just been sent out (and some people are reporting difficulty reading it - so if you are one of those, follow my link here to the online version of the newsletter) so make sure you read it now - especially to go in the competition to win one of two organ DVDs! Contains lots of news, a little waffle, links to websites of interest to music lovers and general stuff, a bit of fun, and musings. Reasonably tolerable stuff, I suppose....
Anyway, you can go here to read the online version in all its glory (or should that be gory?)

2011-11-27T17:59:00.001-08:00

Metal pipes poster!

Oh, oh, oh joy!- sometimes something just happens that seems to have been destined. Not often with me, as I find designing for my Zazzle products and photography in general is a lot of hard sweat, work, and very little inspiration. But today one photo just fell into place as if the world had been waiting for it! These silver spotted metal organ pipes cried out to be made into a poster (closer up, you can see the delicate orange and green reflections gently colouring the pipes - the effect is terrific). Am thrilled with this - but disappointed that it wouldn't look so good in our old-fashioned kind of home! Oh well, win some, lose some. Have a look at the poster in my Zazzle organs shop here where you can test it out on different walls, and try various sizes (and costs!!) A great idea for the modern décor if you are keen on organs!

2011-11-23T13:15:00.001-08:00

Organist at your service . . . business cards that stand out from the crowd!

At your Service - business cards for organists

I'm delighted to announce a new design that should please organists trying to find a business card that will get them noticed - and remembered. Whether you want to offer your talents as a church service organist, or for weddings, funerals, baptisms, or any number of other services, this card says it all!

The chubby shaped 3.5" x 2.5" cards in packs of 100 have a picture of an organ console with the words "Organist at your service" on the front; on the back is a template with plenty of spaces for you to customise the printing to include your name, phone numbers, address, e-mail and website addresses. There is even room for you to place a photo if you'd like! Get some right now and start making an impression.

3.5" x 2.5" – Chubby Profile Card
Choose from ten types of premium card stock.
FREE Full-bleed, full-color printing on both sides.
Save with bulk orders!
Skinny and standard-sized business cards also available.

2011-11-23T09:13:00.001-08:00

The big three Bs are in town!!
This coming weekend, the Jubilate Singers hold their final concert of the year, B3, on Sunday at 2.00 pm in the Church of Our Lady of Victories, 106 Main South Road, Sockburn.

B3 includes music by three 'Big Men' of the choral world - Bach, Bruckner and Brahms. The concert opens with music for Advent by J S Bach: Cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (soloists: Oliver Sewell, Helen Charlton and Nathan Mehrtens). This is followed by excerpts from Bach’s Partita no 3 in E major (Loure & Gavotte), played by Cathy Irons, the leader of the Jubes’ string ensemble. Organist Martin Setchell concludes the first half with two chorale preludes on Nun komm.

The choir returns to sing motets Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Muhseligen? and Es ist das Heil uns kommen her by Brahms, followed by his Hungarian Dance no 7 in A major & Two Minuets played by a string quartet. Three motets by Bruckner end this concert of stirring music: Christus factus est, Ave Maria and his monumental Ecce Sacerdos.

The Jubilate Singers, directed by Grant Hutchinson, will be joined by organist Martin Setchell (that name rings a bell) and a string ensemble led by Cathy Irons. Tickets ($15/$10 concession) are available at the door. B there this weekend!

2011-11-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

Town Hall organ has only ‘minimal’ earthquake damage

Tuesday, 22 November 2011, 12:50 pm
Press Release: Christchurch City Council Tuesday 22 November2011

Christchurch Town Hall organhas only ‘minimal’ earthquake damage
Theorgan in Christchurch Town Hall’s main auditorium hassustained ‘unbelievably minimal damage’ following recentearthquakes, a report says.
The report for ChristchurchCity Council by Wendelin Eberle, president of Austriancompany Rieger-Orgelbau, which built the organ, says the14-year old organ’s structure, and its delicate mechanismsare undamaged. It recommends some of the organ’s pipeswill need to be replaced or repaired as they are damaged.The organ will also need to be cleaned, revoiced and tuned.It is expected that this work will be covered by theCouncil’s insurance.
The report says, “Compared towhat happened in general, the damage to the organ isunbelievably minimal. There’s nothing which can’t berepaired or restored and only a few pipes have to bereplaced.”

During his visit from Austria to inspect theorgan this month, Mr Eberle also stabilised it and itsdamaged pipes to prevent any more damage occurring.
Theorgan has been housed in the Town Hall since 1997 after thepublic raised most of its $1.2 million purchase price.
Christchurch City Council Community Services GeneralManager Michael Aitken says it is wonderful news that thevaluable organ has sustained so little damage. “We arestill working through a process which will help us to make adecision about the future of the Town Hall, after it wasbadly damaged in the 22 February earthquake. However, it isgreat that the organ, which holds a special place in theheart of so many Cantabrians, has survived sowell.”
Martin Setchell, the Town Hall organ’s curator,says the world-renowned organ belongs to the people ofChristchurch. “We are relieved and extremely thrilled thatthe organ will be preserved for generations to come. With somany of our city’s church organs damaged in the recentearthquakes, this news about the Town Hall organ is evenmorespecial.”

Again, YAY!!!

2011-11-20T09:34:00.001-08:00

Goody - am off this morning to speak to a group in the Woolston Working Men's club this morning about (wait for it) on "Cameras, concerts and carbuncles - life with a touring concert organist". Can't wait - always enjoy showing people behind the façade of the world's most magnificent organs and what happens on tour. Many of the tales are taken from "Organ-isms: Anecdotes from the World of the King of Instruments" but luckily I have dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of pix to illustrate the tales - which helps stop people dozing off.

2011-11-16T14:22:00.001-08:00

Fagus Publishers are offering a special Christmas deal on Martin Setchell's 3 Piece Suite!
This, from Geoffrey Atkinson:

"One of the big successes in the Fagus Catalogue is Martin Setchell's 3 Piece Suite - and this is due in no small measure to the concluding item the 'Toccata on Joy to the World'.

Quite apart from sounding absolutely splendid, it is not actually too difficult, once you get that rhythm going, (your publisher played it - to gasps of astonishment last Christmas) and it really does make an exhilarating concluding voluntary for a Christmas service. A pdf of the first three pages is attached, and you can hear Martin playing the piece at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar2qLbEwVA4 on the Rieger organ in the Christchurch Town Hall (now sadly unusable at the moment after the serious earthquake).

So the special offer is you can have, as an offprint, a pdf for 4.00 GB pounds or hard copy for 6.00 post free (UK and EC) - otherwise + 1.00 for postage.

Or you can, of course, have the whole suite for 7.50 via pdf, or 10.00 hard copy (post free this Christmas UK and EC)."

Don't hesitate!!! Contact Fagus

2011-11-12T14:30:00.001-08:00

Yesterday - despite the grey day and echoes of John Cleese's dislike for the city - in Palmerston North was great fun. Martin and I talked a bit about organs, earthquakes, rubble and touring the world gaining friends and carbuncles to a small, elite group of people, some of whom travelled quite a distance to get here. I loved some of the stories told to me there and hopefully have committed them to memory for the next book. (Silent screaming from those nearest and dearest to me.)

Come to listen to Martin as "the Organist Entertains", 2.15pm, Sunday November 13th, All Saints, Palmerston North, NZ

And today? Martin has a concert in All Saints beginning at 2.15pm. Looks like my session at the local disco will have to wait until next time as I'm needed for stop turning and page pulling - no, whoops, it's the other way around - I think! Come along if you can and say hello. A cup of something (nothing stronger than Aunty Mary's coffee I guess) will be served afterwards and it would be a great chance to get to meet some of our internet friends... Will be a great programme with varied and highly listenable music!

2011-11-12T12:57:00.001-08:00

A new bag design for organ aficionados! An image of a Bach manuscript with the words J.S.Bach's Organ Works above. Available in several designs and colours.

2011-11-11T09:36:00.001-08:00

Oh goody - a sale of one of my favourite calendars: Vertical series B organ calendar

2011-11-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

It's a miracle!

So says Rieger Orgelbaumeister Wendelin Eberle after he spent about five hours making a close inspection (visual only as there is still no power in the town hall) of the Rieger organ in the Christchurch Town Hall on Wednesday November 9th. Compared with the devastation and wholesale destruction of buildings surrounding the Town Hall and in the Central Business District of Christchurch, Wendelin fully expected to find massive and serious damage to the barely 14 years old pipe organ, following 7.1 earthquake in September and subsequent 7594 aftershocks.
Most other pipe organs in the city suffered very bad damage and several have been totally lost. So it was with a great deal of trepidation that we waited for Wendlin to arrive in Christchurch for a brief 2-day visit from Austria to see for himself what the fate of our organ would be.

"Compared to what happened in general, the damage to the organ is unbelievably minimal," he said. "There's nothing which can't be repaired or restored, and only a few pipes have to be replaced."

While he was looking at the organ, Wendelin was able to replace all of the pipes in a quick temporary fix to avoid further damage due to leaning and collapsed pipes.And further aftershocks, of course. It's only a temporary measure, until a more durable, permanent repair can be carried out.

More details soon.
Frankly, we're opening the bubbly!

Wendelin inspects the façade pipes, with temporary lighting from an outside generator.

2011-11-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

As friends and readers will know, our lives have been bounded by the earthquaking, us shaking and our attempts to get back on our feet for the past 14 months. Here is a most informative video ride through the forbidden city of Christchurch with the head of demolition, Warwick Isaacs, who explains what is going, has gone, and might just be able to be preserved.

2011-11-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Yet another sale of the "Organists are Great (and Swell and Positif)" design! This time on a mug - a winner as I think you can't have too many things to drink out of - never know when the local penguin-hurling team is going to drop by. I love the way you can change the colours of the insides of these mugs (as well as the handles) So you COULD (if you wanted to be really creative) make a matching set with just a few changes to green, blue, black, red, yellow - and there are probably more colours I have remembered.) Or plain white. Very nifty idea (can't say it was mine but whoever thought of it deserves a special stamp on the back of their hand...)

Samsung Galaxy android phone case - organ pipes Samsung Galaxy S Cover | Zazzle.co.uk

2011-11-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Samsung Galaxy android phone case - organ pipes Samsung Galaxy S Cover | Zazzle.co.uk
This sold! Someone loves this magnificent-looking organ in Montpellier Cathedral, France as much as I do! The light inside the cathedral changes so much during the day that it's hard to get a good view of it unless you happen to visit either early in the day or later on, when the sun shines through the narrow windows.

2011-11-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Latest card design posted (especially with the hard-working, generally unappreciated church organists in mind):

Voluntary work card by organsMake the most of the few days left in the 50% discount for cards. Think of your poor organist, slaving away in the loft, struggling through ice and snow (or heat and sand if you live in our hemisphere) to bring you your favourite carols, hymns, service music - everything you love about church music!

2011-11-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

PUT YOUR COMMENTS BELOW HERE AND GO IN THE DRAW FOR ORGAN-ISMS!

Phew... all done and dusted and another newslitter hits the pavements - or electronic equivalent of same.
You can read this fabulous um, er, creation on the www.nzorgan.com website if you don't subscribe.
Part of this month's content is news of the latest competition, masquerading this time as a prize draw, no competition needed! So put those brain cells away, and simply enter the draw by putting a comment below this post, with your e-mail, your name, (so I can let you know when/if you've won....) by 20th November.
Jolly hockey sticks and all that!
POSTSCRIPT: If you would prefer, please email your comment with your personal contact details for the competition - this way will not be so public. The e-mail button is to the bottom left of the comment box...

2011-11-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Oh goody! Look, if you live in the EU, you can get free shipping from Zazzle by putting in the magic word "BONFIRENIGHT" when you check out (on orders over £25, mind) Pretty good deal as shipping is so expensive and often constitutes almost as much as the goodies in the first place! This deal lasts only until November 5th (at one minute to midnight GMT, if I'm being very, very particular) . Really worth a punt especially if you are buying larger and heavier bits and pieces! Mugs, anyone?
My other organ is a Cavaillé-Coll

2011-10-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is too, too beautiful to keep to myself. Something refreshing...and just beautiful.
Music painting by Matteo Negrin
Perfect for a weekend.

2011-10-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

My other organ is a .... mousepad

My head is spinning. Trying to come to grips with squidoo lenses, Facebook pages, blogging, updating website pages, designing new products (more of that in a moment), getting ads ready for deadlines.... and that's just for the morning. So why, oh why, did I decide to start to tidy our study?
This must be madness. The only way to tidy a desk - I have found from bitter experience - is to sweep everything on it, onto the floor. Then as you pick up each piece of paper, book, pen, bit of fluffy stuff, odd wires, you realise that most of it isn't necessary. So bin time! But I'm not quite that ruthless, and find it fascinating shovelling through the piles of papers and memorabilia that, squirrel-like, I have stored up for months. Years, probably. So my head is spinning. The bin IS getting fuller but the floor has disappeared.

Don't mess with me. I'm an organist.

Don't mess with me - I'm an organist
Yet somehow in the middle of this I have managed to come up with a couple of new designs. Perhaps more for organists who will recognise instantly what I am on about, these might also resonate with other Musos. Let me know what you think. This is where the customizable factor comes into its own. If you didn't fancy a Cavaillé-Coll organ, you could name your instrument, and tailor-make the item to suit! Available so far on T-shirts and mousepads but am beavering away to do more products (in between bouts of bin-chucking, naturally).

Dog Bach coat

Somehow the dog coat tickled me so much I'm only sorry that I don't have a dog. The kitties would rebel if I tried one on them which is a shame. But if you have a dog, or a friend who has a dog, check out these coats.

2011-10-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!

One really Silent Night Christmas card by organs

Use the promo code ECLFLTGQPISE to get one free holiday card printed with the design above (Silent Night, with moon and night sky). Limit of one per customer.

100% of card net sale price (excluding shipping and taxes) is deducted when the qualifying greeting card is purchased from the Organs shop and the coupon code ECLFLTGQPISE is applied at checkout.

Offer does not apply to create your own cards. Offer does not apply to card orders of two or more. Buyer is responsible for shipping and handling and sales tax charges. Failure to comply with promotional offer conditions may result in order cancellation. Offer is valid through November 24, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. Offer does not apply to past purchases and may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.

2011-10-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Phew!!!! Another large batch of seasonal and general cards made. I love making them - partly because he results justify to me the cost of a fairly high-end camera (pace, hubby!!!) but because they well, just make organs look so wonderful Nothing beats the real thing of course - I always remember the effect when I saw the organ in Albi Cathedral live for the first time. It was so much larger, all-encompassing and dominating than I had expected. Gobsmacked I was.
It's also fun combining the cards with postage made from the same images. Shrinking Albi to a 44c stamp felt amazing. You could get a power complex doing this sort of thing.

The special on Cards (50% off if you enter the promo code SHOPALLCARSD at checkout) ends on October 23rd - hence my haste to create more.Have a look at what is there so far... Pipe organ greeting cards
Now for some serious kip.

2011-10-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Would any musician dare upset their page turner before a concert? NO way, ma'am! So here's the perfect tee for your long-suffering, often terrified and neglected assistant: the page-turner's tee. Just designed, fresh off the thinking block (middle of the night, even :-)

Be nice to me by organs
Browse Page turner T-Shirts

2011-10-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Fancy a sleepover? No, not at my place, silly, but Winchester Cathedral? Seems like the place to be...
Organathon coming up on 2pm Friday 21st to 2pm Saturday 22nd October, 2011

Good on them - takes time and effort to organise (oh sorry- no pun intended) and events like this don't always get the support they deserve. I'd go - but 12,000 miles is a tad too far to travel just for a kip on a cathedral pew. Good luck, lads, and I hope you raise the money for the Winchester Choral Foundation.

Opinion Piece: “Wrong to keep media out of the picture” | Christchurch Earthquake Journal

2011-10-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Opinion Piece: “Wrong to keep media out of the picture” | Christchurch Earthquake Journal

Very good piece by Dean Kozanic, who is a fine photographer. We have all been wondering why the Press guys weren't being allowed in.

Music by Bach tile from Zazzle.com

2011-10-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Music by Bach tile from Zazzle.com
I'm thinking of redecorating the bathroom with tiles all of Bach music! How's that for a statement for a Muso?? Great thing about these tiles is they can used as trivets (with a frame) or as the top of boxes as gifts (trinkets, bits of fluff, cat toys, oh yes, well all right, maybe rings if you're rich enough to own any.)

Off to do more gift boxing....

Organ music binder - blue 2 inch from Zazzle.com

2011-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Organ music binder - blue 2 inch from Zazzle.com

Now you can find that wretched music within seconds. Or least you can if you've bought one of these specifically designed organ music binders. No excuses now! Also saves it from further damage, being scuffled around under desks. Plenty of sizes and rings to choose from. And three different designs. Act now before the mayhem of Christmas drives you potty...

Blog - Pipe Organs of Temple Square

2011-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Blog - Pipe Organs of Temple Square
Some terrific information here and excellent videos. Plenty to keep me off the streets.

Warning to organists from Zazzle.com

2011-10-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Warning to organists from Zazzle.com
New Latin sayings design for cooler weather. The design is smaller than on the original shirts, and a put the left of the garment. Oh, so you don't speak everyday, conversational Latin? OK, for the non-classicists among you, so here's what it says: "Under no circumstances whatsoever should the organ be played by a performer in an ankle-length tunic!" The Latin itself is: "Symphoniaco tunica talari organum numquam modulandum est!", and is placed around a very elegant chap whacking out a tune on a portable organ. Some of these design have both the Latin and the English translation

Evelyn Glennie shows how to listen | Video on TED.com

2011-10-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Evelyn Glennie shows how to listen | Video on TED.com

Anything but the Widor. (Tee shirts with a message for the bride)

2011-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Not only the bride but probably more the bride's mother. Whoever organises the wedding music these days. You see, not every organist has a magnificent instrument that can make the Widor Toccata sound like music from Heaven. And it's this sound that the Wedding Music Chooser thinks they will be getting by asking for THAT toccata when you have only a one-manual, 5-stop squeakbox with 10 notes missing.
Or perhaps you do have a huge organ (now stop those titters at the back please - it's such an old joke that organists stopped laughing before you were born) and The Widor would sound very nice, thank you, but you have already played it 28 times in the past 4 weeks and really would rather play other pieces for a change to rest your aching arms and fingers.

So when you meet the happy couple ( and M-in-Law) wear this tie (if male)

or maybe this top

to pass the message on "Oh no. Anything but the Widor. Me, I do like subtlety.

You'll find both these at Organ Gifts

2011-10-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, this is silly.
I just lost what was going to be a non-earth-shattering, non-ground breaking, infomercial about all the lovely pipe organ products I am designing courtesy of the nice people at Zazzle.com. Or .co.uk
Anyway just one click, and the lot was gone. No real loss to mankind but my pinkies are tired from a day typing.
The point was to introduce the point of this blog. I make products every day, which I will put up here on my blog and hope that someone will have the good sense to buy them. That way the cats can eat.

If you are in any way a musician, an organist, a chorister, choral director, or even a doting relative of any of the preceding, chances are that you will find birthday and Christmas gifts for them for the rest of their born naturals on my site:
Organ Gifts
There are hundreds and hundreds of gifts, and the range grows daily (rather like my waistline).

Have a peek at one I made today:
More to come tomorrow, you lucky things, you.
Chirps,
Churchmouse