Ely Cathedral Pipe Organ Wills Plays Widor

[dod4luce]

TOO GORGEOUS FOR WORDS.

[jimamia77]

where da hell is this Cathedral? All deceased buried there are now awake cause of the organ!  I shall situate my sarcophagus in a quieter setting! less then ten ranks! I desire true RIP!

[AlexanderLenton]

6:12 that's one hell of a pedal division roaring out xD

[goodchappy]

Good acoustics, not too much echo unlike Liverpool.

I like the organ, I can imagine taking out my frustration on it.

[wsanders1]

Wills actually recorded all of Pictures at an Exposition on this organ in the 80s, I have it on vinyl. It's very nicely engineered: The last movement will send your tonearm skittering across the record if your player isn't up to the task of tracking the huge grooves in the vinyl.

[trompettechamade1]

@wsanders1 I have a series of premium EMI vinyl recordings done in the late 70s called the "Great Cathedral Organ Series." THe one recorded on the Ely Cathedral Organ included the comment "[T] he Bombardon is audible at three, loud at two, and objectionable at 1 miles' diatance"! I also have a CD of Jeremy Filsell performing French organ music on it, to which it is well-suited, and a recording of orgn with brass band recirded by Arthur Wills, on Hyperion/Helios. It is an outstanding organ.

[silverstartrucker]

Terrific depth of sound from this organ. My large Fisher studio speakers makes this place shake.

[simoniddon]

titchy bit slow?

[Contratrombone64]

I just love the fiery reeds from the Pedal division, thunderous. I've had the honour of hearing this organ played by the great Mr Wells ... such a thrill.

[MrPenjames]

Absolutely Marvelous

[Heyde1979]

what a beautiful instrument very powerful pipe organ

[Robersim]

the organ case on the right is actually a false case, no pipes

[organstudent]

sounds a bit out of tune?

[excitingusername]

I love this organ (great fun to play) and I quite like the mock-french voicing. The acoustic at Ely is absolutely marvellous. Great recording and image slideshow! Thanks.

[1401JSC]

@excitingusername

Not many organs with a Horn Quint 5 1/3' even in France! :)

[maliwyoming]

Thanks, Tess. Flying out of Denver tomorrow. Will get to Ely next week sometime, probably.

[tww1491]

Lived for a couple of years in Ely in 1982-83 when I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall. Can't recall any noteworthy places to eat in the town. We used to go (i believe) a place called The Mill in Tuddenham (sp) -- actually had a water wheel in the place. Cambridge was also decent bet as I recall.

[maliwyoming]

(contiunation of the above comment) been to. Terrible food. Okay,I am going back this Sept. Question for you Ely experts. Where can I get a good dinner after services? The street heading down the hill from the cathedral offered slim pickings, but I didn't see most of the town, I'm sure. I will be on foot, of course.

[jonvgar]

Back Hill (the road leading from Barton Square to the station) is not the place to find fine dining however have a look at the centre of Ely. I'm sure you'll find somewhere.

[tess5340]

You need to head out of the west door, turn right heading towards the minster pub which actually itself has a selection. Head right down the main street and there's a prezzo, pizza express and a couple of decent chiniese's and an indian but I haven't been there in a while... would recommend prezzo's. if you're wanting a decent pub head left out of the west door and you'll come to barton square and an awesome pub called the fountain.. oh taste and see

[maliwyoming]

I visited Ely last year and just fell in love with the place, as I did Wells and Salisbury. At Ely I attended Evensong, but it was held in the Lady Chapel, so I was disappointed in not hearing the big organ. They rolled in a chamber organ for the services. The attendees sat on the stone ledges in the walls on both sides of the chapel. It was a very moving service, and the choir was great. On my way back to the train station I stopped and had dinner at the worst Chinese restaurant I've ever

[SingingHisPraise2Day]

I visited Ely Cathedral 18 years ago as a medic on leave during Desert Storm. After a five month void in my life, suddenly hearing the angelic voices of the Ely Choir praising God was a bit of an overpowering spiritual experience. They were singing acapella I believe, i dont remember an organ. I also lit a candle at one of the altars and prayed and God provided all of the things I asked for in that prayer. I hope to return one day and pray a prayer of thanks. I cant thank you enough for posting.

[silverstartrucker]

Arthur Wills once did a recording of - The Great Gate of Kiev - from Pictures at an exhibition, on the Ely Cathedral organ. Terrific sound of course...

[willowthebored]

Now that I would love to get my hands on...

[passacaglia28]

Excellent!

[ProfessorPiano]

I'll be doing a Piano solo there soon. :)

[pipedog]

Many thanks for the splendid performane by Arthur Wills. The photography is excellent and makes the piece even more thrilling. Please do more!  Greetings from the "colonies" from the Baskerbeagles and ArfBitchup Molly, and Bruise in the Muttastery

[mrsmpfowler]

I was a layclerk ay Ely at the time when this recording was made, and Dr wills dedicated an organ piece piece (Versets on "A solis ortus cardine") to me. What a privilege! I am proud to have sung in his choir and to have studied organ briefly with him. (John, Sydney, Australia.)

[a55b47]

Care to give a translation for us non-Latin scholars? ;-)

[kthe111]

@mrsmpfowler How can you be 40-ish? I am, and I was a chorister there in 1979!

Or John, are you looking at this logged on on a younger friends account??

[ds1868]

The Organ at Ely sounds completely different today, as assurmusic says. I think Arthur Wills went a little too far in his pseudo-French rendering of the reeds. Do go and visit the Cathedral by the way, a fantastic monument to Norman and early English radiating Gothic, with the central lantern tower made of solid oak wood, now over 700 years old!

[marsvltor2]

DS - first time I've ever disagreed with you on organ matters! I think that in Will's day Ely's was probably the finest cathedral organ in England - purely BECAUSE he attempted to make the instrument sound French. (As you know I'm very much a Francophile!).

[ds1868]

You don't have to disagree with me too far marsvltor2!! Although I stick with my comment below, I did prefer the Ely Organ BEFORE the more recent rebuild by Harrisons. Today, it sounds like a typical H&H organ, and I don't like the revoicing of the reeds. So there you go, Ely is my local Cathedral (there is no Cathedral in Cambridge, but we do have King's), and they still can't get it right! So yes you're right I'll take the earlier Wills version thanks!!

[TrompenCham167]

The organ here has been appallingly sighted and the acoustics in this cathedral are dry and horrible. The sound and specification of it is very similar to that of the Festival Hall in London i.e loud and uncharacterful.

[asurrmusic]

I wouldn´t say the acoustics are dry and horrible. Excellent for some music but not all. As for the Organ, you should go back and hear it now. Paul Trepte has done a fantastic job, it is much better sighted, speaks properly to the nave, octagon and choir and doesn´t have this horrible mock french sound.

[WandererFantasy]

Fantastic!!! This march from the 1st symphony is my favourite work by Widor! The sound of this organ and performance is amazing!

[PaterEngelbert]

I love this peace.

[j0nnygr1ff1ths]

'peace' is the last word that comes to mind here ;)

[saphaut]

l'orgue reste quelque chose de prenant et d'émouvant pour ceux qui savent appréçier merci pour cet air saphault

[MEPPO06]

Poor old vintage Harrision, wrecked by Dr Willis with ghastly neo-baroque alterations. Once a great organ, but no more. Mechnical ugly playing. Go to St-Sulpice and hear it done properly.

[amripley1991]

what piece is this, and from which symphony(ie)?

[a55b47]

The Marche Pontificale is from the 1st Symphony, I believe.

[ihadaralf]

Arthur Wills notoriously always played everything full blast, so his style suits the really rather bombastic Widor. The Ely instrument is a superb beast, perfectly matched to the masculine architecture. It has a beefy, uncompromising edge. I played it a few years ago and it's liking being punched in the face with an anvil.

[marsvltor2]

No, no, no! The ultimate aural anvil had to be Notre-Dame in Cochereau's day... and wonderful it was, too...

[davidmiler12]

i cant wait until may when i sing there as a visiting chorister for the royal school of church musics choir festival i love the sound of that organ

[pommersche]

I love it! I heard it in St.Pauls-Cathedral in Muenster. The bishop there celebrated his 75th birthday and as he left the cathedral the organ played this piece. It was fantastic!

[a55b47]

Well, I guess, in that case, it was the Marche "Bishopale" instead of "Pontificale."

;-)

[edders05]

Perhaps March Episcopalis? ;)

[TheAngelofNight]

Nope,both wrong : first of all ,if it would be linked to the pope I guess it would be forbidden to be peformed in an Anglican Cathedral .

Second : Every Bishop is "Pontifex"(Bridebuilder),the Pope's special title is "Pontifex Maximus" .

Every Sunday the highest service of the day is callde "Pontificial Mass "if it's celebrated by a Bishop

[colora75]

WOW!! WHAT BALLS!! Love it! I have not heard that piece by Widor. Got to find it now.

[posaune16]

Is it just me, or does something sound hideously out of tune in the few spots?

[rotunda57]

Sounds OK here in Michigan. There are some dissonant chords in there. Nice tune.

[Reesman95]

I heard a few, probab.y the recording equipment

[organist12345]

I spot that too, some reeds and flues out of tune