Organ practice

Recently we were in Hereford Cathedral at a time when the organ was sounding. The organist was playing a fiery piece on the massive instrument and at times it felt like the old Norman columns would give way as the deep notes and heavy reverberations filled the ancient space. A few days later we were in the church of St Michael, Ledbury, where an organist was playing gentler tunes on the more modest instrument. The dullish day required illumination so that the music score could be seen and it made a nice pool of warm light to emphasise the focal point of the scene.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The organist at the Kinema in the Woods

We recently went to see the film, "La La Land", at the Kinema in the Woods in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. This timber building was re-modelled as a cinema in 1922 and has been showing films ever since. In 1984 an old Compton Kinestra organ was installed. When the intermission came along it rose up through the stage in front of the curtains with the organist playing. During his performance he made use, from the keyboard, of the glockenspiels and xylophones (and perhaps other instruments) on a wooden form out of shot at the right of the stage. A great musical performance, a great film, and a great little cinema well worth visiting.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100