Flustes with tremulant

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

I'm fed up for stupid rude comments on YouTube videos where people are looking only for "Mad organist", "Full Organ" or "128ft organ stop" relating to videos clearly recorded on a camera with automatic volume control, on the hoof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GyFn7Wmps8 is an interesting video demonstrating voicing of the 4ft flute with more chiff than the 8ft flute typical of the southern French instruments. It's hilarious that people will leave negative comments on clearly informal videos but not leave pleasant comments on items of sheer delight!

Best wishes

David P

[Holditch]

Hi David

I'm afraid Youtube can be a bit like the world. People like to throw stones from far away places, i.e. ones they cannot be retaliated or held question upon. This also does not mean that all comments made by such people are agreed with, far from it; most of the time it goes to re-enforce whatever the author of the original post is making.

We should never be afraid of making comment, we can only be judged by our actions and what we say, be they correct or in correct!

Keep posting all your wonderful videos; they are very informative and interesting (to a majority!)

Best Regards
Marc

[Colin Pykett]

David, I sympathise and empathise!  Just don't let it get to you!

I get continual drips from twits - either directly in rude emails, or indirectly via their posts on chat forums - about the quality of the music tracks on my website.  Like yours on Youtube, it is made clear that the tracks are there for the taking.  But, as it doesn't cost people anything, they are also there on a take it or leave it basis.  Also like your recordings, they are made by real players in real time, and if warts appear, then it's warts and all as well.  At least we both actually PLAY them (or have them played by others), which is far better in my view than having a non-player who doesn't know an 'A' from a bull's foot but thinks they can 'make music' merely by pratting around on a MIDI sequencer.

So my replies, on the few occasions when I can be bothered to send them, are along the following lines:

1.  If you don't like them, why don't you just find something that suits you better?

2.  How long is it since you have been to live organ recital?  Have you ever been to one?  If you have, have you ever come across the appalling blunders which are made all too frequently by so-called 'professional' players?

I quote below from my recent post elsewhere on this subject:

"We have recently discussed the excellent playing of Paul Derrett, so now let's look at the other side of the coin.  I find the standard of live performance deviates rather too far and too often from what one ought to expect (I'm referring to professional players here).  As examples, I once went to the obligatory Proms organ recital at the Albert Hall, given by a famous Continental player and pedagogue.  Yet despite the lunatic and distracting antics of TWO registrants, he shuddered to a dead stop in the middle of Widor's Toccata (yes, you know the one).  The slow hand clap at the end was so embarrassing, and I agreed with the chap sitting next to me who said he would be demanding his money back!

Then there was the time at Chichester cathedral when the performer (a former cathedral organist) brought on full organ by mistake in the middle of one of Mendelssohn's quietest movements.  I was sitting opposite the console in the quire, and we nearly jumped through the roof."

(I could quote lots of others, such as a recording by Robert Joyce at Llandaff cathedral who just let a pedal note drone on during a piece by Guilmant long after he should have shifted his foot to another note.  Oh, and he played it far too slow as well.  And this is said to have been a 'notable' performance.  Well, in some ways it was I guess).

That usually shuts them up!

The positive aspect, which I am sure applies to your posts on Youtube, is that for each negative comment there will be the silent majority who enjoy what you have posted but don't get round to saying so.  In the case of the music tracks on my site, I see that they are copied onto countless iPhone or iPlayer - type sites whereby people can just download them into their phones etc, sometimes just as ringtones.  I neglect the copyright infringements here because I prefer to see it as a compliment.  I am sure people do the same with your music.

Best wishes and don't give up!

Colin Pykett