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Derby Cathedral
Visiting Choirs
Guidance for the Organist
updated March 2012
General
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There is a mains switch for the Compton organ attached to the woodwork behind and
to your left as you face the console. Up is on.
The Compton is not a very easy organ to handle and you will need some time to get
used to it. You may find the following strategies help:
1. Leaving the Great and Choir and Pedal box (the pedal on the left) open
enables one to treat these divisions as unenclosed.
2. Switching the crescendo setting to Crescendo C effectively disengages the
crescendo pedal and prevents it from coming on without you meaning it to.
Please use piston settings 5-8, though be aware that during July and August these
settings may have been already claimed by a visiting recitalist.
The organ is very powerful and can easily be oppressive. The pulpit screens the
player from the sound to an unexpected extent and it is easy to play too loudly. In
hymns, Great 5 Swell 8 with the swell box half open is the maximum you normally
need and that will be for a climactic final verse. Contrast is good and for softer verses
could come down to Great 3 Swell 5. In voluntaries be very sparing with anything
approaching full organ and be aware that the swell box is very fierce.
In hymns we adopt fairly brisk speeds and avoid gathering notes. Please note that
hymns do not normally end with an Amen (Office Hymns with a final doxology being
the exception to this).
Note that weekday evensong is normally accompanied on the small Cousans organ
(though voluntaries can be on the Compton if you wish). Sunday evensong is all on
the Compton. Sunday Eucharist is on the Compton, apart from the motet which is on
the Cousans. It is important to practise the music on the right organ!
Choral Evensong on a Weekday (Monday to Saturday)
Normally sung in the retro-choir, accompanied on the east-end Cousans organ.
Play voluntaries if you wish (on either the big Compton or the small Cousans organ)
and then play the choir in on the Cousans organ, ending on the opening chord of the
responses.
Responses (unless the officiant has asked you for a note, it is not necessary to give
one)
Office Hymn (announced)
Psalm (announced)
First lesson
Magnificat (unannounced)
Second lesson
Nunc Dimittis (unannounced)
Creed
Responses (again, usually no note is needed)
Anthem (announced)
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Prayers
Play the choir out to the Cavendish area (if you are still at the Cousans organ, you will
not be able to see when they arrive, but allow a further 15 seconds after the procession
has disappeared form sight), ending in G major for the Naylor dismissal (or, if a
different dismissal is being used, the key of that setting)
Dismissal
Voluntary
If you wish to play your final voluntary on the Compton organ, you can make your
way there via the Song School and Beddoes Room (that is to say, underneath) during
the prayers.
Choral Evensong on a Sunday
The choir sings from the stalls placed in the nave and you will need to switch the
television on at the wall socket to the side of the little hymn book cupboard. There is
a specially printed order of service (available from Friday afternoon onwards from the
Verger) and you can annotate that with hymn numbers and the like.
Play voluntaries on the main, Compton organ from about 5.45 p.m. and then play the
choir in, ending on the opening chord of the responses.
The service starts immediately with Responses (unless the officiant has asked you for
a note, you do not need to give one).
Office Hymn (announced)
Psalm (unannounced)
First lesson
Magnificat (unannounced)
Second lesson
Nunc Dimittis (unannounced)
Creed
Responses (again, usually no note is needed)
Anthem (unannounced)
Sermon
Hymn (unannounced)
Prayers
Hymn (unannounced; watch on the television and in your mirror for the collection
coming up and improvise at the end of the hymn if necessary).
After the Blessing, the choir sings the Naylor (or other) dismissal there in the stalls,
after which you go straight into your Voluntary.
Sung Eucharist on a Sunday morning
The choir most of the service from the stalls placed in the nave and you will need to
switch the television on at the wall socket to the side of the little hymn book
cupboard. It is also worthwhile to check that the door from the Song School steps
into the retro-choir is unlocked as you will need this later. There is a specially printed
order of service (available from a verger from Friday afternoon onwards) and you can
annotate that with hymn numbers and the like.
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Play voluntaries from about twenty minutes before the service starts. Aim to finish
about 10.42 and leave the congregation in silence at that point. When the choir and
clergy are in position in the Cavendish area (you will be able to see in your mirror)
and the verger indicates, play over the first hymn (unannounced). At festival times
there may be an introit, but normally the service starts with the hymn. Occasionally
the hymn is not long enough to get everyone into their places in front of the screen
and if that is the case, you will need to improvise.
The service proceeds as in the booklet and nothing is announced. Try to start things
promptly so as to avoid awkward pauses. The following items involve you:
Gloria
Psalm (though you will probably be giving just a chord)
Gradual Hymn (unannounced)
Gould Alleluia and Gospel responses
A Gospel improvisation reflecting the mood and content of the Gospel reading and
ending as the book is placed on the altar (you can see this in the mirror).
Sermon and prayers follow. Allow 30 seconds for the exchange of the peace and then
start the hymn (unannounced). This hymn is often not long enough. Watch in the
television for the offertory procession and then the taking up of the collection and, if
necessary, improvise at the end until the collectors are returning to their seats.
Give the notes for the Sursum Corda (at tenor or treble pitch according to whether the
celebrant is male or female). We give the first three notes and the first note again on
the swell open diapason. Please choose the key of E flat, E or F.
The choir receives communion first before proceeding to the retro-choir for the motet
(which will therefore be accompanied on the Cousans organ). Following this, move
briskly (underneath) back to the Compton organ for the final hymn. During this hymn
the choir returns to its place in front of the screen.
After the blessing give a G (normally at tenor pitch, but sometimes the deacon is a
lady) on the swell oboe for the dismissal. During Eastertide, an accompanied
dismissal is sung; otherwise it is unaccompanied. Following that come straight in
with your voluntary.