Greetings!

** OrganFocus News:

* Brighton Dome Organ Restored to Full Glory

Following seven years painstaking restoration work, the famous organ
of Brighton Dome's Concert Hall has returned home 70 years after its
first performance in 1936.
http://www.organfocus.com/features/events/brighton_dome06.php

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** New Links:
http://www.organfocus.com/links

For Organbuilders:
* The Leather Supply House
http://www.leathersupplyhouse.com/

* Organ Research
http://www.organresearch.com

Personal Pages:
* Völker, Elke
http://www.elkevoelker.de

* Hernandez, Heather Marie
http://www.pcpages.com/heathermh72/default.html

Organbuilders:
* Elsener Organ Works, Inc.
http://www.ElsenerOrganWorks.com

Great Music Links:
* Music Phrase Translator
http://fluteinfo.com/dictionary/

Sheet music sellers:
* Gebruiktebladmuziek
http://www.gebruiktebladmuziek.nl/

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** Rant:

Last week, I was asked to substitute at the church where I used to
hold a Sunday job. The organ there is a Moller dating to the 1950's, a
two-manual practice unit, which is out of tune and generally in
terrible shape but still passable for hymn-playing. I dusted off some
Bach chorales, only to arrive and find that the pedal division wasn't
responding at all. So much for a nice prelude and postlude, not that
anyone except for the pastor cared. People at that church talk through
the preludes and postludes anyway.

I noticed that the congregation numbers grew significantly since I
last played there, from about 15 people on any given Sunday to over
60. I jokingly said to a member of the choir, "now that there are more
people coming, how about starting an organ fund?" But of course other
things always take precedence. Such as installing additional bathrooms
in the basement (used as a dining area and additional space for
services, alternatively), which I agree are a necessity.

How many of my readers can relate or tell a similar tale?

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** Web News:

* Church organist carries on family tradition for performing arts series

"Julia Matthews began playing the organ to help her mother, who needed
a reliable substitute for Sunday services at their church in Poplar
Bluff."
http://www.fultonsun.com/articles/2006/02/19/news/316news11.txt

* An organist of the Lord

"Jamaica: DONALD HOSSACK has played music in many churches, taught at
several schools and performed in many countries, earning the title of
well-rounded organist. "
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060310/ent/ent3.html

* Pipe organ drive sounding final notes

"DELAND -- Rabel Moremen-Parson must turn to the lyrics of an Arthur
Sullivan hymn from long ago for the words to describe what it means to
coax living sounds from an old pipe organ."
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD040321\
06.htm

* St. Mark Lutheran purchases new pipe organ

"There's a newcomer at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Davenport that is creating quite a stir among the congregation."
http://www.qctimes.net/articles/2006/03/17/news/local/doc441a6e42218b7908983582.\
txt

* Pipe dream threatened by Brussels: EU could pull plug on church organs

"A new EU law which comes into force this summer relating to lead – a
key ingredient, along with tin, in organ pipes – has been condemned as
"gobbledegook" by leading musicians."
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1391201

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Today's Organ Stop is:
Trompeta Bastarda
http://www.organstops.org/t/TrompetaBastarda.html

Cheers,
Lana