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Thebes, you were wrong. THIS is what we pay the big bucks for... (VERY long)


Mallette

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Dave and everyone else, thanks for a Great Thread!

I have a friend in Houston ( I am in Sacramento, CA) and he is going to go to the bookstore and pick us both up a copy of that CD set. I can't wait for the mail carrier to come.....Tick Tock....Tick Tock!

Dennie [:P]

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From George Mims, MM at St. Martins:

David, to say the least, I am totally overwhelmed with your completely awesome review of our Instruments Of Thy Praise four cd pack! What a way to make my day perfect!

Todd Hulslander, who does so much work with NPR and has worked also with the Houston Symphony, is our recording guy and all we have here is largely to his credit. I had urged him to give me a lot more technical info on the recording process but in the end we didn’t get it on the jacket. Certainly I can put you in touch with him to get that data. The point blank reason that we didn’t put the whole Faure on the cd or the full Tchaikovsky Symphony is that was an alive performance with 900 persons in the room and there were unavoidable noise complications, etc, so I chose the best of the lot in that regard. The June 15th Concert was also a live recording with a large crowd present. I own two klipsch heresies which I’ve had since the late seventies. They are a lifeline for me when I’m playing our recordings. Do you have the first recording, Hope and Comfort? I think you’ll love that one too if you’ve love these. We’ve sold right at 1,000 of those in our parish since releasing it in 2005. This coming Sunday, November 30th, I am giving a twenty five minute organ recital at 5:30 p.m. which will be followed by a full Choral Evensong led by the choir with organ at 6 p.m. Music of Howells, Ayleward and Ralph Vaughan Williams will be sung. Hope you are free and able to come. There’s not charge and we do have child care. Thanks again for completely making my day!!! Peace, George

"God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved." John 3: 17

George Ellis Mims, D. M.

Organist and Director of Music

Saint Martin's Episcopal Church

717 Sage Road

Houston, Texas 77056

713-985-3823 Office

713-410-9748 Cell

gmims@stmartinsepiscopal.org

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From George Mims, MM at St. Martins:

since releasing it in 2005. This coming Sunday, November 30th, I am giving a twenty five minute organ recital at 5:30 p.m. which will be followed by a full Choral Evensong led by the choir with organ at 6 p.m. Music of Howells, Ayleward and Ralph Vaughan Williams will be sung. Hope you are free and able to come. There’s not charge and we do have child care. Thanks again for completely making my day!!! Peace, George

You gonna go? [;)]

I've been reading this thread with some intrique. I'd love to at least hear a sample of this. This may be something that my parents would also love. Don't know how feasible it would be to get a copy sent out this way to Virginia, though. Just out of curiosity, about how much does a copy run for? I've atteneded Christmas Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculant Conception, and talk about an incredible place of worship in it's own right (yes, I am Roman Catholic). Despite all that, I still miss that little church that I used to go to Mass at back when I lived in PA some twenty years ago, though (St Bernards in Falls Creek, PA, or "St. Bernie's" as we affectionatly called it).

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Yes, and planning to take along the little Korg MR-1 and it's cute little stereo mike for a 1 bit, 2.8mhz recording.

Evensong is known as "The jewel of Anglican Catholic liturgy" and for good reason.

I took a look...impressive structure. I am not familiar with it, but have spent time at the National Cathedral. The PAW's Uncle Ernst Kotzian was responsible for several windows in that structure and we have his artist's proofs of same and they hang in my music room.

The set is 70.00. Call the bookstore. They may be able to take a card on the phone. I will respond to Dr. Mims tomorrow and intend to urge him to either get the bookstore to set up an online order process or get these discs in the Gothic catalog.

They need to be available and not "hidden under a bushel."

Dave

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The set is 70.00. Call the bookstore. They may be able to take a card on the phone. I will respond to Dr. Mims tomorrow and intend to urge him to either get the bookstore to set up an online order process or get these discs in the Gothic catalog.

They need to be available and not "hidden under a bushel."

Dave

I'll have to give them a call tommorrow and see what happens. Would make for an interesting addition to my classical repetoir. If this sounds as good as you say, will make for some interesting reference material to try on other peoples rigs as well.

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I'll have to give them a call tommorrow and see what happens. Would make for an interesting addition to my classical repetoir. If this sounds as good as you say, will make for some interesting reference material to try on other peoples rigs as well.

Steve, I just ordered it on everyone's say-so [insert smiley -- icon's not working this morning]. No problem with card over the phone.
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I'll have to give them a call tommorrow and see what happens. Would make for an interesting addition to my classical repetoir. If this sounds as good as you say, will make for some interesting reference material to try on other peoples rigs as well.

Steve, I just ordered it on everyone's say-so [insert smiley -- icon's not working this morning]. No problem with card over the phone.

Cool! I was going to call them today, but completely forgot (was a pretty busy day at work). If I can friggan remember, I'll try calling tomorrow, especially as I am expecting a pretty slow day at work (pretty much everybody else took off already for Thanksgiving - so I may very well be the only one in the place!, and on top of that, I pretty much got everything I need to get done, already done!). If this is anything like I am thinking, I can't friggan wait to play it for my parents! Only if you could've seen my mother's reaction when I played the "Hullaluhia" chorus from Handel's Messiah on my system for her! [A]

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Dave for the heads up on this outstanding recording. Recieved my copy last Friday.Just beautiful. Makes you feel like your there. I just get lost in the music then I realise, as you said, it's a system test and I have fun with the imaging, soundstaging and tonality.Talk about DEEP bass. A post like this is some of the best of what the internet has to offer. Thanks for taking the time to post this Dave. Otherwise I would have never known about such a wonderful recording. Not only good for the ears but for the soul.

Since I enoyed this recommendation so much, what else do you recommend? One that I enjoy listening to that features pipe organ and saxaphone in a great space is called "Antiphone Blues". My redbook version doesn't have the deep bass captured as well but it is beautiful music and it caprtures the space well. There is a HDCD and SACD version I believe. Thanks again for taking the time to tell us about "Instruments Of The Praise".

Cheers,

Scott

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Thanks, Scott. Since I so often say "Of course, I MAY be deaf..." it's good to hear that perhaps my ears yet live.

I am forwarding this to George Mims as well as Jack Bethard, CEO of Schoenstein Organ Works.

If any others have rec'd and auditioned, I'd like to hear your thoughts, pro or con.

Dave

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  • 1 month later...

I am putting the paddles to this one as the saga continues.

I'll be meeting George Mims, Music Minister of St. Martins, for lunch at the original Ninfa's Restaurant in Houston on Monday. I am very excited, not just that he is taking the time to do this and spend some time with me, but because afterwards we are heading over the the NPR studios to meet his recording engineer and listen to some tests for George's final organ CD. He retires 31 January. No question I already like the guy as I (and a few of you who ordered Instruments of Thy Praise) have heard his work and it is extraordinary.

Finally, during his call he said he'd be happy to give me a private recital and tour of the instrument at a later date. [:D][:D][:D]

The engineer also does the NPR studio work for KUHT and I've been impressed with the sound from their studio on their daily "Front Row" program on the Houston arts/music scene and other programs since I've lived here.

We've not heard from Roger Sherman at Gothic Records yet, but I remain hopeful that he will pick up St. Martins for the catalog. George says they've sold 100 copies since I visited, which is really great for a 70.00 set you can only get at the bookstore or by a phone order.

If your tastes run to technically superb recordings of big organs, instruments, and voices in awesome spaces, the recommendation for their recordings is "top notch."

More after the lunch...

Dave

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Dave, take your camera!!

Wouldn't that be like taking a knife to a gun fight?

When he gives me the organ tour I'll take the Korg MR-1. Perhaps even SoundCube if I can presume...

Just kidding...I'll also take pix. I am particularly interested in the nested swell that is exclusive to the Schoenstein.

Dave

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  • 6 months later...

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