This topic is apparently open to anything which is "even marginally related" to Hauptwerk - so here goes!
It's too hot to play the organ tonight!
Sydney is experiencing Day 1 of a 3-day heatwave. Today's maximum - which was reached just as I walked back to my car after work - was 44.5 degrees Celsius (that's 112 Fahrenheit). Tomorrow is expected to be hotter.
At school today we held the Opening Mass as the new academic year began 2 weeks ago. As usual I was at the organ - a respectable classical digital instrument about 15 years old, with 1 manual and no pedals. I had a good external amplification system added about 10 years ago. Fortunately it wasn't too hot at 9.30 am. The church - though not air-conditioned - is well ventilated and the students coped well. It's a small Catholic parish school with just 7 classes - one to each grade from Kindergarten to Year 6. For the postlude I switched to Hauptwerk, using a recording I made a couple of days ago for the Concert Hall. The sounds of the Salisbury Tuba rang out via my laptop feeding into the organ speakers - it was excellent!
With Mass over we retreated into the fully air-conditioned classrooms - and stayed there. We kept the students inside for both recess and lunch. I am the school's specialist music teacher, going to this school only on Fridays. Today I taught Year 3, Year 5, Kindergarten and Year 1. Thanks to the aircon we were oblivious to the heat, and lively percussion activities to the music of Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King) were well received.
I'm glad I had my car's aircon serviced last October. The drive home today was in 18-degree C comfort, while the dashboard thermometer indicated an outside temperature of 45 degrees C.
No organ playing at home with Hauptwerk tonight. I am keeping to the few rooms of my house which have aircon, and the music room isn't one of them.
Tomorrow I head out during the hottest part of what is expected to be Sydney's hottest February day on record. Duty calls - I must present live my monthly organ music radio broadcast at 6 pm on the radio station "Fine Music 102.5". The studios are on the other side of Sydney from where I live - an hour's drive away. The building is fairly new and its aircon works well. Tune in via the web if you can at http://www.finemusicfm.com.
Here's hoping that by Monday the predicted cool change will finally come through. February weather in Sydney is usually very humid (often over 90 per cent) because in rains for a day or two, then out comes the hot sun and all that rainwater ends up hanging in the air. I've known hot and humid summer weather here in Sydney for 37 years, but these current blast-furnace conditions are just over the top!
Thanks for allowing me to vent!
Andrew
It's too hot to play the organ tonight!
Sydney is experiencing Day 1 of a 3-day heatwave. Today's maximum - which was reached just as I walked back to my car after work - was 44.5 degrees Celsius (that's 112 Fahrenheit). Tomorrow is expected to be hotter.
At school today we held the Opening Mass as the new academic year began 2 weeks ago. As usual I was at the organ - a respectable classical digital instrument about 15 years old, with 1 manual and no pedals. I had a good external amplification system added about 10 years ago. Fortunately it wasn't too hot at 9.30 am. The church - though not air-conditioned - is well ventilated and the students coped well. It's a small Catholic parish school with just 7 classes - one to each grade from Kindergarten to Year 6. For the postlude I switched to Hauptwerk, using a recording I made a couple of days ago for the Concert Hall. The sounds of the Salisbury Tuba rang out via my laptop feeding into the organ speakers - it was excellent!
With Mass over we retreated into the fully air-conditioned classrooms - and stayed there. We kept the students inside for both recess and lunch. I am the school's specialist music teacher, going to this school only on Fridays. Today I taught Year 3, Year 5, Kindergarten and Year 1. Thanks to the aircon we were oblivious to the heat, and lively percussion activities to the music of Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King) were well received.
I'm glad I had my car's aircon serviced last October. The drive home today was in 18-degree C comfort, while the dashboard thermometer indicated an outside temperature of 45 degrees C.
No organ playing at home with Hauptwerk tonight. I am keeping to the few rooms of my house which have aircon, and the music room isn't one of them.
Tomorrow I head out during the hottest part of what is expected to be Sydney's hottest February day on record. Duty calls - I must present live my monthly organ music radio broadcast at 6 pm on the radio station "Fine Music 102.5". The studios are on the other side of Sydney from where I live - an hour's drive away. The building is fairly new and its aircon works well. Tune in via the web if you can at http://www.finemusicfm.com.
Here's hoping that by Monday the predicted cool change will finally come through. February weather in Sydney is usually very humid (often over 90 per cent) because in rains for a day or two, then out comes the hot sun and all that rainwater ends up hanging in the air. I've known hot and humid summer weather here in Sydney for 37 years, but these current blast-furnace conditions are just over the top!
Thanks for allowing me to vent!
Andrew
Last edited by Andrew Grahame on Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.