Nov 20/90 fragment to Stuart Kennedy, the rest of the letter to be transcribed at a later date.

I was also sad to learn of the change in the situation at the Cathedral, where you were so content when I last visited.

Dave Berry, my "Official Organist" and I were going to the Calgary Orgy, then he backed out, saying he was afraid they would be playing a lot of Messiean and Durufle. It is always better to go to one of these affairs with a friend. Then when you told me of your changed situation I was too depressed to go.

I bought Dave's cousin's volumes of Dom Bedos in English translation last spring - a real treasure it is. Cost plenty, too. I was going to bring back the 4 copies of the ISO magazine I borrowed from you, in the hope that I could borrow some more! They are intensely interesting and contain information I am sure you can't get anywhere else. Just let me know and I will ship them by mail as it is unlikely I'll be coming to Calgary at least until spring. I have no winter clothes any more!

We have a young hot-shot organist here at St. John's and he gives a noon recital every Wednesday, not too long as the pews get pretty uncomfortable after an hour when they play something I don't like. Usually too much organo piano.

I remember the old Barkhoff very well, although it must be many years since I saw it. It was not quite finished if I remember correctly but had a good sound and miles ahead of an electronic. I see Letourneau has a couple of new instruments of fair size in Alberta, one in Red Deer and one in the Basilica in Edmonton. BC is way behind Alberta organically speaking, perhaps because we don't have a Stuart Kennedy to get things going. We are, to be sure getting a one manual Brombaugh in St. Barnabas high Anglican here in Victoria, replacing a 2-14 Warren rebuilt by Spilker and with additions of Stinkens upperwork, HNB Quintaten 16' and console I believe by a deceased firm in Ontario. Grant Smalley got it for $3000 which is about what a new 8' Principal would cost today. The Brombaugh cost 80,000 I am told. Amazing! All those lead pipes and almost certainly a lot of upper work. What the old ladies will think I can imagine. Probably the St. John's organ didn't cost so much.

I re-leathered the Solo chest and had Smalley rebuild and electrify the primary after getting the supplies from Casavant, that will be a project to get going in the new year.

The Bombards 32 and 16, plus the Trompette and Cromorne make quite a difference in the sound of my old girl. We don't miss the 16' Open Wood's boom, although the 12 biggest pipes are still on their chest as it would have been a huge task to get them out of there. I was saying to Grant that it wouldn't be a bad idea to use the wood in them to build a 16' string which would be much more musical and useful.

I am thinking of replacing the old Casavant Switches and the Reisner Pedal relays with state of the art modern electronics. Certainly we have had no trouble with the solid state capture action I installed 9 years ago. For one thing, I'd like to get some 4' couplers for the pedal, being so useful for Chorale Preludes among other things. The Casavant switches still perform after 85 years but nothing lasts forever.

Admin Note: The Dom Bedos volumes are now in the library at Westminster Abbey, the Benedictine Monastery in Mission, BC

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