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Rah Organ Among The People


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I ask another question (only one?) about RAH Organ. I would rather like to participate in the discussion more frequently. Unfortunately, England takes me rather far from Spain (despite Internet). Also you are people so expert that who can dare to say something?

In any case, as I have said, I would like to know how has been the reception of the restoration of this organ among the londoners (or the English people in general). Sadly, I know that the restoration of an organ in not a matter of breaking news but... what is the opinion of the people?

Perhaps has this restoration been the biggest in some years?

More questions: where could I see some photos of the organ (nowadays)? I have seen the one of Bicknell's book and the organ looks me rather peculiar; the organ does not look and organ (how many lashes must I have?) It is far from Iberian aesthetic... Sorry for the joke!

Thank you very much in advance for enduring my ignorance and my poor English!

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Hi José. Clearly this restoration has been the biggest in some years, if only by virtue of the instrument being the largest in the country. But it has also been accompanied with a fair bit of media coverage too. During the time of the start of the Proms season, there were articles in the national press, and there was national TV news coverage. I recall seeing someone from Mander's (I didn't catch their name, John possibly?) being interviewed for Channel 4 news amongst the great flues.

 

Following the instrument's rather extensive use (by usual standards) in this season's Proms one can only hope that a renewed interest in organ music will arise.

 

I can't give you the London perspective, but I would enjoy having such an instrument close by to go and listen to from time to time. (In fact, I suppose I do, in the form of Liverpool Cathedral's organ being not an hour's drive from me).

 

Perhaps Mr Mander has some photos which he will add to his website in due course?

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Guest Geoff McMahon

Blowing our own trumpet a little, I am pleased to say that the restoration has met with very nearly universal approval. In particular, everyone has noted that possibly for the first time ever and certainly in living memory, the organ has enough wind to play properly. The clarity has also been remarked upon as well as the more effective Swell Organ. All this is not because we have done any re-voicing (which we have not). Part of the improvement is undoubtedly the removal of the roof which had been put on in the 70s. Part is simply the cleaning of the pipes and some sensible repositioning of the Great flue pipework as well as the raising of the Choir organ, but mostly it is simply the new adequacy of winding. Some people have remarked that the Pedal 32ft reed is now not effective enough. This is in part simply due to the more effective remainder of the organ and partly because the roof may well have enhanced that particular stop to the detriment of the rest of the organ. It is not of very large scale and there is nothing which can be done about it anyway.

 

In due course we will be publishing pictures. We are in fact redesigning the entire web site (of which this discussion board is the first part) and a new page for the Royal Albert Hall organ will then appear.

 

John Pike Mander

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Thank you for your replies. I listened to Barber's Toccata in the Last Night of the Proms. What a sound of the organ! Sometimes, it sounded louder than the orchestra! Really the sound is very powerful, the bass astonishing!

When I said that the organ does not look an organ I ment from the point of view of the case, rather far from Iberian Organ. About the organ itself, its a masterwork (its restoration of course!). I have noticed that the restoration has been made conscientiously. Not only restoring but changing what is necessary for improve the sound. Moreover, if the restorers are happy with the restoration... the best!

In the broadcast, Wayne Marshall said that the organ has 9,999 pipes. Is that true?

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Guest Geoff McMahon

If you count up all the pipes from the specification, it would appear to have 9,999 speaking pipes. However, two stops borrow a bottom note from another stop, so the real number of speaking pipe is actually 9,997. I did suggest that we add a three pipe "Birdsong" to the organ to bring the number of pipes to a round and exact 10,000, but the suggestion was turned down by the consultant and organ curator which I think was a bit of a shame. It was seen as being too frivolous but I think it would have been fun. There are also a few pipes which do not speak (even inside the organ!) so the actual total is a little more than 10,000 anyway.

 

John Pike Mander

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  • 2 months later...
Guest Geoff McMahon

Yesterday saw the Workshop planned by the authorities at the Royal Albert Hall on the restored organ and if it is any answer to the original question posed regarding the organ and the general public, there were between 450 and 500 people present at 9:00am on Saturday morning, over half of which had travelled from outside London to be there.

 

John Pike Mander

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