Philip J Wells Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Talking of big reeds!! Does anyone remember the solo reed on the old St. Chad's Cathedral organ in Birmingham? I think it was called 'Trompeta Argentina' - or something similar. ...........................I heard that most of the old organ went into the melting pot - a rank of wooden pipes, I think, were saved for the new organ but that the pipes of the big reed were also saved. I wonder what became of it? The Trompeta Argenta was on the Walker at Ampleforth, I think. The St Chad's reed (Trompeta Real) went on the Nicholson rebuild at Monmouth Parish Church. PJW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusingMuso Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 [quote name='David Drinkell' date='Jun 25 2011, 10:33 AM' post='59557' BTW... I'm not at all a fan of Casavant Tubas... the British built much better... ========================== Useless but interesting information alert.....Healey Willan agreed with you! For the new organ he played in Canada, built by Casavant, he insisted on Harrison & Harrison Tubas. I'm sure you feel better for knowing that. MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Drinkell Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 BTW... I'm not at all a fan of Casavant Tubas... the British built much better... Mine is in the box and fires at the harbour rather than the congregation, so it's not much good at putting the fear of God into people (unless they're in the sacristy). You have to do crafty things with couplers to get a proper tuba effect. On the other hand, it's very good as a reserve super-Full Swell (like the old solo reeds at St. Paul's) and it comes in handy when Percy Whitlock asks for a Horn. A couple of blocks away, Cochrane Street United Church has a really superb Tuba, quite up to the standard of anything I've heard in the UK. The 1957 Casavant replaced a large three-manual Arthur Harrison (apparently North American heating had played hell with the slider chests and pneumatic action). Everyone, including Casavants' and the organist who was instrumental in getting it installed, assures me that none of the old organ was recycled in the new one, but when David Wells was here on a visit a couple of years ago I took him to Cochrane Street and he said he was sure it was a Harrison Tuba - and he should know. I've never been inside to check. The RC Basilica also has a four manual 50s Casavant and the Tuba is perfectly respectable, but not in the same league as Cochrane Sreet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ========================== Useless but interesting information alert.....Healey Willan agreed with you! For the new organ he played in Canada, built by Casavant, he insisted on Harrison & Harrison Tubas. I'm sure you feel better for knowing that. MM Why go to this expense? He could simply have asked a colleague to play whatever passages he needed on the Tuba ranks at York, Ripon or King's - and still heard them clearly in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusingMuso Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Why go to this expense? He could simply have asked a colleague to play whatever passages he needed on the Tuba ranks at York, Ripon or King's - and still heard them clearly in Canada. ====================================== Indeed, but only four to five hours later! You're crazy! MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Drinkell Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 ====================================== Indeed, but only four to five hours later! You're crazy! MM Yeah - that's even more of a lag than Southwark Cathedral..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 ====================================== Indeed, but only four to five hours later! You're crazy! MM But allowing for the four-to-eight hour time difference (to be subtracted), this could (I have yet to check a map) mean that the pipes sounded pretty much in time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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