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Suggestions on improving a pipe organ


Neil Crawford

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The organ from the West Midlands originally built by Hunter rebuilt by Ingram then Rusworth & Dreaper and lastly

rebuilt 2001 by Trevor Tipple and the organ is located on a gallery at the west end of the church. The organ has some nice stops but the diapason ranks on the great are feeble and the organ sounds unbalanced with any reeds drawn.


any ideas ?



Department and Stop list

Pedal Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high f1 Keys 30

1 Contra Geigen 16 (RANK "B"

2 Bourdon 16 (RANK "A"

3 Geigen Diapason 8 RANK "B"

4 Bass Flute 8 (RANK "A"

5 Octave Flute 4 (RANK "A"

6 Trombone 16 (ADDED 2001)


Great Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high c4 Keys 61

7 Open Diapason 8

8 Stopped Flute 8 ( 2nd hand pipework, replaced Clarabella 8)

9 Geigen Diapason 8 (RANK "B"

10 Principal 4

11 Geigen Principal4 (RANK "B"

12 Twelfth 2 2/3 (RANK "B"

13 Fifteenth 2

14 Mixture II (2nd hand pipe work added 2001)

15 Trumpet 8 (ADDED 2001)


Swell Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high c4 Keys 61 Enclosed

16 Open Diapason 8

17 Stopped Diapason 8

18 Echo Gamba 8

19 Voix Celestes 8

20 Gemshorn 4

21 Flautina 2

22 Mixture III

23 Horn 8


24 Tremulant

oct

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The organ looks to have been worked on by reputable craftsmen and should contain some good pipe-work. If the mechanical state is sound and well-executed (as I expect it would be if Trevor Tipple had anything to do with it), it might be possible to rebalance the voicing or alternatively to replace certain ranks with more suitable ones. Get opinions from a reputable consultant and an experienced voicer.

 

It seems strange that original diapason work by Hunter, Ingram or Rushworth should be inadequate, especially if a secondary diapason in the form of the Geigen was added later. Maybe the change of position upset the balance.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

 

The organ from the West Midlands originally built by Hunter rebuilt by Ingram then Rusworth & Dreaper and lastly
rebuilt 2001 by Trevor Tipple and the organ is located on a gallery at the west end of the church. The organ has some nice stops but the diapason ranks on the great are feeble and the organ sounds unbalanced with any reeds drawn.
any ideas ?
Department and Stop list
Pedal Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high f1 Keys 30
1 Contra Geigen 16 (RANK "B"
2 Bourdon 16 (RANK "A"
3 Geigen Diapason 8 RANK "B"
4 Bass Flute 8 (RANK "A"
5 Octave Flute 4 (RANK "A"
6 Trombone 16 (ADDED 2001)
Great Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high c4 Keys 61
7 Open Diapason 8
8 Stopped Flute 8 ( 2nd hand pipework, replaced Clarabella 8)
9 Geigen Diapason 8 (RANK "B"
10 Principal 4
11 Geigen Principal4 (RANK "B"
12 Twelfth 2 2/3 (RANK "B"
13 Fifteenth 2
14 Mixture II (2nd hand pipe work added 2001)
15 Trumpet 8 (ADDED 2001)
Swell Key action El Stop action El Compass-low C Compass-high c4 Keys 61 Enclosed
16 Open Diapason 8
17 Stopped Diapason 8
18 Echo Gamba 8
19 Voix Celestes 8
20 Gemshorn 4
21 Flautina 2
22 Mixture III
23 Horn 8
24 Tremulant
oct
sub

 

 

Clearly it depends on several factors: for example, the availability of funds, the amount of floor-space (and height) which can be utilised, the usefulness and flexibility of the various ranks (particularly the extended Geigen rank), the capacity of the wind system (reservoirs or concussion units?), suitability of sound-boards for modification, console and action (is electro-pneumatic action used, or are there still electro-mechanical ladder-switches, etc?) and a host of other considerations.

 

David's suggestion of getting the input of a reputable consultant is certainly sound advice.

 

In addition, I would only make one or two suggestions, since I have not heard this instrument in its surroundings and so I am not in a position to judge either the effectiveness of the individual ranks, or that of the ensemble. However, speaking personally, I should wish for an Oboe (or Hautboy) on the Swell. What is the composition of the Swell Mixture at C1? If it begins at 15-19-22, it might be possible to discard the Flautina and insert an Oboe, providing of course that there is enough space on the slide to take the pipes. If the Flautina was original, this may well not be possible, since the slide is likely to be too narrow.

 

It may be worth (as David also suggests) acquiring the services of an experienced voicer. It is possible that, with careful regulation and re-balancing of the G.O. ranks, an acceptable chorus is achieved. It might also be worth having someone in the trade look over the blower. Is it functioning correctly and at capacity? In addition, checking over the entire wind system, and the sound-boards and other wind chests, particularly that of the extended rank, might reveal a problem which could be fixed at a reasonable cost.

 

However, if there is a clear desire for other alterations (are you the organist at this church, incidentally?), then there are a few other points which might be worth investigating. For example, the provision of a quiet flue sub-unison rank to the G.O. It is possible that making the Geigen extension available at 16ft. pitch, in addition to the other three pitches at which it appears currently, would be inadvisable. Instead, it might be possible to add a second-hand Bourdon (or even have it revoiced as a Quinatdena) to the G.O. Alternatively, if the Geigen rank is still considered to be unsatisfactory after investigation, perhaps it could be replaced from 8ft. C upwards with something more robust. (It is possible that, if this rank was originally speaking as a Salicional, it is currently being pushed past the limits of the pipe-scales.)

 

If the organ does sound unbalanced once the reeds are drawn, again, check the winding and chests. It is also worth checking that dirt has not got into the resonators (are they hooded or vertical?) David speaks highly of Trevor Tipple's work, so it could be that the pipes simply need cleaning and re-setting on their speech. On what pressure do these pipes speak? (For that matter, what is the pressure of the G.O. flue-work and, is the extended rank winded from the same supply?)

 

It is difficult to know whether the above is of any help without seeing the organ. However, I hope that there are at least some avenues for exploration which might bear useful fruit.

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