philipmgwright

In this excellent Archive, Jane Parker Smith playing Widor 6 first movement plus Franck and Vierne in 1981 shows her performances were energetic and fabulous! a bench mark 40years on for current players?

Although I did not personally meet him, I had the pleasure to admire his Nigel Church organ when I called in at his homeI to collect copies of The Organ he was selling together with other rare books on organ. In light of forumites’ contributions, I certainly missed meeting someone very special..I value the privilege of seeing his residence Church organ even more so.

Mention was made in another forum of the 1895 organ as “of little consequence” Reports in the Examiner Newspaper 21 Sep 1895 would beg to differ. Gray&Davison built a three Manual 29 stops incorporating their 1865/72 work in the newly opened Parr Hall 1895. This instrument incoporated pipework from Samuel Renn ,Organ Builder,Manchester who built a two manual 10 stops organ in 1835 for the Warrington Musical Society for sum of £185 in the Old Music Hall. Renn moved it to the old Town Hall in 1840 for £14 8/-. The Musical Society later asked Gray &Davison to relocate the organ to the Public Hall and to add a Choir organ and the new enlarged organ was opened by W.T. Best in 1865. This hall was sold in 1892 and the organ stored until the Parr Hall was opened - Gray&Davison rebuilt and enlarged it for £350.

Didn’t the Hexham Abbey Echo organ remain in situ when the Phelps arrived? ..possibly as an aid to reducing VAT on the new organ if it were treated as a second organ by HMRC?

I was one of the purchasers of Denis’s organ book collection mentioned here. Dr David Shuker at Sign of the Pipe has issued his tenth catalogue of organ books - he deserves to better known since there has been no reference yet in this discussion board as far as I can remember.

Banks when in Stonegate 1970s was a treasure house for organ music scores-every last inch used in the attic rooms - presided over by the venerable Miss Banks and Nicholas who knew everything about your most obscure requests Reeves warehouse was in Norbury . Rae Mcintosh George St Edinburgh,Largs Whitehall St Dundee and BruceMiller George St were excellent in their heyday

Alfred Hollins often specified a Choir to Swell coupler - an example being at St George’s West Edinburgh his own organ -1930 Rushworth & Dreaper - a second at St Matthew’s Morningside. Another Hollins’ request at these instruments was for two reversible toe pistons for Choir and Swell tremulants.

Many thanks to BAM for obtaining and sharing these VSCC articles about Sam Clutton. All paint a memorable picture of this colourful multifaceted personality who was so much more than a fellow researcher to Dixon and Niland in our organ world. Following Bruce Buchanan’s most informative essay on HW III in BIOS Journal,is it not time for study of other personalities and landmark projects which held sway in mid 20th century?

Henry Willis III dissertation Vol 44 BIOS Journal Very many thanks to Bruce Buchanan for penning this most welcome addition to a greater understanding of HW III Written by his last pupil apprentice, it exhibits thorough research from a wide range of sources both literary and human. A pleasure to read, it is informative and grammatically correct whilst steering a path through a titan’s progress all the time ensuring measured accuracy. Coupled with a mention by David Wells in NR obituary of the young 30 year old Rawsthorne summoning the seventy year old Willis to appreciate his new Positive pipework tuning difficulties reminds of the anecdote often told by NR - when the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral were interviewing organbuilder firms in advance of the 1960 works, they asked , when Henry Willis IIII turned up alone, who his advisers were , he allegedly replied .. “Dean... none but God”

What a delightful article by John Birch..eloquent,humorous and highly informative. Thanks Martin for sharing it with the forum

Please at this late stage in this thread is anyone able to share the specification of these two -seemingly identical Willis Junior Development Plan organs - both spiral pipe layout? NPOR is unsually reticent in describing it as presumably a two manual and pedal from the closed console photograph. Willis removed the 1887 the 3/25 Father Willis (ex Gartshore House) when the Lutyens design of St Martin’s was extended westwards in 1964 and then replaced it with this pair of visually interesting organs located on either side of the chancel.

I am glad the “White Knight” has arrived from Kent. Many thanks to Stephen Bayley stepping up...you can hear the pleasure in JPM’s posting announcing the news Lets hope the Discussion Board founded by JPM maintains its authoritive stance and is supported by members both longstanding and new comers. Onwards and upwards!

I am with S_L on this one..a little too much rush to create a substitute that does not in my opinion quite reflect the unique position the Mander Forum has/had . Since there was no appetite from other organ builders to take it over, its time is over. Just like Rotunda the Mander Forum was a snapshot in time. Good wishes to all Stay safe in these troublesome times

Malvern certainly does ..having contributed to the forum.

Am I alone in being surprised that there is no white knight riding from Durham or Malvern to come to the aid of the forum? ..if the stated costs are believable