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Bryn Clinch

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    Sittingbourne, Kent

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  1. I have recently discovered a small one manual, unfortunately of unknown origin and queried as Bevington on the NPOR, that has a pedalboard with `rounded` sharps. The organ possibly dates from around 1820-1840 and the pedals (pulldowns) appear to be a later addition. Fifteenth, Principal, Diapason 8, Dulciana 8 (not full compass). Also Stop D. bass and Stop D Treble which appear to be permanently `locked` together and cannot be drawn individually. I cannot understand the logic of this as it precludes the use of the Stop D bass with the Dulciana. Builders plaques affixed are "Harvey & Co. with the late T. Walmisley; Tom Robbins; Hill, Norman and Beard.
  2. Thanks for your reply, Tony! I found it quite difficult to sort out the `Royal` organs and this one in particular. I have informed the NPOR and sent photos of keyboard, stops and pedals, but I think it may be a while before the entry is updated. I was told the name of the builder who installed the organ at Hucking but I cannot now remember his name but I do remember thinking at the time that the name was very familiar but not one of the larger companies - I must put my thinking cap on. I am hoping that he may be a Forum member and reply to my post but perhaps I`m clutching at straws.
  3. This little instrument is situated in St. Margaret`s Church, Hucking, Kent, a tiny village approximately midway between Maidstone and Sittingbourne and is a bit `off the beaten track`. The organ is in need of restoration and if provenance can be established, funding for the project would probably be that much easier. I would be extremely grateful if any member of the Forum has any additional knowledge of this organ regarding the original and subsequent builders and also of its history, as there is reason to believe that at sometime it may have been installed in a church{s) other than Buckingham Palace, Chipping Campden and Hucking - possibly Chipping Norton. http://www.npor.org....ec_index=D04261 Items missing from the NPOR survey:- . Flute 4ft : Open Diapason 8ft : Principal 4ft : Lieblich Gedact 8ft : Dulciana 8ft : Pedal Coupler No pedal pipes Pedals: Low C - High F Blowing: Electric Lever Swell Pedal .
  4. Does anyone plays these? Free downloads with demos on a very strange instrument, plus transpositions. http://www.enricopas...temid=4&lang=en
  5. Thanks for your reply, Vox Humana! I have yet to see or play this instrument but hope to very soon. My own, non-expert, opinion is broadly the same and I`ll now know what to expect as I believe there is some extension work.
  6. Many thanks, madorganist! You have succeeded in minutes yet I`ve been trying for months.
  7. Does any member have knowledge of The Canterbury Organ Company? They were in operation in the late 1970s, presumably in Canterbury, as I know of an instrument bearing their nameplate. Interestingly, this 1885 Forster & Andrews was moved to its present location in 1948 under the personal supervision of Noel Mander who, I believe, also made some additions and improvements. The Canterbury Organ Company rebuilt this instrument in the late 1970s, making dramatic changes but no trace of them can now found, even at the cathedral archive. Although my memory may be `playing tricks`, I seem to recall reading that they may have been formed by ex-employees of F. H. Browne & Sons but am very unsure of this. Any information would be gratefully received.
  8. I would value any member`s opinion on an organ that I remember playing many years ago and before it was rebuilt in the 70s. What sound would emanate from this instrument ? The present spec. is as follows: PEDAL 16` Trombone 16` Bourdon 8` Principal 8` Stopped Flute 4` Fifteenth 2` Flageolet Mixture III SWELL 16` Cremona Sharp Mixture II III Twenty Second I Nineteenth 1 1/3 8` Chimney Flute 8` Salicional 4` Principal 2` Gemshorn GREAT 8` Open Diapason 8` Stopped Diapason 8` Trumpet 4` Octave 2` Fifteenth Full Mixture IV Sesquialtera II All as inscribed on the stops.
  9. Although not strictly a Town Hall Organ, the Noterman/Compton organ in the Dreamland Cinema, Margate, possibly known many years ago as `The Hall By The Sea`, is to be restored as part of a massive restoration programme of the Dreamland Leisure Complex which includes the cinema on which work has already been started. My information is that the organ is intact and housed in roof chambers but the console has `mildew` on it. The organ has been silent siince 2000 and is a 4 manual, 19 rank, originally by Noterman. Compton built the existing instrument in 1935 and incorporated the Noterman ranks.
  10. Many thanks, Stephen Barber, I`m fairly certain that`s what I have been looking for.
  11. Is any member of the Forum able to advise me where I can replace my lost copy of `Elegy for Strings` from the Downland Suite arranged for organ by Alec Rowley?
  12. I first met Tom in the early 60`s when he came to my place of work to order some printed stationery and again later when he tuned the organ that I played. If I remember correctly, his appearance on `That`s Life` was due to the time that he was taking to rebuild an organ which he had removed to his workshop and not a criticism of his ability or workmanship. I know of two instances when Tom gave `Lecture Recitals` to raise money for necessary repairs to the organs in question. Unfortunately one of the churches employed another builder to carry out the work which baffled me at the time. A few years later I played this instrument at a funeral and had quick look in the tuning book. Tom`s last entry stated that there had been `outside interference`. All subsequent entries were by another builder who eventually rebuilt the organ. I think he must have `lost` a certain amount of work due to his eccentricities and forthright manner. He once `blew his top`, and rightly so, when he returned the key of the 1845 Walker which I play. The powers that be had, without consulting neither myself nor Tom, misguidedly installed portable gas heating to replace the terminally ill oil fired heating system. He kept this organ in good order until his premature death when the organ world lost a great `character`.
  13. Many thanks, Malcolm, for the information on H. A. Bennett. It was really an `eye-opener`, especially his performances with the Rochester Choral Society - heady stuff indeed. At one of my lessons he had a young lady with him who I thought may be his daughter. He introduced me to her, with a little smile on his face, as his wife, Zoe. This `little smile` became quite a feature of my lessons during the coming months, especially when he told me, as he always did, when he was giving a broadcast Sunday morning recital. I wonder if the Beeb have some of his recitals in their archive? My memory may be playing tricks, but I think he said that Zoe was the organist at the church next door to the Cathedral (now the Diocesan Office). This church had a fine three manual Walker on which he gave lessons when the Cathedral organ was under maintenance or the BBC were preparing the Cathedral for a broadcast. Does anyone know what happened to this instrument? On one occasion, when I was having trouble with a quick, manual stop change, he said "You must pounce like cat". When I again made a hash of it, the little smile appeared on his face as he got up from his armchair and said "Move over, I`ll show you". I knew something special was about to happen and it did. He began playing a few bars before the crucial point and I waited for the pounce. It didn`t happen, as he calmly drew one stop and deftly pushed in another with his bald head and the `little smile` became a `big smile`. I am fairly certain that HAB was partial to a pinch of snuff as there was always a sweet, not unpleasant aroma (which I didn`t recognise at that time), in the organ loft at Rochester. Years later I encountered an elderly gentleman who was a snuff-taker and immediately the smell brought back memories of my organ lessons and accounted for HAB`s sniffing and sneezing. The ascent to and descent from the organ loft always followed a strict pattern. The steps were not much better than a ladder and he always insisted the pupil went up first. When the lesson was over he would say "push all the stops in - open the swell box - switch off - now we`ll wait for Mary and Martha to go to bed". The last instruction referring to the two wind indicators at either side of the keyboards, the type that resemble a plumb line. As soon as they rose to the empty position he said "Move over". He then sat on the bench with hands clasped together and using the full length of his forearms depressed each manual in turn about three times to ensure everything was "off". Master and pupil then descended the steps in the correct order, and one shilling was put into the coin box at the foot of the steps, this was for the use if the Cathedral`s electricity. A trip to the Crypt then followed where HAB meticulously switched everything off and then carefully checked each switch with the aid of his torch. Then followed the trip to the North Door where he produced an enormous key with which he locked it with a pronounced `clunk`. He then shoulder charged the door three times before he said "Good Night!, see you next Saturday". .
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