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Beverley Minster (56k Users Beware)


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I just thought I would post a thread with pics of the organ at Beverley Minster. I was organ scholar there and I absolutly loved the place, it is still my favourite building of its kind, even though I was down there at least 3 times a week. Because Beverley is not a big town a lot of people haven't been to the minster or even heard of it, I want to post pictures to share its beauty! Arn't I kind!

 

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Organ Registration

Pedal

1 Double Open Diapason 32

2 Open Diapason Wood 16

3 Open Diapason Metal 16

4 Violone 16

5 Bourdon 16

6 Principal 8

7 Violoncello 8

8 Bass Flute 8

9 Fifteenth 4

10 Spitzflute 4

11 Tierce 3 1/5

12 Larigot 2 2/3

13 Wald Flute 2

14 Contra Posaune 32

15 Posaune 16

16 Tuba 16

17 Tuba 8

18 Octave Tuba 4

19 Cor Anglais 4

 

Choir

20 Open Diapason 8 (Snetzler)

21 Stopped Diapason 8 (Snetzler)

22 Dulciana 8

23 Octave 4 (Snetzler)

24 Stopped Flute 4 (Snetzler)

25 Nazard 2 2/3

26 Fifteenth 2 (Snetzler)

27 Tierce 1 3/5

28 Mixture III 19.22.26

29 Tremulant

30 Posaune 8 (Great)

31 Clarion 4 (Great)

 

Great

32 Double Open Diapason 16

33 Open Diapason I 8

34 Open Diapason II 8

35 Open Diapason III 8 (Snetzler)

36 Open Diapason IV 8 (Snetzler)

37 Stopped Diapason 8 (Snetzler)

38 Principal 4 (Snetzler)

39 Gemshorn 4

40 Flute 4

41 Fifteenth 2 (Snetzler)

42 Furniture IV (Snetzler, now 15.19.22.26)

43 Mixture III 26.29.33

44 Cornet IV 8.12.15.17

45 Tremulant

46 Posaune 8

47 Clarion 4

 

Swell

48 Bourdon 16

49 Open Diapason 8 (Snetzler)

50 Gemshorn 8

51 Stopped Diapason 8 (Snetzler)

52 Keraulophon 8

53 Vox Angelica 8

54 Principal 4 (Snetzler)

55 Flute 4

56 Twelfth 2 2/3

57 Fifteenth 2

58 Mixture IV 19.22.26.29

59 Contra Fagotto 16

60 Horn 8

61 Trumpet 8

62 Oboe 8

63 Vox Humana 8

64 Clarion 4

65 Tremulant

 

Solo

66 Open Diapason 8 (Great Open Diapason I)

67 Hohl Flute 8

68 Viola 8

69 Viols Celeste 8

70 Lieblich Flute 4

71 Flageolet 2

72 Clarinet 8

73 Tuba 16

74 Tuba 8

75 Tuba 4

76 Tremulant

 

Couplers

Swell to Great

Swell to Choir

Swell to Pedal

Swell Octave

Swell Suboctave

Swell Unison off

Choir to Great

Choir to Pedal

Great to Pedal

Solo Octave

Solo to Swell

Solo to Choir

Solo to Great

Solo to Pedal

 

Accessories

8 thumb pistons to Solo organ

8 thumb pistons to Swell organ

8 thumb pistons to Great organ

8 thumb pistons to Choir organ

8 toe pistons to Swell organ (duplicating)

8 toe pistons to Pedal organ

8 pistons lockable rotary switch for divisional levels

Combination Action includes a simple sequencer giving 128 levels of memory

 

Here is a recording from a Choral Evensong which I recorded on my Minidisk (I did a lot of recording with that little thing) in the minster, not with the Mnister choir but the Northern Cathedral Singers. (I am playing, Alan Spedding is conducting) Herbert Sumsion - Magnificat in G

 

And here is a recording of me playing a bit of Howells during a live recital. (click for advert) Herbert Howells - Rhapsody no. 3 in C sharp minor

(press the 'free' button at the bottom)

 

I love taking pictures, and I love capturing sound. I'll probably be posting more in the future, only if you want though! B)

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Guest Barry Oakley
Wâow!

 

Splendid pictures and music....Plus that Joseph Jongen's music sheet

innocently left...

 

Best wishes,

Pierre Lauwers.

 

This posting highlights not only a largely unheralded gem of an organ, but a building of exquisite beauty with an acoustic to match. The delicate features of the Minster’s architecture are a glory to behold in what is a comparatively little-known part of Yorkshire. Pierre, can I recommend you get yourself to Zeebrugge, catch the overnight ferry to Hull and Beverley Minster is only about 14 kilometres away. And whilst you are in Hull try and take a look at Holy Trinity’s wonderful 4-manual Forster & Andrews/John Compton instrument and the famed City Hall organ with the same pedigree. Having looked around Beverley (Also take in St Mary’s with its fine 4-manual), less than 30 minutes away by train lies Bridlington with its superb Anneessens/Compton/Nicholson 4-manual in the Priory. But I suggest this is a trip you plan for about 2009/10 because the Bridlington Priory organ is in the process of rebuilding and plans are on paper for a rebuild at Holy Trinity, possibly about 2008.

 

If ever there was a relatively compact area in which to hold a major organ festival, Hull and East Yorkshire is surely a place for strong consideration.

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Thanks Barry,

 

Bridlington and Beverley I actually visited in.....1969, While travelling from Hull to Scarborough, where I stayed one month in an attempt to learn some bits of the english language. But now I have a wife who hates....Travelling!

 

Best wishes,

Pierre Lauwers.

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Beverley Minster does seem to be a little underated as not a lot of people know about it as its stuck out on a limb. I was lucky to live just outside Beverley (Cottingham, Englands biggest village,,,possibly), I used to go to all the recitals there, and it is a marvelous instrument. Whilst on the subject of places to visit in East Yorkshire, what about Hull City Hall, I took a friend to play there on 2 occasions, and listning to the recording I made, it sounds excellent, and is the 3rd largest in the UK, I may be wrong tho. Now living near york, I will have to find some good instuments near here

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Yes the organ in the city hall is the 3rd largest, after liverpool and the RAH. Last week was the university graduation ceremony week which are held in the city hall and as the university organ scholar it was my job to play for them; I had to give a 20 minute recital 8 times on the instrument during the week (twice every day ending on thursday).

 

Hull City Hall pictures:

 

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Guest Roffensis

Superb pics, the best I have ever seen of the building and the organ. Thanks for sharing them with us all, it's put a smile on my face for the day!!!

Richard Astridge

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Some wonderful pictures of the interior or Beverley Minster and its HNB organ. The picture of the console reminded of the time I played the HNB pre-Mander organ at St John's College, Cambridge, and those stubby square HNB pistons which I really don't like at all.

 

The console of the Hull City Hall instrument looks a lot better since they replaced the Compton luminous touch stop buttons. I played this organ once and found these buttons a real menace, as the bulbs had blown in some of the stops and when the sun came out it was almost impossible to see which stops were 'on'. Not a favourite instrument of mine, really. But a trip to Beverley would certainly seem worthwhile.

 

Jeremy Jones

London

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Guest Barry Oakley
The console of the Hull City Hall instrument looks a lot better since they replaced the Compton luminous touch stop buttons. I played this organ once and found these buttons a real menace, as the bulbs had blown in some of the stops and when the sun came out it was almost impossible to see which stops were 'on'. Not a favourite instrument of mine, really. But a trip to Beverley would certainly seem worthwhile.

 

Jeremy Jones

London

 

Yes, perhaps the drawback with Compton patent luminous stopheads was the intrusion of strong sunlight and bulb failure, but there were ways of overcoming the sunlight problem. However with the advent of light-emitting diodes (LED's), the longevity of the light source is now not a problem. And by the use of coloured LED's - e.g. blue for flues, red for reeds and green for couplers - sunlight is also not a problem. Furthermore Compton luminous stopheads are quiet in operation and a single action can draw a stop and cancel another (or others) in a single movement.

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Yes, perhaps the drawback with Compton patent luminous stopheads was the intrusion of strong sunlight and bulb failure, but there were ways of overcoming the sunlight problem. However with the advent of light-emitting diodes (LED's), the longevity of the light source is now not a problem. And by the use of coloured LED's - e.g. blue for flues, red for reeds and green for couplers - sunlight is also not a problem. Furthermore Compton luminous stopheads are quiet in operation and a single action can draw a stop and cancel another (or others) in a single movement.

 

Hi

 

Some of the digital organs that use illuminated stop controls have the same problem with strong sunlight - e.g. a Bradford organ that I sometimes play - there's a south-facing window directly behind the console!

 

The double-touch cancelling feature is also found on COmpton stop-keys and drawstops (as, for example, the Hill rebuilt by Compton at All Saints, Ilkley, which has double-touch cancelling drawstops - and very useful they are too!) Rushworth & Dreaper also used double-touch cancelling stop keys on at least one organ (a Baptist church in Hastings), but in their incarnation, the 2nd touch springs were not strong enough - and cancel extended to things like Gt Mixture & Sw-Gt coupler. It's embarassing to try and add the mixture and cancel everything else on the Great!

 

Must try and get to Beverley sometime, and try to arrange a play on the organ.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

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Hi

 

Must try and get to Beverley sometime, and try to arrange a play on the organ.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

 

The staff at the minster are very friendly and welcoming, and I am sure they will let you upto the loft to have a play. If I were still there I would offer but I have since handed my keys in. My channel was number 4 if you want to use it... its better than Alan's on number 1 :blink:

 

The thing I found about the minster organ was that (I guess with most other places) the actual sound of the organ is far, far better balanced when listening to it in the nave or one of the two transepts. This is because the swell and solo departments are quite far back and are behind the great and choir devisions from the organists' perspective. For example, the swell is barely audible when coupled to a full great whereas in the nave it is clear as a sunny day, and the same situation arises with the solo, especially when you want to use the clarinet - at the console the balance sounds rubbish but in the nave its :D Many a time have I recorded myself practising and playing for choral evensong and when I get home it makes me smile all night... until I burn my tea!

 

Do try to get there and play, and if you can hear it live, not a CD - it sounds incredible live!

 

- Rich

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Wâow!

 

Splendid pictures and music....Plus that Joseph Jongen's music sheet

innocently left...

 

Best wishes,

Pierre Lauwers.

 

Thank you! hehe - the Jongen looks lonely doesn't it, but fear not it was used to it's max - thinking about it I think that this particular picture was taken after I had had a lesson with JSW at York, so the copy is complete with JSW markings (who better to have than John on Jongen!!??) and I played it in a recital on the university organ once.

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Thank you! hehe - the Jongen looks lonely doesn't it, but fear not it was used to it's max - thinking about it I think that this particular picture was taken after I had had a lesson with JSW at York, so the copy is complete with JSW markings (who better to have than John on Jongen!!??) and I played it in a recital on the university organ once.

 

Fine!

 

And why not play Howells in recital in Belgium? Say at Ieper or Châtelet (Charleroi).

Mind you, I must be the only guy in Belgium to talk about this one. I like your version.

(slow but living tempis).

 

Best wishes,

Pierre Lauwers.

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It would be helpful if Richard could tell us something about the dispostion of the organ, in particular which part of the organ is housed in the smaller case seen at the west end of the south choir aisle.

 

Many thanks,

 

Jeremy Jones

London

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It's interesting that Richard says the balance is better in the nave than at the console.

 

I've been to many a recital there, and have played the instrument once. I find that the acoustic in the nave jumbles the sound dreadfully - far worse than, say, King's. So I always sit at the very front for recitals. I am told some people prefer the sound in the north transept.

 

When I played the instrument I thought the sound at the console was much better - certainly clearer - than down the nave.

 

This is certainly an instrument - and a building - I have a huge amount of respect for. It still seems to me to have a very strong Snetzler voice on the Great and Choir. And Beverley is a lovely town too.

 

PS

 

I loved the Howells.

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It's interesting that Richard says the balance is better in the nave than at the console. 

 

I've been to many a recital there, and have played the instrument once.  I find that the acoustic in the nave jumbles the sound dreadfully - far worse than, say, King's.  So I always sit at the very front for recitals.  I am told some people prefer the sound in the north transept.

 

When I played the instrument I thought the sound at the console was much better - certainly clearer - than down the nave.

 

This is certainly an instrument - and a building - I have a huge amount of respect for.  It still seems to me to have a very strong Snetzler voice on the Great and Choir.  And Beverley is a lovely town too.

 

PS

 

I loved the Howells.

 

By nave I didn't mean to sit down near the font at the back of the minster! To correct myself, under the central tower or, like you say, towards the front. The positioning of the microphone for the Howells was on the pulpit which can be seen in some of the pictures, and the sound difference was so different from what I was hearing at the console than that of the recording. I'm in the habit now of recording myself practising before recitals/concerts, positioning the microphone where the audience will be sitting to try to get the best possible sound.

 

- Rich

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Richard

 

Further thanks for a spendid set of pictures.

 

Beverley Minster is one of the great ecclesiatical buildings of Western Europe with a wonderful unity and cohesion of architecural style. Seen in the distance from the racecourse it rises majestically above the town, but the approach from the surrounding narrow streets of modest terraced houses is equally impressive. The interior is lofty and somehow always full of light.

 

At the console, the organist - lucky man - has quite amazing vistas to east and west. These visual joys must compensate, at least partially, for the lop-sided aural perspective he gets when playing.

 

Arthur Hill's magnificent case is apparently flimsy in construction and could not accommodate any more organ, which is a pity as it would be nice to squeeze the swell box in somehow and thus reduce the amount of organ 'junk' in the south quite aisle. Nonetheless, the sound is superlative and perfectly matches the splendour of the setting.

 

John S

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Guest Barry Oakley

Richard

 

Further thanks for a spendid set of pictures.

 

Beverley Minster is one of the great ecclesiatical buildings of Western Europe with a wonderful unity and cohesion of architecural style. Seen in the distance from the racecourse it rises majestically above the town, but the approach from the surrounding narrow streets of modest terraced houses is equally impressive. The interior is lofty and somehow always full of light.

 

At the console, the organist - lucky man - has quite amazing vistas to east and west. These visual joys must compensate, at least partially, for the lop-sided aural perspective he gets when playing.

 

Arthur Hill's magnificent case is apparently flimsy in construction and could not accommodate any more organ, which is a pity as it would be nice to squeeze the swell box in somehow and thus reduce the amount of organ 'junk' in the south quite aisle. Nonetheless, the sound is superlative and perfectly matches the splendour of the setting.

 

Yes, Beverley Minster is a most marvellous building. People rave about York Minster, but Beverley's proportions are more exquisitely delicate. They should travel another 30 miles east to wonder at such architectural splendour in what is an unspoilt backwater of England.

 

As for getting a good aural perspective, I have found that sitting in the quire gives one a very satisfying appreciation of the organ's wonderful sound, allowing all of what is placed in the south quire aisle to come through. Wish I could make Ian Hare's recital.

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Guest Barry Oakley

Richard

 

Further thanks for a spendid set of pictures.

 

Beverley Minster is one of the great ecclesiatical buildings of Western Europe with a wonderful unity and cohesion of architecural style. Seen in the distance from the racecourse it rises majestically above the town, but the approach from the surrounding narrow streets of modest terraced houses is equally impressive. The interior is lofty and somehow always full of light.

 

At the console, the organist - lucky man - has quite amazing vistas to east and west. These visual joys must compensate, at least partially, for the lop-sided aural perspective he gets when playing.

 

Arthur Hill's magnificent case is apparently flimsy in construction and could not accommodate any more organ, which is a pity as it would be nice to squeeze the swell box in somehow and thus reduce the amount of organ 'junk' in the south quite aisle. Nonetheless, the sound is superlative and perfectly matches the splendour of the setting.

 

Yes, Beverley Minster is a most marvellous building. People rave about York Minster, but Beverley's proportions are more exquisitely delicate. They should travel another 30 miles east to wonder at such architectural splendour in what is an unspoilt backwater of England.

 

As for getting a good aural perspective, I have found that sitting in the quire gives one a very satisfying appreciation of the organ's wonderful sound, allowing all of what is placed in the south quire aisle to come through. Wish I could make Ian Hare's recital.

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Yes... thanks for the wonderful pictures and info ;)

 

I remember hearing a spectacular recording made of this instrument in (I think) the late '60s or early '70s. It was part of a large English organ LP series, with one LP per organ. Beverley Minster was on one of those LPs. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the organist. But I do remember one stand-out track, I think it was a tocatta, possibly by Howells on "Von Himmel Hoch". Does anybody else remember this recording?

 

-MAS

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''I remember hearing a spectacular recording made of this instrument in (I think) the late '60s or early '70s. It was part of a large English organ LP series, with one LP per organ. Beverley Minster was on one of those LPs. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the organist. But I do remember one stand-out track, I think it was a tocatta, possibly by Howells on "Von Himmel Hoch". Does anybody else remember this recording?''

 

Alan Spedding (currently still in charge of music at Beverley) was playing - the piece concerned is by Garth Edmundson. I still have a copy of the LP..somewhere.... but at present nothing to play it on!

AJJ

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The great and choir organs are in the case on the screen. The solo is in the south choir aisle immediately behind the small case to the south of the main case. The swell and most of the pedal organ are in the south choir aisle to the east of the solo box.

 

In fact, the south choir aisle is entirely occupied by the organ, and there is no public access to it. It looks a bit of a mess from the console, but it can't be seen from the floor of the church.

 

Ian Hare's recital was excellent, and included the Bach Passacaglia and a lovely little suite by Ian himeslf.

 

I notice that the next recital, by James Vivian of the Temple Church, London, will also include the Howells Rhapsody no. 3!

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