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Which British Organ For Europe?


Pierre Lauwers

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Someone evoked today on another thread the absence of

any UK-built organ in continental europe's Cathedrals.

 

Maybe we could discuss the reasons for that, and the means

to correct this anomaly.

 

There are german and french-built organs in the UK, so the

reverse should obtain. This is my point of view as a convinced

european first, and as an amateur of the british organ too.

 

I'd like to discuss this first:

 

What kind of organ the british builders should present to

continental potential customers?

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

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Yes - I did!

 

An interesting thread.

 

Leaving aside France (I think that it is highly unlikely that they would want one of ours), perhaps we could come up with a proposal for Germany, or Italy - most of their organs seem quite odd on paper; Milan Cathedral does not sound all that impressive, either.

 

I will try to come back in a while with a proposal.

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As an administrator to the biggest french organ forum, I would not believe that.

But fact is, french Cathedral= french state......Difficult.

But not impossible elsewhere. The german firm Sauer has done some jobs in the Lyon area and enjoys an excellent reputation there.

 

As for the interest in british organs, there it is, no doubt; whenever a thread is launched

about a british organ, the views scores are not bad at all.

See this thread for instance:

 

http://forum.aceboard.net/18898-3406-17612...21-restaure.htm

 

 

Pierre

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Guest paul@trinitymusic.karoo.co.uk

:lol: I have a proposal.

 

A continental cathedral with restricted funds but with a very large space to fill and plenty of room at the west end should immediately make an offer to re-house the large Harrison and Harrison 4-manual concert organ from Newcastle on Tyne's City Hall. This Hall is under threat from a swimming pool complex enlargement scheme. The organ is too big to go in the replacement hall that the City Council have built. The organ is barely playable, but a truly wonderful prospect once re-homed. Pierre, you think Worcester is good - you should hear this!!!!

 

I speak without authority of any kind but my guess is that this organ ought to be more-or-less free to a good home.

 

This instrument is

1. extremely worthy in every respect - beautifully made and voiced

2. complete and original in every particular - just needs a thorough action overhaul

3. contains every essential voice and colour - both for solos and choruses

 

I suggest that a building requiring a unique instrument of power and interest should look no further than H&H to overhaul and re-erect this splendid instrument. It would be a bare fraction of the cost of a new organ and blow the minds of anyone who heard it in its new (hopefully) generous acoustic.

 

 

Go for it! :lol:

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What a brilliant idea, Paul.

 

Better still, put it in Worcester Cathedral, if the old organ has to be replaced -then we can keep one important and precious link to our organ heritage.

 

Damn! Sorry - I mentioned Worcester Cathedral again.

 

Now where is my cat-and-nine-tails?

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Of course both are excellent ideas.

Paul knows I rate A. Harrison very high, such organs we may not

allow to go to... nowhere.

 

There are already rescued british organs abroad. Heva plays one in

the Netherlands.

Worcester's should have gone to Brussels, no doubt! there is at least one

place (Koekelberg's Basilique) that would fit, and that is without a correct

organ. Halas my name is nor Albert II nor Verhofstadt (Prime Minister).

 

But the aim of this thread deals with new organs, that is, which kind

of organs today's british builders should offer for continental Europe.

 

It is a "marketing" (in the good sense of this word!) survey.

 

Any ideas?

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

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Guest Lee Blick

I know the Americans put their organs in very strange nooks and crannies but I wonder whether one has been put into a large railway terminal or airport.

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But the aim of this thread deals with new organs, that is, which kind

of organs today's british builders should offer for continental Europe.

 

It is a "marketing" (in the good sense of this word!) survey.

 

Any ideas?

 

========================

 

 

 

They seem to value big Tubas in Poland!

 

More seriously, I doubt that English organ-builders are doing anything all that different from their colleagues in Europe.

 

With many new organs, the only clue to the origin is the nomenclature on the stop-heads. I've heard some fine sounds from Robert Ponca (CZ), Flentrop (NL), Marcussen (DK), Mascioni (IT) and Eule (D)....but they all have a sort of Euro-sound, even when they are installed in Japan or Hong Kong.

 

Long gone are the days of national sounds....Cavaille-Coll, Schulze, Walcker, Harrison & Harrison, Willis etc.

 

Nevertheless, Gt.St.Mary's, Cambridge, is a lovely instrument which has a certain Euro-British sound....I like it anyway.

 

Of one thing I am certain, and that is the fact that in less favourable acoustics (which may well include many modern concert halls), there is a lot of mileage to be found in good, solid English Diapasons and Reeds rather than the thinner tones of other Euro-builders.

 

Good Lord!! Pierre and I have found common ground!!

 

MM

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Oooo!  An Organ Eurovision.....  :lol:

 

 

He he he....

 

So everyone everywhere do the same thing?

The same "reformed" thing?

I did not see the "globalization" that way.

 

Let's go a bit further:

 

What can the UK's builders do as organs that the continental's cannot?

 

This difference would be the british "added value", the reason a belgian , french, german (etc) church or concert-hall would buy british.

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

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I know the Americans put their organs in very strange nooks and crannies but I wonder whether one has been put into a large railway terminal or airport.

 

The answer is YES albeit that the railway terminal is no longer used as such. A 1929 E.M Skinner from a disused Philadelphia Church has been relocated to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal Cincinnati, Ohio. It has been recorded by both Peter Richard Conte and Tom Murray.

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Guest Lee Blick

Well we could nominate 'Bogger and Crappit & Co' as the UK entry.

 

Btw. If anyone knows of a nice two/three manual fairly complete Fr. Willis/II/III heading potentially for the skip or Outer Mongolia, please let me know. I'm desperate to replace our incomplete Morgan & Smith. The church has the room for it. And of course, I will be recommending Mander Organs to do the reburbishment! Please, no protests about restoring our current organ. It may be 'romantic' but its c..p

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Guest Lee Blick

Well, Terry will be there for ever, you may wish to dress him up in a tuning cone and a double languid pair of cords but he will always be timeless...

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There isn't a total lack:

stavanger-1.jpg

Chancel Organ, Stavanger Cathedral, Norway

NP Mander, London, 1995

 

Dave

 

Yes - I mentioned this one - but I do not personally think that it counts!

 

The main organ at Stavanger Cathedral is a fine example of a modern re-working of a seventeenth century Dutch organ, built in the west gallery. I was fortunate enought to have a couple of hours on it in the summer of 1992. I particularly liked the cascades of bunches of grapes, carved out of the key-cheeks.

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