DaveHarries

Hi. As I stated to NPOR at the time when I gave them more information on the history of Salisbury Cathedral's organs (record R00908), we knw that John Burward carried out a rebuild in 1635 which entailed enlarging the Great Organ and adding a choir organ to it; repairs were also undertaken; paid £220; Burward's choir organ was "according to the model and fashion of the Choir Organ of St. Paul's Church [Cathedral?], London". In the 1640s we aproach time times of the Civil Wars. In 1643, the Dean & Chapter of Salisbury "deemed it prudent, in order to save the organ from destruction and in the hope of better times, to have it taken down and the material safely preserved". Four men were each paid 4s to dismantle John Burward's organ. After a 17-year gap in Salisbury Cathedral's organ records we see that Burward's organ from 1635 was re-errected by Thomas Harris in 1660. In 1679, there is an entry in the records of Salisbury Cathedral that reads: "For the organ sold at Bristol not paid for hitherto £050-00-00." The NPOR record for N05754 (St. Paul's, Parkend, Gloucestershire) states: "Organ said to have come from Salisbury Cathedral - originally built 1668?" by T. (or R.) Harris. This record dates the case to as early as 1660. However, in place of any more logical explanation, I assume that: 1. The organ at St. Paul's, Parkend mentioned in N05754 and built by Thomas or Renatus Harris was, in fact, the John Burward organ of 1635 from Salisbury Cathedral. The Burward organ of 1635 at Salisbury is the organ that was sold in Bristol for £050-00-00 in 1679 by the cathedral authorities at Salisbury. It was purchased by Parkend for St. Paul's. and therfore also: 2. The case that the NPOR dates to 1660-68 at St. Paul, Parkend might even have dated to 1635 (when Burward rebuilt Salisbury Cathedral's organ) or possibly even earlier. It is not recorded that when Thomas Harris re-errected the 1635 Burward organ in 1660, a new case was provided at the same time. Technically it is very possible that the case could even have dated to before 1600. The case at St. Nicholas, Stanford- upon-Avon, has been dated to 1580. John Burward's work at Salisbury in 1635 is described as an "enlargement" rather than a rebuild. It is a pity that, according to NPOR records, the organ given in N05754 no longer exists. If a piece of that casing had been given to a wood expert we might well have been able to establish what year the tree was felled to make the case. Can anyone think of any better explanation? If so then I will be interested to hear your thoughts. Dave

A few more old instruments: A few more I can find by looking in the NPOR: ------------------- Little Bardfield, Essex NPOR Reference: H00559 1680: Built by R. Harris for Jesus College, Cambridge 1790: Removed to All Saints Church, Cambridge 1860: Removed to Little Bardfield 1880: Enlarged by JW Walker. Harris case still survives. ------------------- St. John The Baptist, Thaxtead, Essex NPOR Reference: N18436 1704: Renatus or John Harris. Built for St. John, Bedford Row, Holborn, London 1805: Hugh Russel 1826: Henry Lincoln Organ said to have once been played by Gustav Holst. Now barely used and in poor condition. ------------------- St. Paul, Parkend, Gloucestershire NPOR Reference: N05754 1668: Possibly built by Thomas (or Renatus) Harris for Salisbury Cathedral. Possibly sold shortly afterwards because: 1679: "For the organ sold at Bristol not paid for hitherto £050-00-00" [salisbury Cathedral Records] Later rebuilt by another firm from Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire. Casework 1680. Original front pipes (decorated) remained. It seems that this organ may not now exist. A further look for Parkend in the NPOR reads that John Compton built an organ for St. Paul's, Parkend and incorporated a "nucleus of pipework from Trocadero Cinema, Southport". This organ went back to Southport in 1990. See separate thread for more on the Salisbury part of this organ. The organ now at Parkend was moved in 1990 from Yeovil Baptist Church and was built by George Osmond. Shame on Parkend for letting the 1668 organ go! I reckon that the organ in NPOR number N05754 is older than 1688 though. ------------------- Great Bowden, Leicestershire NPOR Reference D00819 1660: Originally an organ by Harris and brought here from elsewhere. 1887: Henry Speechly. New organ in old case. 1660 Harris case survives. ------------------- And that is just for starters. Finding all these old organs and any evidence of them is by no means an open and shut case! Dave

An interesting item here is the Thomas Thamar (Portsmouth) organ that was built by him for Winchester Cathedral in 1665-6. Cathedral of Holy Trinity, Winchester, Hampshire Thomas Thamar, Portsmouth, 1665-6 Cost: £427.12s.6d for "a 'faire, substantial, good and perfect double organ'. Two manual organ, no pedals. Manual Compass: 51 notes Great Organ: 1 Open Diapason 8 metal 2 Stopp Diapason 8 Wood 3 Principal 4 metal 4 Recorder 4 Wood, unison with Principal 5 Principall 2 metal 6 Principall 2 metal 7 Twelfth 2 2/3 metal 8 Fourniture II metal 9 Two and Twentieth 1 metal Chaire Organ: 10 Principall 8 11 Stopp Diapason 8 Wood 12 Flute 4 Wood (?4') 13 Principall 2 14 Two and Twentieth 1 [source: NPOR, reference N11460] This organ was, it seems, rebuilt by Renatus Harris in 1693-4 (cost £400) and by John Avery (1798-9, cost £400. Some action and front case pipes retained from old organ). Further work was done by Blyth in 1825 and 1846. In 1851, this organ was removed to Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, reconstructed by Willis in about 1855 and then by Bishop and Starr in 1875 to leave an organ of 4 manuals. Part of the organ was then moved to St. Peter's Church, Southsea, Hampshire in 1884 by Willis whose organ was 4 manuals and 37 stops. This was rebuilt in 1908 by WJ Burton and then again by Hill, Norman & Beard in 1930. It appears that, despite all the rebuilds and alterations, the case from the 1665 organ at Winchester has survived the intervening 340 years and is still in existance as can be seen in this 2004 photo which was sent to the NPOR by D.Fry: Looks old enough to me to be at least 200 years of age. Dave

Hi all. Does anyone know what happend to the organ builder George Osmond, once based in Taunton, Somerset? Mr. Osmond himself died in 1949 but according to the NPOR (National Pipe Organ Register) there are records of "Geo Osmond" or "George Osmond" (of Taunton) working in 1980 (Beechen Cliff Methodist Church, Bath), and as late as 1988 (St. Mary's Church, Bridport, Dorset) and in other parts of England in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Anyone got any ideas as to the location of Osmond? The NPOR does not record any takeover. Thanks. Dave

I have looked up Kingston-upon-Hull. Organ is 4 manuals, 104 stops. Dave

Hi. On 26th February 2005, 4 fire crews were called to the church of St. Ildierna, Lansallos, Cornwall due to reports of a fire there. It is unfortunate to note that the fire - which started in the north aisle, behind the organ - has been confirmed as arson. It is also unfortunate to note that, further to my NPOR update of 27.02.2005, a further update has been made which reads that the organ was destroyed in the fire. A nice instrument it was by the looks of things. The fire also trashed about 40% of the church roof. Damn arsonists. Dave

Hi. I found this entry on eBay..... ".....The organ was in the care of Hill, Norman & Beard before they ceased trading; after that date HNB’s local tuner, Mr C. Divall, continued to look after it." I thought H,N&B were still going? If not, when (and why) did they pack up? Dave

Well if he does that then he is a complete ...... and the purchases could be challenged in the courts. If he does go ahead without legal regress and Herr Kropf challenges then the Lord Mayor can expect to loose. And if he is an elected Mayor then the public can say what they think next time it comes to choosing another Mayor. If the Lord Mayor of Bristol does what the Mayor of Hamburg proposes to do then he would be voted out. Dave

Hi all. This is disturbing. Herr (Mr.) Karl Bernhardin-Kropf (organist of Neuenfelde, Hamburg) has added this to his website. The money-grabbing ..... at Airbus are at it again, ================== "....we knew that peace would not last very long. The City of Hamburg has lost the fight for getting land, needed to extend the runway of Hamburg’s Airbus plant, by means of expropriation, based an a newly constructed law. So they failed on the legal path, but then they tried two new things: First was to offer giant amounts of money (in all 24.000.000 Euro for just 400.00 m2 of orchard land). But most of the owners resisted, as did the parish, which also owns part of that land. The next step, much more effective, was to create a deadline. Airbus France has announced a deadline of 31 October. Until that day they want to have a clear decision if the extension will come or not. Otherwise Airbus would cancel the installation of a delivery center for the new Super Airbus A380 in Hamburg - the planes would then being delivered entirely from Toulouse, France. But this agreement - to build not only production facilites, but also a delivery center in Hamburg - was the base for the factory extension to the mudwater flats in the west (see image above) two years ago! So Airbus is going to break its deal aranged with the City of Hamburg. So there is heavy pressure on the City, which redirects it to Neuenfelde. The resisting farmers and the parish in Neuenfelde are being declared as enemies of industrial growth and economical benefit of the of Hamburg and whole Germany. Supported by some papers, the public is raging. Work here in the parish has changed. We synchronize the music/hymn lists and the content of the sermons with all possible misunderstandings which could happen to journalists who attend our services (But be sure, we do not adapt our principles to them). As being the organist, I have up to three TV dates a week to present the instrument to the media and to explain our point of view. Hard times, but maybe this publicity will help funding the next restoration of our Schnitger organ. So far the information. Let’s see what the future will bring. Yours, Karl-Bernhardin Kropf" [added: 24.10.2004] ================== Airbus won't give up, will they. As far as I am concerned, Airbus can go and bung their Hamburg extension where the sun doesn't shine. INZENSO won the last round so lets hope they win this one as well. Airbus should and realise that they can not win. INZENSO: so go for it! Go INZENSO, and good luck, Herr Kropf. Everyone on this forum: get behind Kropf and join the crusade against the Airbus expansion. Another round of letters to the powers that be might help, I think. Dave Harries, Bristol

Looked at this item this evening. 10 bids were entered but the organ has, in the end, gone to a buyer in France for £3,770. Dave

I read from one webpage - St. Albans Cathedral Campaign - The Music - that the cathedral is trying to raise £300,000 for a refurbishment of the organ". Dave

You have a hand on that register, do you? I have put quite a bit of information into it, which has the letters "DCH" after it. It is a very useful site. Keep it going. Dave

Monsieur, J'ai à la maison un livre appelé "The Organ" et à une page est une image de l'organe de la cathédrale de Bordeaux. La légende de l'image indique que le dom Bedos a établi l'organe au Bordeaux en 1748. (TRANSLATION: At home I have a book called "The Organ" and on one page is a picture of the organ of Bordeaux Cathedral. The caption of the picture says that dom Bedos built the organ at Bordeaux in 1748.) Dave

Hi mate. Breda is one of my favourite places in Holland, with Amsterdam being the other. Usually if I decide to take a few days in Amsterdam then I pop down to Breda by train because I am 22 and I like dance music hence my occasional visits to the "Magik" store on the Niewstraat!! I have not noticed an RC cathedral in Breda. I may not have looked hard enough or you and I might be thinking of the same church! My Dad likes looking in Churches so he would probably have a field day looking in the Grote Kerk. I used to be a bit of an organist myself for a few years. I never did it for a job though and I eventually couldn't find a practive place that was available all the time so I gave up. :angry: Let me know what you find out. I will be interested. Also, I thought that the Grote Kerk had been RC since around 1630? Still a very nice church though. And I shall come and look into the RC cathedral-church in Breda next time I am there. What is the organ history of the RC Cathedral in Breda? And where is it in relation to the Grote Kerk? Dave

Hi all. Whilst I was in Holland in early November, I took the chance to visit the main church in the town of Breda. This church has just emerged from 99 years of restoration (1904 - 2003). This spendid church also has an organ to match. Here it is, and apologies for the size of this picture which also shows the results of the restoration in part of the nave. I used MS Paint to make the picture a bit smaller than it was. Photo: DC Harries, July 2003 It has 4 manuals, 63 stops and 3780 pipes. The main case is dated to 1967 - 69 but the positive was part of the first organ after the Great Fire of Breda - which destroyed 1300 houses, churches and chapels, leaving only 150 houses plus this church - and the positive case plus its painted doors date therefore to 1534. A rare survival? Anyway, the book about this organ and its history was published in 1989 and it gives a list of the builders who have worked on instruments in this church: 1429: Mr. Jannes, Brabant - first known organ 1534: Hendrik Niehoff (?) - new organ. Located next to the current entrance which is the South door. 1543: Ysbrant Claeszone, Breda - additions 1546: Ysbrant Claeszone, Breda - additions 1549: Ysbrant Claeszone, Breda - additions 1566: Pipes removed for storage during religious troubles. 1710: Jacobus Zeemans, Breda (organist of the church) - new organ, sited above west door in the position of the present one. Cost: 2000 guilders. 1785 - 89: Johannes Schot, Breda. Various works but not a rebuild. Cost 2290.15 guilders. 1798: Organ valued to be worth 3600 guilders. 1816: Cornelius van Oeckelen, Breda - repairs. Paid 175 guilders. 1843: Stulting & Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht. Paid 1225 guilders for works. 1859: Stulting, Utrecht. Paid 396.60 guilders for a new Viola Da Gamba (8ft.) 1938: H.W Flentrop, Zaandam - organ moved to the crossing at the east end of the nave to allow for restoration of the nave. 1956: Organ moved to a position on the south side at the east end of the nave, next to the crossing. 1969: Flentrop, Zaandam - organ rebuilt with new main case. 1534 positive case retained. Anyway, look at the 1534 specification: ========== Grote of O.L.V Kerk te Breda, Holland Specification of 1534 organ (by Hendrik Niehoff?) Hooftwerk: 6ft. Prestant 3ft. Octaaf Mixtuur Cimball 6ft. Holpijp 3ft. Fluit 1ft. Gemshoorn 1ft. Sifflet Tertscimbel 6ft. Trompet Rugwerk: 3ft. Prestant 3ft. Holpijp 12ft. Kromhoorn 6ft. Regaal 3ft. Schalmey Borstwerk: 3 stops. Pipes in HW. Pedaal: 12ft. Prestant 6ft. Trompet (from HW) Trommel (added 1548) ========== The PW in the above specification stands for "Pedaalwerk". My question is this: Did this organ of 1534 have one of the earliest - if not THE earliest - pedal division of any organ in Europe? Or was there an earlier one elsewhere? Sorry to make this posting so long! Hope the picture looks OK. Any information on my above question will be gladly recieved! Dave Harries, Bristol

It shows that the original builder was a contemporary of Dom Bedos. Looking at the picture of the organ made me realise that it looks exactly like the 1748 Dom Bedos organ in Bordeaux Cathedral. Dave

Thank you for leading me to this. I might be able to find a good home for that. Dave

As is suggested by other respondents in this topic, the Marienkirche in Lubeck indeed had two organs. From what I have in my source, a summary of the specifications is as follows: Main Organ: HW: 16, 16, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2 2/3, II, X-XV, IV, 16, 8, 4 RP: 16, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, II, V, IV-V, 16, 8, 8, 8 BW: 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1, II, VI-VIII, III, 8, 8 PD: 32, 16, 16, 8, 8, 4, 2, 1, VI, 24, 16, 16, 8, 8, 2 Totentanz Organ: (1476-7, 1557-8, 1621-2) HW: 16, 8, 8, 4, 2 2/3, II, VIII-X, 8 RP: 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, II, 1 1/3, VI-VIII, 16, 8 BW: 8, 4, 2, 1 1/3, 8, 4 PD: 16, 16, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, 1, IV, II, 16, 16, 8, 4, 2 But my source only gives the Totentanz chapel organ as having been destroyed in 1942. I don't know why. NOTE: for the above was Making Music On The Organ (Peter Hurford, 1989 / 1990) Dave

The largest number of ranks taken by multiple-rank stops I have ever found in a 3 manual organ is to be found in the old main organ of the Marienkirche, Lubeck. Schulze replaced the organ from which this comes. HW: Rauschpfeife II (2 ranks) Mixtur X-XV (10-15 ranks) Scharff IV (4 ranks) RP: Sesquialtera II (2 ranks) Mixtur V (5 ranks) Scharff IV - V (4-5 ranks) BW: Sesquialtera II (2 ranks) Mixtur VI - VIII (6-8 ranks) Zimbel III (3 ranks) Ped: Mixtur VI (6 ranks) If the organ was existant today, this organ (assuming each manual is 61 notes and the pedal is 30 notes) would be: HW: 13 stops, 34 ranks, 2074 pipes RP: 14 stops, 26 ranks, 1586 pipes BW: 12 stops, 25 ranks, 1525 pipes PD: 15 stops, 21 ranks, 630 pipes =========================== TOTAL: 54 stops, 106 ranks, 5815 pipes =========================== A bit over-the-top for a 3-manual organ that was around before the middle of the 19th century, I think! Dave

I have searched on the NPOR (National Pipe Organ Register) and they have the following entry for the name of William Sweetland, located in Bath: ========== Floruit: 1847-1962 Located: Bath Addresses and periods at locations: 1850s - 1906: Cleveland Pl West,London Rd, Walcot, Bath 1914 - 1939:London Rd [Cleveland Cottages], London Rd, Bath 1940 -> Locksbrook Rd [Centenary Works], Weston, Bath Titles used by this firm: William Sweetland 1847?-1902 The Sweetland Organ Building Co. Ltd 1905ad-39 The Sweetland Organ Co 1914D-1939 The Sweetland Organ Building Co (Leach & Sons) 1935 References for the information above: O&C 1905 /10, ad [in AF ntbk DOB 055] Trade Directories: Kelly Somerset 1889/97/1902/06/14/23/27/31/35/39; Aubrey Somerset 1920 BOA corres Edmonds, B.B., 5.1998 Organ 056, 1935 /04, ad Pipes & Actions: Elvin, L. (1995), pp.158-160 Cross references for this builder Rushworth & Dreaper - taken over by (c. 1962) ========== Dave

Hi all. In the book I have about the organ history of Salisbury Cathedral, there is a copy of an entry in the cathedral records that reads as follows: For the organ sold at Bristol not paid for hitherto £050-00-00 (1679) I have come across nothing to suggest that Bristol Cathedral obtained a new organ in (or around) 1679. Does anyone have any idea: 1) who had built this organ? 2) where it went? 3) where had it been sited in Salisbury Cathedral This is a very longstanding querry of mine so any help would be appreciated. Many Thanks. Dave

Hi all. Any information on the organ of San Pietro, Bologna? Probably not as old as the organ of San Petronio but any information welcome anyway. Thanks. Dave

Hi all. I gather that the organ in Bologna Cathedral dates to about 1475. Does anyone have any weblinks to pictures / informtaion about it? I was in Italy recently and meant to go but never got the chance. Dave

I have looked that this and the photo of one of the organ cases also shows an organ in a more modern looking case. How old is this one? Dave

What fantastic news. Well done Karl Bernhardin Kropf, INZENSO and all those who wrote in support of the campaign to save it. I was one of those who did so. Dave