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John Maslen

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Everything posted by John Maslen

  1. My knowlege of the repertoire is too limited, I fear, to give many specific suggestions. I have to say regarding the initial question, though, that all services should be constructed with a particular day or season in mind - we are not planning a concert. If I may be allowed to air a few prejudices, however.... Incoming voluntary - appropriate JSB Choral prelude (appropriate in style, not necessarily words) - you can't beat JSB. Not in my book, anyway. Or a sensitive improvisitation. Or both, if there's time. Office hymn - none - always seems an unnecessary intrusion to me. All the Psalms set, and please, to chants that don't meander aimlessly around before settling on some sort of final chord, but that possess a recognisable harmonic structure. And accompanied with all suitable resources by an Organist who loves painting words with sound, not just uses 8' and 4' on the swell all through. And no silly pauses and stresses that disrupt the flow of the words either. Mag and Nunc - any tuneful setting that doesn't sound like a recording of a especially unpleasant experiment in a vivisection lab. Doesn't automatically exclude a modern setting, but too many I have heard on R3's Choral Evensong broadcasts are just awful. To my ears at least. Anthem - something appropriate for the day or season, but again, please, with a decent tune and not too way-out harmonies. Hymn - again depends on season, 'The day thou gavest', or possibly 'Abide with me' for quiet days, or appropriate for the day. Concluding voluntary - depends upon the day and season, but for a big service 1st mvt Elgar G maj Sonata - love it. For a penitential season, though, suitable JSB again. Sorry if I've offended anyone, I can't help being an old square - but you did ask! Regards to all John
  2. The Fanfare Trumpet at Sloane Square is of the projecting-from-the-caseword type - to make the botton octave would require some pretty impressive engineering to support it. I do recall a recitalist (I think it was Peter Hurford, but it's a long time ago and I may be maligning him) using this stop coupled to the pedal, with the inevitable result - nothing in the bottom octave. Beating stops (Celestes etc.) hardly ever extend to the bottom octave as tuning them is near impossible - the in-tune rank pulls them into tune. Regards to all John
  3. I can't say if it is (was?) the loudest Tuba, but that at Rochester Cathedral used to be situated just behind the Organist's head - and I believe it was horizontal. One note, in particular, used to resonate around the head of the unfortunate tuner's boy (if I recall, middle D) and seemed to take an age to tune! I must point out, though, that high wind pressure used for any stop does not necessarily make it loud in the building - depends upon location, building size, voicing style and so on. Regards to all John.
  4. When I first was a tuner's assistant the tuner I worked with had a pretty poor view of a chap called Tunks. Seems as if it may be the one Tony speaks of - he was working in the London area post war, when he seems to have cobbled together instruments of dubious quality from whatever bits and pieces he could find. We visited a couple of his efforts - least said, soonest mended I'm afraid. Working just post war must have been difficult, but even so others managed rather better than he seems to have done. Regards to all John
  5. Malcolm, I used to work in HNB's console shop, and if I recall correctly the weight of touch was indeed 4oz, and the contact depth was set at 3/32". If you're interested, the pedal weight was 4lbs I think, touch depth around 1/2", but it's a long time ago and I could be wrong. Regards John
  6. What a shocking story. You have my every sympathy, though I'm afriad I can offer you little advice regarding practice facilities. If you continue to face your problems with the courage and determination I read in your story, though, I am am sure you will find a way. Every good wish to you. Regards John
  7. When I first left school I worked for Walkers as a tuner's boy (the most boring - and, in winter, coldest - job on earth). The one bright spot was the chance to play a wide variety of instruments for a few moments. This was in the late '60s and we visited several Positive Organs. I don't recall a crescendo pedal on any of them, but this is obviously some time ago. Some had mixtures, but these consisted, if memory serves, of three octaves starting from tenor C, the top octave repeating. The bottom octave on the earlier versions repeated as well, but I do recall one which derived the bottom octave from the Principal rank - the tuner I was with thought it an improvement, and he was probably right. I thought them well thought out and musical little Organs, and enjoyed playing them. Obviously, with only three ranks extended all over the place, one had to be careful with registration, but Walkers did a good job with them and it wasn't too difficult. They also made a larger version, (Model D?) with more ranks including a reed, but I only came across two of those - one a neo-classically voiced instrument which sounded rather good, if you like 'em bright and forceful. I think it was in a Catholic church in Canterbury (St. Thomas?), but it's a long time ago now and I could be wrong. Incidentally, nothing to do with Walker Positives, GD&B or New College, but HNB also used an extension mixture on some small instruments. I never analysed one, but if I recall correctly it consisted of two sets of pipes, two ranks, 19,22 on one set and 15,19 on the other, electrical connections dictating the positioning of the breaks and the pitch. I'm told it worked quite well, but I don't know how many were made, nor how many pipes were needed. Certainly less than a complete stop. Regards to all John.
  8. We visited Chavenage House last year, and were told by the guide (the daughter of the owner, if I recall) that the instrument was unplayable, and not likely to be restored as the cost was beyond the family's means. She also commented that none of the family had any musical ability whatever, which makes restoration even less likely I would think. Regards to all John
  9. Were 'PUPS' used on the Carrs Lane job? No. Carrs Lane is an all electric one pallet per pipe Organ - no slider soundboards. At least, it was when it was installed; I assume it's still the same. It's an interesting job, as the church isn't square; I can't remember if it's six or eight sides - six I think - and the Organ stands in a corner. So the little Choir soundboard isn't square either, as it fits in the middle of the whole thing. It was quite fun to make - don't mean to boast, sorry, that that's one of mine as well! Another comment about MDF asks ' isn't it OK until water gets on it'. True, but then so is wood! Not mention leather and much else in an Organ. They don't like getting wet. Regards to all John.
  10. When I worked for HNB we made slider soundboards with marine ply tables, a mahogany grid, and a pallet board of birch ply. No upperboards - we were using individual plastic stands instead, one per pipe, which were christened 'pups' - Plastic Upperboard Pipe Stands. They were imported I beleive, but I don't know where from. Slides were made of a plastic material called, if memory serves, Delaron. The wells were made of 3/4 ply, as were all HNB's at this time. Some were installed in Gloucester Cathedral - I made two of them (West Great and one of two small pedal soundboards) myself. Does anybody know if they are still there? Some years ago I visited Pennels and Sharp's place in Thetford, and they were making soundboards entirely of chipboard, but I don't know where they were installed, or how reliable they were in practice. They were using upperboards with individual pipe seals, which had to left to settle for some time - months I believe - before they could be operated - the seals were that tight. Regards to all John
  11. The trouble with these checks is they only confirm that the 'checkee' hasn't been caught - it doesn't mean he or she is innocent. Mention has been made of multiple checks. I have two CRB checks, one for the church as I am a Reader and it is a requirement of my ministry that I am checked - quite rightly. The other is for my Daughter's foster children - a requirement of the local council if I am to be allowed to be alone with them - again, quite right. Those in positions of responsibility can't take risks, and while it smacks of 'Big Brother'and 'guilty before being proved innocent', I can't see an alternative. While on the subject of multiple checks, I understand that a full report is sent to the authority in question, showing all convictions, not just those for abusing the vulnerable. These other offences do not show on the certificate received by the applicant - perhaps they should, but they don't. So a check might show that Fred is perfectly safe to be in charge of children, but that he has six points on his licence for speeding, so it might be advisable not to let him drive a minibus full of kids - or the elderly come to that. This information is only revealed to each authority, and that, I understand, is why a full check is carried out individually. But it all does seem rather authoritarian I must agree! Regards to all John.
  12. My bible dictionary gives his dates as 40 - 4BC (I think that's his time as King, not his whole life). Jesus, I understand, is believed to have been born in 4BC; sounds a bit strange, but the date was miscalculated later. So, no, doesn't look like it! Regards and a Very Happy New Year to you all. John.
  13. I visited Nicholson's a couple of years ago, and they certainly use CAD for design purposes - very impressive it was too!
  14. The problem with the end of the Widor Tocatta is that the 32ft is, to a microphone, very loud, and the limiters in the broadcasters studio cut the volume to compenstae. So the high F disappears when the pedal re-enters. Radio 3, I believe, overcomes the problem by not broadcasting the very low frequencies at 'full stretch', but attenuates them. Certainly they seem to have less of a problem the Cfm do. Regards to all John.
  15. As I have mentioned before, I am both Organist and Reader in our church. When I am taking the service, it is possible for me to both conduct worship and play the Organ. The church is a small one, and it is matter of a few steps from front to back to do both jobs. But I don't and I wouldn't. There is no other player of any instrument in the church, except for the vicar who has a limited command of the guitar and piano. But if she is available to play, I would not be taking the service anyway. Which means that some other source of music has to be found. Don't misunderstand me; I would far rather find another Organist, but that doesn't seem to be an option at present. So what do we do? Use recordings - how else can we manage? We use both 'No Organist, no problem', and 'No music group, no problem'. and while they are not ideal, they are a vast improvement on either singing without any accompaniment at all, or me doing my bit for athletics, and running around the church like a loony doing everything. Please, gents all, have a bit of charity. Some of us struggle to make musical ends meet, and such a device as this helps no end (though I won't be proposing one for the church as we have the CD's already). The ideal musical situation, which I long for, is not available to many of us, sometimes for lack of investment, sometimes for other reasons, and we realise that there is no future, and no training for musical competence in the solution offered by KM, but for some of us it's the only option we have. Unless someone out there knows better ...? Regards to all John
  16. I played this instrument a couple of years ago, rather briefly. I understand that it had recently had some work done on it, and it sounded not too bad, a bit out of tune, and rather cramped - it's located at the back of the stage, and the proscenium arch obscures the view of it severely. It is indeed under threat, as the council appear intent on closing the hall completely. My brother-in-law is the Rector of Darlaston and lives opposite the hall, so I'll get more info if I can and let you know. Regards to all John
  17. Usually called split pallets. I refered elsewhere to an HNB idea of using variable numbers of pallet magnets, dependng on how many stops were in use, which caused tuning problems because of no consistency of wind supply to the pipes. I suspect that your idea may have the same effect. Be fun to try it though - perhaps on an old instrument that is due to be taken down? Regards to all John
  18. I worked for Gray and Davison until 1968, then for HNB. I believe they went into liquidation a couple of years later. Kingsgate Davidson were, as already said, unconnected. There was a Mr. Davidson, but Kingsgate was derived from their location, nr. Kings Cross station. A fellow employee of HNB, formerly of KD, told me that if they had an unwelcome 'phone caller, they were put through to 'Mr. Kingsgate' - ie, whoever was free to talk at the time. Hmm. Regards to all John
  19. See what I mean? I stand corrected - thanks. John
  20. A friend of mine in 'the trade' commented to me that he told a girlfriend he was an Organ builder, and got the reply 'You must come and build mine some time' ... John
  21. The vacuum is because the fairground organ uses a perforated roll to sound the notes, and a vacuum is necessary because pressurised air would blow the roll off the reading mechanism. The actual note playing actions were pressure driven as normal. I don't recall ever seeing or reading of a vacuum action in a normal, keyboard played, instrument; it would seem to me to make life unnecessarily complicated when there is pressurised air available. Remember that many pneumatic action church instruments were, in the early days at least, hand blown; it would cause a few technical problems to have the 'blower' rigged to produce both. Unless, of course, anyone knows better? This instrument of ours throws up so many fascinating byways that nothing would surprise me! Regards to all John
  22. There are two varieties of pneumatic action - charge and exhaust. Exhaust actions are by nature faster than charge systems, because the air in the collapsing motor is helped in its movement by the 'wind' in the action box. Charge actions have to work against air pressure unaided. When, many years ago, I was a tuner's boy (which has to rate as one of the most boring jobs on earth) in the mid 60's, we came across many actions of both types, and, if all was working well, the exhaust was almost invariably faster (i.e., repeated quicker) than charge actions. The fastest I recall was a rather nice 3m Norman and Beard in St. John's Wimbledon. You had to be careful though, as the slightest touch would sound a note! Regards to all John
  23. I believe the 'lantern' section of the Llandaff instrument is about a foot higher than can be easily reached from the highest tower scaffold the cathedral has, meaning the tuner has to clamber up said scaffold, then either jump or use a ladder balanced on top! Presumably if the Organ is to be rebuilt this problem will be sorted - I hope so. I also recall, as a very junior key holder, visiting a church (a chapel in a hospital if memory serves) which had to tuned from a ladder. The tuner I was with commented that the previous time he couldn't get hold of the usual ladder, so used another which, as he wrote in the tuners book 'should have been burned years ago'. And there was one occasion when I was asked by the tuner, a rather large man, to walk up the tops of the 16' Open Wood to secure a tuning flap which was rattling, as I weighed rather less than he did. Normally this is not too bad as the rank is usually against a wall. This time it was free standing, and had a sheer drop of some 20' to a very hard lookng floor. Not fun. Regards to all John.
  24. Thanks for the tip. I've just listened to the broadcast on the BBC replay service - the sound is indeed far better than it was, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done BBC! Shame about the introit though - it was 'orrible! My regards, and a very happy, musical and peaceful New Year to you all John
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