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Tony Newnham

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Posts posted by Tony Newnham

    Parish church organs - the future?

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    I think there are two scenarios for the smaller churches. Where there is the will, and a not too large pipe organ, then retention & restoration is possible (as long as the organist isn't seduced by the attraction of the plethora of stops on even the smallest digital organs). My congregation had our small chamber organ restored a few years ago. We had the reserves to go ahead quickly - and the cost was covered and reserves replenished in about a year! The sizeable 3 manual that they had in the previous church building would have been a different matter.

     

    I find that churches don't always look properly at the relative costs - a digital organ may well seem attractive in the short term - but no way will it outlive a pipe organ, especially a tracker job. The few statistics that are available show that electronic organs have an average life on 15-20 years, and then, in the main, will need replacement. Say the digital costs £20,000 and lasts 20 years, that's £1,000 per year of useful life.

     

    I've nothing against electronic instruments - there re situations where they're the only viable option - or the only options in the short-term, but I encourage churches going down that route (or going to a praise band) to seriously consider retaining & mothballing the pipe organ for (hopefully\) future restoration.

     

    Every Blessing

    Tony

    Brahms Deck thyself, o my soul

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Hi

     

    The Novello edition of the Chorale Preludes has this as manuals only, and specifies one manual throughout. The melody seems to be in the treble. I've played it a few times over the years and I don't recall any issues, other than some slightly large stretches, in playing it on 1 manual with appropriate registration.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    The work of the firm of W. Johnson & Walter James Bird (& sons)

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    The DBOB entry for the Bird firm answers one of your questions - the firm used a few trading names over the years, and operated from a number of different addresses - it's all in the directory entry!

     

    W. Johnson is more problematic - there are 5 listed in DBOB, but since one emigrated and the others are a fair way from Birmingham, it's a fairly safe bet which one you need info on. The entry doesn't say much, but it might be a starting point for further research.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Ton y

    DBOB entry for Bird below

    BIRD Walter James (FIRM)

    Established: 1888

    Floruit: 1888-1950+

    Located: Birmingham

    Trade: ob

     

     

    Addresses used by this firm Address From To 130 Cregoe Str, Birmingham [back of] 1895D 1896D 27 St.Luke's Rd, Birmingham 1897D 1898D 81 Latimer Rd, Birmingham 1899D 1922D 12 Oakfield Rd, Selly Park, Birmingham 1923D 1945D 50 Clarence Rd, Birmingham 1947D 1950+ Strad Organ Works, Birmingham

    Titles used by this firm Walter James Bird 1895D-1914 Walter James Bird & Son 1915D-195x Walter James Bird & Sons Ltd 1934 Walter James Bird & Son (L.R.Fleming mgr prop) Walter James Bird & Son (S.E.Lambert & Co Ltd) 1950

    References for the information above

    Trade Directories: Kelly Birmingham 1895-1900/02-09/11-19/21-45/47-50

    Musical Opinion 1933 /12: formation of private limited company

     

    RSI

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    I had tennis elbow a good few years ago. A Cortisone injection sorted it out - fortunately permanantly, as the injection itself is quite painful. (I currently have to have them every 6 months to try and reduce the problems of arthritis in my big toe - and that's even worse than the injection in the elbow!).

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Screwing up the last verse.

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    The song was in the late, unlamented "Youth Praise" (1966). It was quite popular in some circles for a while, but I've not heard it for many years. Words M.G. Schneider, tr & adapted S. Lonsdale & M.A. Baughen. Music by Sneider, but the key changes in YP are attributed to D.G. Wilson.

     

    It starts in E major and ascends a semi-tone at a time to A major. (The F# major verse was the downfall of many players!)

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    "OBBS"

    in General discussion

    Posted

    I tend to agree more with PCND. Yes, there are churches where OBBD might work - but many I suspect where it will not - or will be out of tune with the rest of the service and hence detract from the worship.

     

    Encouraging clergy to appreciate their musicians (and others who keep the church running) is probably more important.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Organ Practice in Bradford area

    in General discussion

    Posted

     

     

    NPOR says nothing about Skrabi's involvement either in the new Chamber organ or the Hopkins rebuild.

     

    Hi

     

    That's because a) we haven't been told about the chamber organ; and (B) the work on the main organ hasn't reached the top of the pile yet (or again, we've not been told!). The Hopkins organ I found a good instrument, so hopefully it hasn't been changed too much.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Organ Practice in Bradford area

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Rev. Tony.

     

    Isn't the new Scrabi in St. Patrick's in Huddersfield? I always thought the instrument in St. Joseph's Bradford was the instrument built originally by Hopkins or York for South Lane Methodist church in Hessle - and transferred and rebuilt in St. Joseph's in the 1970's. It was the first instrument I ever played, when it was in Hessle, and I always hoped to make a 'pilgrimage' to Bradford to see it again at some time! I'd be sorry if the instrument had been replaced.

     

    Hi

     

    I know of the Huddersfield Scrabl - that's been in a few years. St Joseph's is newer - last year (we had to move a BOA recital because it wasn't finished in time). Not had opportunity to visit yet, and I'm not sure if it's a rebuild or all new. BOA have had a couple of meetings at St Jospeh's, so I played the previous organ a ouple of times.

     

    every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Organ Practice in Bradford area

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi Tony,

     

    I have noticed St Barnabus Heaton is not listed on NPOR any chance of adding it?

     

    Best wishes

     

    Barrie

     

    Hi Barrie

     

    Yes, it is on - you spleed Barnabas incorrectly! The current itteration of the organ is http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N07179. St Barnabas is our local parish church, and I've played there a few times.

     

    I do have some further historic info to add to the series of surveys when I find time!

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Organ Practice in Bradford area

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    Not a great choice within the city. You could try the Cathedral (4m HNB), St Joseph's RC (new Scrabl - or maybe a rebuild of the previous instrument - I've not got there yet), St Barnabas, Heaton (2m) - I would say come here, but I doubt our 1m GG-compass chamber organ is suitable for serious practice.

     

    Going a bit further afield, Bingley Parish Church was OK, but again, I've not been there for some while. There are a couple of reasonable organs in Ilkley.

     

    You could do worse than contact the secretary of the Bradford Organists' Assoc.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    (Minister, Heaton Baptist Church, Bradford - and currently Vice-President of BOA - 20th of this month!)

    Unknown Builder of 1 manual pipe organ

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi,

    I am working on a 1 manual organ believed to be Bishop ....

     

    Many thanks

    Hi

     

    Is there an NPOR entry? If so, does it have links to the British Organ Archive (towards the bottom of the survey). If not, it's worth looking up the place name on the BOA tab and see if there is any info there. BOA links aren't always present on older surveys, or where BOA has catalogued material more recently acquired - they will be added as and when we have time)

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    New Organ in Chiswick

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Hi

     

    Important note - the church referred to in this thread is St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park. There is another St Michael's elsewhere in Chiswick, where the organ had substantial work done on it in 2009.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony.

    Bradford Cathedral Organ

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    The current DoM & the current organist at Bradford Cathedral have only been in post for a year or so. Andrew Teague, the previous organist, would have liked to get the organ rebuilt - the last lot of work, as is obvious from the varied names used for the lower manual (some couplers say "Choir", others "Positive") makes it obvious that it was done on a shoestring, so it's in effect more than 35 years.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Hymn tune prelude query

    in The Organ

    Posted

    Hi

     

    Fantasia on Wareham by Herbert Murrill. I have it in a selection of "Hymn Tune Voluntaries" published by Oxford - I've probably had my copy 40 years or so, so it may not still be in print. I can't recall seeing another version in my rather eccentric collection of organ music.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Unusual Accessories

    in General discussion

    Posted

    Hi

     

    The "automatic bass" was a feature of some Positive Organ Company" instruments (& the various other Casson trading names), as were treble solo stops. They were done pneumatically.

     

    The same principal was applied to some Harmoniums, the "Dawes Patent Melody Coupler" - that was mechanical - taking advantage of the relative pitch stability of free reeds on reduced pressure. I have an "after market" version on my Alexandre, but I've yet to get it working, and I've played a couple of other Harmoniums with this feature - including one we had at home when I was much younger. That had the Dawes mechanism built-in. There was also a bass version of the device.

     

    Without checking patent dates I'm not sure if Cassson or Dawes was first on the scene with the idea.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

    Early 20th Century Electro-Pneumatics

    in Nuts and bolts

    Posted

    Hi

     

    I don't think Barker Lever actions were ever widely used, except perhaps in France. Tubular Pneumatic action, in the UK at least, seems to have been pioneered by Joseph Booth of Wakefield in 1827 (ISTR also seeing something about Booth of Otley inventing TP action - maybe they were related). This obviously became the norm - even sometimes for quite small organs with attached consoles - presumably down to fashion - and was well established before reliable EP actions came on the scene. Direct Electric action was much later because of the lack of a reliable power source of adequate capacity in the early years.

     

    Every Blessing

     

    Tony

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