Tony Newnham
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Posts posted by Tony Newnham
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I wouldn't bother. I don't any more. I've sent loads of historical data to NPOR, correcting entries or providing missing details, and none of the stuff I've sent in the last 12 months has been uploaded. I know they lost one of their volunteers a while back, but, even so, isn't this a bit long just to be a backlog problem? It's beginning to look a bit personal, but I can't see any reason why that should be, since I've submitted little other than photographs or nineteenth-century press cuttings (often with specs). Newspapers aren't always reliable, as we all know, but when you haven't got any better data...? I wouldn't mind so much if I'd had an explanation. Puzzled.
Hi
Yes - NPOR does have around a 12 month backlog. We're all volunteers, and put in what time we can! We are in the process of training new editors, so things might improve in a few months, once they've got into using the system. I would say, please send the info - we don't publish full addresses of private residences unless asked to - or they're already in the public domain, otherwise it's just "Private Residence" and the Town name.
We will get round to entering the updates that we have - just be patient. NPOR has become a victim of its own success - and not only have we lost one editor recently, a couple of other of us have had health problems - but we will get there.
Every Blessing
Tony
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There's an annual partial listing of work - mainly by IBO members, in the annual publication "Organ Building". The list for 2010 (published in last year's journal) shows 11 new organs, ranging from 3 stop box organs to 2 4m Cathedral instruments (Llandaff & St Edmundsbury). On top of that, there are rebuilds that are, in effect, a new organ but using some existing parts. We do try and list new organs on NPOR.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I watched the repeated on (Virgin) ITV player (I couldn't find it in the listings for BBC). There was a small group of brass players plus timps, so I wonder if the fanfare reeds were used at all.
Every Blessing
Tony
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National Anthem this morning, followed by Charles Wesley's variations. Other hymns majoring on the Kingship of Christ.
I'm planning some suitable jubilee-related music for a concert here on 7th July.
Every Blessing
Tony
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Sorry - When I eventually had time to pull the file of Choir & Organ magazines out, I discover that I only have one copy from 1999 - and needless to say, it's not the correct one.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I played the Jesus college organ briefly about 12 years ago, on a Cambridge Organists' Assoc visit. the aluminium action hadn't stood the test of time too well, and was pretty noisy then - everything else was still working well. I suppose that's the potential penalty for trying something that uses new materials for the application. I didn't notice the action being particularly heavy at that stage though. I'm a little sorry that the college didn't just have the action replaced - but they obviously had their reasons.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I'll try and find the article later today.
Tony
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I wonder whether anyone has a copy of an article which Barry Ferguson wrote about Ashfield in "Choir & Organ" in (or about) 1999 that they might be kind enough to scan and send me?
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I MAY have the article - it looks as if my copies of C&O start in 1997 - not sure when I'll have time to look though, so please let me know if anyone else has already come up with the article!
Every Blessing
Tony
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If you can find a copy, "Just a Box of Whistles", the memoirs of Brian Hirst, a Conacher pipe maker, is a good read.
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I'd second that - I have a copy.
Every Blessing
Tony
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For a small organ, http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N13335 is interesting. I played it quite a few times when we were in the area. The somewhat strange stop list (Open on the Great, Principal on the Swell) actually works very well, giving, with the other stops, 2 independent choruses - or couple the manual together for a full great effect. It's one of those organs where almost anything goes with anything else.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I've just returned from a few days in Norwich, can anyone tell me what the set-up here actually is?
The Cathedral website lists David Dunnett as 'Acting Organist and Master of Music' and Tom Primrose as 'Acting Assistant Organist'.
So, who is leaving (or already left), and what will Ashley Grote's role be.
By the way, both the girl choristers and boy choristers sounded very good.
I don't know about the current set up - but David Dunnett (who I knew when he was a teenager - and I was a lot younger) has been there as Organist for many years - he kindly allowed me to play the organ back in the 1990's - the last time we met.
Obviously, something is going on, but what?
every Blessing
Tony
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I must say that the warning bells rang the moment I read of this, but for the life of me, I can't recall where I read the "facts," assuming that they were true.
Something deep in my grey-matter tells me that the research might have been done by the late Mr Hanson, the then organist of St Mary's (RC), Bradford, (now closed).
Because of this, I wouldn't even know where to start looking for the correct information, but I live in hope that someone may know the answer as to whether Booth (Wakefield), Booth (Leeds) and Booth (Otley) were variously related, unrelated or just in-bred.
We do know that Booth the pipemakers were a separate entity, and we also know that the most outstanding craftsman from Otley, was the furniture-maker Chippendale.
MM
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Take a look at "Booth" on DBOB (accessible via the NPOR web site). It seems that Booth of Otley moved to Wakefield - and I don't have time to look further into the various other ramifications of the name.
It's interested that several different Booths - and several different Nicholsons - apparently either unrelated or only distantly related - became organ builders in various places.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I have recently had a salutory lesson in that something I had written in good faith quoting from a new book in order to show its scope and some of its content has been questioned. The author apparently has confused facts. I did not spot/know this so it has made me a bit reluctant to contribute to such an educated discussion board.
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I sympathise. I've found from my work on NPOR that published information is often unreliable for various reasons. That's who on NPOR we make sure - at least on recent & current entries - that we know where the info came from.
Every Blessing
Tony
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Compton, on his smaller instruments, did use adjacent-octave extension. Yes, you do get missing notes sometimes - but in normal hymn playing they are almost unoticeable, whereas strict adherence to avoiding adjacent octave extensions (except on the pedal) can lead to a rather strange stop list, for example:- http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=E01317 (Southwell Cathedral Song School - a Grant, Deagans & Bradbeer extension organ) I've played this, and it works but I'd rather have the option of not drawing stops an octave apart on such a small instrument rather than having no easy option of, for example, flutes 8 & 4 on the same keyboard.
It seems that small extension organs are making a bit of a comeback where space and presumably funds are limited - I entered one just yesterday on NPOR - see http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=D02060 for the original organ and E01881 for what Peter Colins has done to it. (N.B. I've not heard the instrument). A few other examples were mentioned in the "review of the year" in Organbuilding 2011.
Every Blessing
Tony
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A very Happy Easter to one and all, including our generous hosts.
What did everyone give their congregations to send them on their way this morning?
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Just the one Easter Day service. I played Noel Rawsthorne's "Postlude on Jesus Christ is Risen". It worked surprisingly well on our 5 stop + pedal pull downs organ.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I disagree; a straight cut (if that means one slide instantaneously replacing the previous one) is sometimes unnoticeable if the words of the new verse are very similar to the old one. We used to off-set the horizontal position of the second verse slightly so there was a visual "jump" in order for people to notice the change. Now we use very simple "page-turn" or "wipe" transitions, which probably last a tenth of a second but really help. Maybe this is more important for the musician playing for the hymn who will glance up to the screen just at the ends of verses. And maybe it is only a problem with hymns or songs where the verses are almost identical.
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I've never had a problem - even with near identical verses or parts of verses. Transitions are fine if the timing is right - but a slightly late press of the button can all too often mean that the music has started before the words are on screen. Still there are more important aspects t the effective use of projection than transitions (which I do use elsewhere, just not in hymn/song words).
Every Blessing
Tony
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It’s vital to get a good look at the PowerPoint file in advance. As you say the words could have been sourced from anywhere and often typed in without much care. I haven't experienced a projector used in conjunction with congregational hymnbooks - the advantage should be that no one has messed with the words - but the potential for disaster is probably higher.
I have experience of providing Sibelius files for use in PowerPoint projections. It's quite time-consuming and you can't get very much music on one slide but it’s a great help when introducing new music if at least a few of the congregation can read it.
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We use a projector almost every week - and we do take care to lay the words out sensibly. The default is like a word processor - it makes the lines as long as the space allows - and the same with the number of lines on a page. Incidentally, a good big font (I use 36pt Ariel) and max of 6 lines on screen - ideally a dark blue background with bright yellow text, as that's the most readable colour combination, especially for those whose eyesight isn't what it once was! We adjust the line and page breaks in line with the text, even if it means using a couple of extra screens per verse. It's much easier to read if page breaks aren't in the middle of sentences! Also, having just a couple of words on the last screen just looks plain stupid.
It is important to check the words are the same as the music copies - all too easy to draw a loud combination only to find it's totally inappropriate for the words that appear on screen!
Unless you're using links between verses, the words should appear just as the previous verse ends - and with no fancy transitions - they take time, and can be distracting - a straight "cut" is all that's required. I rarely put words over pictures - a lot of churches do, but it requires great care - believe it or not, I was visiting a church and the projection of one song had words in white text superimposed on a background of ...................
white cliffs! Not exactly easy to read.
Every Blessing
Tony
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That is if there is any clue at all that it really was an extra verse!
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The singing stopping usually gives the game away!
Every Blessing
Tony
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Too true. I never know which is worse - playing one verse too many or one too few.
JS
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One verse too many is preferable - you just improvise an ending as if that's what you intended!
Every Blessing
Tony
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Indeed it does exist, and it confused the @#$% out of the poor congregation at this evening's Nine Lessons in Birmingham Cathedral. Took me a while to realise that the order of the lines went first, second, third, repeat third, fourth, repeat fourth. Moral of the story - if you're going to take something very familiar and add a twist, either warn people in advance or do it as choir only!
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There's some comment about While Shepherds to Cranbrook (the correct name of the Ilkley moor tune) in "The New Oxford Book of Carols". Cranbrook was written, unsurprisingly, in Kent, not Yorkshire - and for a different hymn! (Later appropriated for "Ilkley Moor"). There's no problem singing it in Yorkshire, the vast majority of the congregation know how it goes and just sing t!
Every Blessing
Tony
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I second that. Reg was probably the best organ tuner that I've dealt with - he used to tune the little Spurden Rutt at Burnham on Crouch Baptist. Our prayers are with his family and friends. may he rest in peace.
Every Blessing
Tony
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I have a pipe organ anorak. I use it when I arrive at a church to tune the organ and the place is as cold as Siberia in winter. Then you are expected to tune the thing so it sounds perfectly wonderful by the time Sunday comes and they have whacked the heating up to maximum.
Experience over the years has taught me how to tune the reeds sharp in order to compensate for this somewhat but its always going to be a bit hit and miss!
There again, this is really another subject altogether.
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That sort of attitude just shows how much the church values the instrument and quality of music. Henry Wilis will be pleased to know that the heating in my church is set to turn on in good time before the tuner's visit on Friday, so hopefully, the building will be up to Sunday temperatures.
Every Blessing
Tony
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Hi
Something a little different!
I'm giving a concert of Christmas music with a difference on 10th December at Heaton Baptist Church, Bradford. (Laylands Lane, BD9 5PX)
The concert is a mix of classical organ music for Christmas, played on the church's c.1820 chamber organ, and meditations on Christmas carols played on synthesiser and digital keyboards. There will also be a chance to sing a few favourite carols - and, of course - refreshments!
Free admission - retiring offering for Baptist mission work.
Poster on the church's Facebook page. (Heaton (Bradford) Baptist Church -
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heaton-Bradf...36323246408412)
Every Blessing
Tony
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Quite a few have 3 phase blowers and lighting.
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Most large - and some no so large - organs are driven by a 3-phase supply, and running all 3 phases into large buildings to (theoretically) equalise the load on the phases was pretty common. Smaller organ blowers will run quite happily on single phase.
I know of one church where 3-phase mains was supplied solely for the organ blower - everything else was on just one phase. That led us a song & dance trying to find why the blower wouldn't run - until I found a blown fuse in one leg of the 3 phase supply!
Every Blessing
Tony
Redundant Norman and Beard Organ
in General discussion
Posted
Hi
The NPOR survey for the Kingsgate Davison does say "address or specification doubtful" - in other words either the survey or the editor was suspicious about the info actually refering to the correct building/organ. Normally there would be a note of what the problem was, but I can't see one on that survey.
Every Blessing
Tony