Tony Newnham

Hi I thoroughly agree. Certainly on my NPOR entries/updates I will only use the term "restored" when there are no significant changes to pipework or action, etc. other than researched returns to an earlier state - then it will be "restored to nnnn state. Otherwise, it's a rebuild no matter what the builder says. Looking through back numbers of "the Organ", etc you often come across the statement "restored and improved" - which is nonsense. Too many organs have been spoiled over the years by changes to follow the then-current fashion and the like. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Yes - and I remember main line steam (even though I used to live in the heart of "Southern electric" territory there was still plenty of steam around until 1966 or so). Also interested in other things mechanical - classic transport - and was a member of a Model Engineering Society for a while in Hastings. Currently I'm a member of Bradford Railway Circle (well - they do meet in my church!) Every Blessing Tony

Why not ask the firms that make them - or your organ builder? Every Blessing Tony

Hi Not quite 17th Centuray (c.1820) - but the chamber organ here (Heaton Bradford) is not too far from the mark - no Cornet though, which is a shame. GG compass, 5 stops plus a Stopped Diap Bass. PM or e-mail me if you want to come and take a look. The English Cornet is a solo stop pure and simple - it's the French who used it to bolster inadequate reeds. Every Blessing Tony

Hi For completeness and accuracy, both C-H and Bradford use the same basic system of "real time synthesis" - in effect building up the required sound from a series of sine waves (plus a LOT of very clever voicing software to manipulate the sound - both steady state, and during the all-important start and end transients). Where they differ significantly is in the basic hardware (C_H Musicom AFAIK. Bradford is based on their own designs.) and voicing software, which also differs between the two. The end result of ANY real-time synthesis system is down to the ears (and patience) of the person doing the voicing - but the variables allow more range of possibilities than the manipulation open to users of sample-based technology. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Interestingly, the chamber organ here (c.1820 - but possibly built by an amateur copying an earlier instrument) has a 2-stage reservoir - but the intermediate frames both "poke out" - so in effect, it's a weight-controlled single-rise reservoir. Most of the time the wind is stable enough - not rock solid, but enough variation to give some character without the organ sounding wrong or out of tune. In extreme cases - repeated bass chords on full organ for example, it is possible to set the reservoir "bouncing" - producing almost an unintended tremulant effect. Every Blessing Tony

Hi This is one of the reason for the existence of NPOR! I got caught out once when I agreed to play one item in an event at another church - the person who asked me said that the organ is "just like yours there (pointing to a 1/p with 5 stops). The organ - when I arrived 1/2 hour or so before the event started was indeed just like the one in my church - except for the lack of a pedalboard!! Every Blessing Tony

Hi I wish electronic organ firms would be honest and not try to disguise the speaker cabinets behind real pipes! If the church really can't fund sorting out the Schulyz, or have other valid reasons for not doing so, then at the very least it should be protected and preserved - or as a last resort, moved elsewhere. Every Blessing Tony

Hi It's not axable if the Revenue can be persuaded that you need to live their to do the job properly - as with clergy. Every Blessing Tony

Hi This is possibly true of instruments with the "Allen" badge, but I hear that certain of the companies synthesizers (sold under a different badge (RMI I think, but I could be wrong) are problematic to repair. And how long can Allen continue to support obsolete electronic systems? I find that most allen's have a distinctive tone - possibly they speak with an "American" voice, as I've heard Rogers electronics and recordings of US pipe organs with some of the same tonal traits. I'm not a fan of the Allen sound! At least real pipe organs can, barring major physical damage, be restored many times. Every Blessing Tony

Hi There are always exceptions - I have a portable "combo" organ here that dates from the 1970's and is still working. But that doesn't negate the fact that the average life of most electronic organs is 15-20 years. On that basis, pipes are always going to win on the longevity stakes. Some later analogue electronics are unrepairable without modification because the specialized chips that they used are no longer available - older ones used standard components that are, in the main, still around. I can't comment on digital/computer organs as I've not had much dealings with the technicalities - but I'm having to buy new computer software as some of the programmes I use refuse to run on MS Vista. Every Blessing Tony Every Blessing Tony

Hi I heard of another example where the response (when an orchestra was involved) - are they all communicant members of the Church of England? Every Blessing Tony

Hi I have a batch of back numbers of "the Organ" for sale on behalf of the Bradford Organists' Association. These are all single issues and appear to be complete and in good condition. £2:50 each. There's an almostcomplete run from no. 119 (Jan 1951) through to no. 152 (Apr 1959), plus nos. 27 (Jan 1928) and 104 (Apr 1947) Can be collected from Bradford, or postage at cost. PM me for the full list, etc. Every Blessing Tony

Hi At risk of being out of line on this board, the following has come to my attention and needs to be removed within the next 3 weeks. Every Blessing Tony Redundant Pipe Organ - Jardine c.1900 - Platt Lane Methodist - Manchester UK - M0180 Enquiries have unfortunately not matured and the church advises that building work will commence on 21st Feb. The organ is available for parts until that date, otherwise it is, sadly, to be scrapped. Graham Jones Graham Jones 32 Harington Road FORMBY L37 1NU Tel. 01704 876 134 BB Talk. 01704 826 475 Redundant Pipe Organ M0180 Jardine & Co c.1900 Platt Lane Methodist Church Manchester UK Fallowfield Manchester M14 7BU NPOR K00476 2 manuals with pedals 17 speaking stops Tracker manual key action Pneumatic pedal note action (1/4 in bore lead tubing) Mechanical stop action Compass 30/56 Dimensions Width 18ft Depth 12ft Height 20ft Pedal Bourdon 16 Bass flute 8 Great Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Dulciana 8 Principal 4 Harmonic Flute 4 Fifteenth 2 Swell Lieblich Bourdon 16 Open Diapason 8 Hohl Flute 8 Echo Gamba 8 Voix Celeste 8 also draws Echo Gamba Geigen Principal 4 Dulciana Mixture II Cornopean 8 Oboe 8 Tremulant whole organ Swell Octave Swell to Great Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Drawstop console Central balanced swell pedal 6 composition pedal levers Radiating Concave pedals Three combination pedals each to Great and Swell 2 wind reservoirs Electric motor/blower The 6 front pipes on each side of the console are dummies; the rest of the pipes in the display wings and the upper flat, are speaking. The organ was brought from the Heyrod Street Mission in Ancoats in 1933 to serve the newly built church at Platt Lane. Jardine & Co of Manchester have maintained this organ since building it more than 100 years ago, and offered inter alia the following remarks after an inspection in 2008. 'The organ was built around 1900 by Jardine and Co Ltd Manchester, and installed in Platt Lane Methodist Church in 1933. It is a fine example of its type and is in original condition with all its action intact. It is however, showing signs of its age with general wear and tear. The main part of its deterioration is the pedal organ which has a pneumatic action. The original leathers have lasted well but they are now porous and in need of replacement. We have patched the odd one where we can access but the whole pedal organ and pipework require an overhaul. The second item is the fact that the organ has not been cleaned for many years, the pipework is quite dusty and there are a number of reed pipes collapsing due to broken support tapes and metal fatigue. The mechanical actions to the manuals are quite worn, the regulating buttons are of leather and perished, which makes adjustments difficult. Whilst this report does highlight a few failings, we can assure you that the organ is not going to pack up in the short term. A thorough restoration will give the organ a further 50 years of useful service.' The church is to be refurbished and downsized in early 2011. There will then be no space for the instrument and the organ is to be replaced. It is immediately available. Buyer makes all arrangements for dismantling, packing and transport Care has been taken to see that the information provided is correct but the Methodist Church Organ Advisory Service takes no responsibility for errors. Offers and enquiries to the church contact, please. Church Contact: Mary Fair Tel. 07951 785788 Email: iandmfair at email.com Graham Jones 32 Harington Road FORMBY L37 1NU Tel. 01704 876 134 BB Talk. 01704 826 475 Email: g.mjones at btinternet.com

Hi At least your programme got broadcast. The church I was at back in the '70's was scheduled to do a Sunday Service for ITV. Due to industrial action, it didn't happen! Every Blessing Tony

Yes. The Hammond has a distinctive sound that's just right for some musical styles and not too good for others. I'd like one - but definitely NOT as my only instrument. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Live MIDI performances will need a liberal helping of the "Quanise" function to start to become readable. This moves the notes played to the nearest beat or sub-division of the beat, and it's usually selectable somewhere in the settings (It's a long time since I've needed to use notation software!). Select the shortest note that you need to display as the quantise setting, and then manually move those which are too far out following that. This quantisation is why many MIDI performances - especially if entered note by note - sound rigid and artificial, as the natural small "bends" of timing which give music some of its expression are removed. I actually find it easier to enter one note at a time (from a MIDI keyboard) with the software in step mode. For me - and for the fairly straightforward songs I was setting - that was quicker than playing it in and then trying to sort out the resulting tangle! Every Blessing Tony

Hi This is great fun:- Every Blessing Tony

Hi I guess it's a matter of pragmatism. Sadly, not every church can afford a large pipe organ, and some don't have space either. Although digital is second-best, sometimes it's the sensible solution, at least in the short to medium term. Every Blessing Tony

Hi The Willis firm was bought by David Wylde a few years back, and now operates from Liverpool - and by all accounts, does a better job than in the last days of its previous incarnation. I'm certainly satisfied with the restoration they did here. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I think that the current Willis firm used this action on one of their recent jobs, so contacting David is a very good first step. Every Blessing Tony

Hi There was an article in "The Organ" several years ago about a maker of very large pianos - I can't remember the details offhand - maybe someone else can? The instrument is in upright configuration - around 8-10ft tall, with the keys accessed from a gallery! Said to produce better bass response with less of the typical inharmonic partials of under-length strings. There is/was a web site somewhere as well - but it doesn't look as if I bookmarked it. Every Blessing Tony

hi When was that published? My copy hasn't arrived yet. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Once in Word, office 2007 (& presumably the latest version) have a "save as pdf" option in the "Save As" menu - I use it quite a lot, and no problems so far. Every Blessing Tony

Hi A very happy & blessed Christmas to all (from a rather cold and snowy Bradford!) every Blessing Tony