Tony Newnham

Have you tried any of the repairers I mentioned?

Hi My first thought would be that there's something wrong with the "Expression" stop mechanism or valve (if there is one - most pressure Harmoniums have this facility, which cuts out the reservoir) Aside from that, some sort of blockage - but again, I'm no expert, I just play the things! I would talk to Phil Fluke in Saltaire (https://www.harmoniumhire.co.uk/) or Carl Heslop (contact via http://emcoa.co.uk/about-us). Carl has restored 2 Harmoniums for me - the latest tracks on my You Tube channel are played on one those instruments. I know of a couple of others who do Harmonium work, but I'd have to look out the contact details. Good luck. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Rather more traditional English here! I've already played for 2 Carol Services. The first at St Edmund, Thurlaston last Saturday evening. The organ in that small church is a Casson Positive - just 3 1/2 octave keyboard, and not in the best of health - but they do have a reasonable upright piano, so I played both during the evening. Opening voluntary was the Brahms "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" - with few "fudges" to keep within the F-compass of the organ - and a few more because the low F decided not to speak on the common 8ft bass rank! Closing was Liszt "Adeste Fidelis" (The March of the 3 Kings" - played on the piano. About half of the small congregation sat and listened - and applauded at the end! (I also got a round of applause on Sunday morning at St Peter, DUnchurch - closing voluntary was the D minor Prelude & Fugue from the Bach (or whoever actually wrote them) "little 8). Sunday evening was our carol service at Wolston Baptist. Opener was a Guilmant Elevation. Solo spot in the service was Guilmant again - "Introduction & Variations on an Ancient Polish Carol", and closer the inevitable Bach Fantasia on "In Dulci Jubilo" This afternoon's family service has been cancelled, otherwise the Liszt would have got another outing. St Peter, Dunchurch (2mp Grant, Deagans & Bradbeer organ) Midnight Eucharist this evening. Opening with a setting of "O Holy Night" (there is a reason for me choosing to play this.0 During communion I'll start with Jan Swart's fun miniatures on SIlent Night & then improvise around carol melodies for as long as it takes - no idea what sort of numbers might be there!). Closer will be the Guilmant Polish Carol variations (I think I can make them work fairly well on the neo-Baroque organ!) Should be fun - but the last time I played for an ANglican midnight Eucharist was 2001 or 2002! Sunday morning at Wolston will probably start with O Holy Night again, and I've not yet decided what to play at the end - possibly the Liszt - or maybe not. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas Tony

I'm currently playing the Grant, Deagans & Bradbeer organ in St Peter, Dunchurch once a month. That has a very sensitive suspended action - last Sunday's opening hymn was a bit rough round the edges because of it, coupled with my "essential tremors". It means you have to be very precise in playing - no bad thing. Many Harmoniums are the same with no lost motion before the pallet begins to open. Good luck with combination pistons - the GDB has no registration aids, so I'm getting back into hand registration - not difficult with just a handful of stops, but I've got too used to setting generals for hymns etc. on the digital at my normal church. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Jeremy An idea of the size would be helpful - especially the height! Sadly, even if would fit under my ceilings, I have neither space nor spare cash at present, much as I'd like a pipe organ at home. The IBO have a redundant organs web page (see their web site), and there's a Facebook group & the Organ Matters forum that deal with organs that are available. Your local organ builders might also know of potential customers. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Back in the 1970's a good friend was consultant on installing a new sound reinforcement system in the Cathedral (I think they've had 2 more since then). At that stage, but not part of the SR system, there were microphones rigged in the chancel both for routine recording of the choir, and IIRC to allow the organist to hear via headphones if needed. I don't know if there were permanent mics on any part of the organ. The BBC had a separate system, and again I don't know if any of their microphones were permanently installed, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had a general coverage of overheads rigged. AT that time they had a permanent control room in the Cathedral. There were wired in links between the BBC system & the Cathedral SR system as backups in the case of problems during live broadcasts. My friend had the job of running the live sound in the Cathedral for the Prince Charles/Diana Spencer wedding. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I was amused, like Denis, to "discover" that the RAH organ has 9,999 stops! The mind boggles. I was also surprised to hear that it's not been changed from when Father WIllis built it (presenter attributed that comment to the organist). Surely we can expect the BBC to get basic facts right? Every Blessing Tony

Don't worry about it S_L. Us techies understand it, and I'm sure you have loads of knowledge in other areas to share that neither Colin or myself know or understand! Every Blessing Tony

Welcome back Colin

Hi How can something be "rather unique"! It's either unique or not. (Sorry - it's English mis usage that bugs me). That said, a handful of pipe organs have been built with CC compass (an octave lower than the normal C compass), (although sometimes on stop lists it's not always clear exactly what compass is meant). Old English organs of course routinely had a manual compass descending to GG or FF. The (in)famous Midmer-Losh job in Atlantic City has a couple of manuals that descend even lower. I've just had a quick look in my copy of the book, and it does indeed look unusual. Perhaps the compass was chosen because the owner was a pianist? The additional cost of taking ranks down the additional octave must have been significant. There are indeed some oddities in the organ world! Every Blessing Tony

The original information says that the organ is for services etc. in the Western end of the Cathedral, remote from the main organ. (Willis' plans originally included a department or two in this area). Also, it seems the instrument has been donated, so presumably minimal cost. Every Blessing Tony

Heard the first show.

Hi We'll be singing - first service is a memorial service on Friday. The guidelines, taken I understand from the Baptist Union's advice, is to continue to wear masks, and not sing too loud! (I can't see some of our folk sticking to the last point!) I'm not sure what, if anything, we're doing about social distancing. Sunday morning should be fun. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Going back a few posts, I have seen (and played from) a book of short pieces to accompany silent films. The Flukes had one in the late lamented Reed Organ Museum in Saltaire. The book usually lived on the "Orgapian" - a combined upright piano & reed organ designed and marketed for cinema use in the silent film days. I've played a couple of extracts from the book when doing demonstration recitals at the museum a few years back. The pieces were all short - no more than one page, and virtually sight-readable. I've never seen another such collection, but I guess they were common at the time. The Orgapian is now in a new museum that's being set up in the East Midlands, and I'm looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the beast (and other instruments in the collection). I think only 2 of these beast still exist. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Didn't Sunak say the other day that singing would be allowed? However, I think a risk assessment will be in order, considering issues such as social distancing, particularly between rows of singers, and use or otherwise of masks. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Peter I can't help with info about Hunter, but I'm pleased to see a Baptist Church getting a pipe organ back to playable condition. Good luck! Checking on DBOB, I see that Hunter was taken over by Willis, so it might be worth asking David Wylde if there's anything in their archives. Every Blessing Tony

The missing low C# is simply because before organs were tuned to equal temperament (or another well tempered temperament) chords based on C#/Db were unusable because of the tuning. Any piece in Db major could use the low C# (AKA Db) in modern tunings. Every Blessing Tony

Same as ever here yesterday morning & now.

Hi I guess the recording including Harpsichord is "Zoji". The Harpsichord is played by Jane Chapman, with Mark Wingfield on electric guitar & soundscapes, and Adriano Adewale on percussion & vocals. I bought the CD after reading a review in, I think, Harpsichord & Fortepiano magazine (or maybe the British Harpsichord Society's on-line magazine. Another example of "crossover" is the "Playing the History" project, including Italian organist Marco Lo Musico. They reinterpret classic Prog songs - thankfully in instrumental form. It looks like the website has gone AWOL (http://www.playingthehistory.com/) - I was surprised to see their 2nd & most recent recording was 6 years or so ago. Every Blessing Tony

Hi It seems Willis did very little work in Cambridge, but until 2019 there was another Willis in the city (or technically, in its suburbs). The Lady Margaret Beaufort Inst. of Theology in Newnham had a Willis Junior Development Plan organ until the chapel was reordered - see NPOR P01115. A builder search on NPOR also reveals 3 other instruments worked on by Willis at various times - all now either superseded or removed. Every Blessing Tony

Thanks for the info Scott. I'll take a look at the website - probably tomorrow (church today!) Every Blessing Tony

Hi I listened to some of the programmes (I tend to drift off to sleep at that time of night!). What I heard was interesting. I suspect the speaking over music was a production decision at the editing stage - maybe to get the running time right. The one thing that did annoy me a little was the statement that the Wannamaker organ is the largest in the world. It may be the largest fully working pipe organ - but the largest surely is still the Midmer-Losh effort in Atlantic City. Hopefully we may begin to see a bit more coverage of organ music by the BBC. Every Blessing Tony

The Early Music Shop sell reproduction serpents if you want to own your own!

Hi No idea about the introduction you're talking about. I thoroughly dislike the usually overblown and bloated arrangements of early English organ music. What's wrong with playing what the composer intended? Using appropriate sounds (and if possible an appropriate organ) and careful phrasing brings the music to life. Every Blessing Tony

I'm reminded of a chap who installed a cinema organ in his terraced house in Folkestone IIRC. Never managed to get to see it. I suspect the "neighbour problem" would be pretty significant, especially these days. It's one reason why my digital home organ is in a converted section of the garage. Every Blessing Tony