Tony Newnham

Hi I don't have any experience of free reed pipe organ stops, but plenty with reed organs (both Harmoniums and American Organs) - in these the reeds vibrate through a slot in the mounting plate - red toungues are often shaped/curved as part of the voicing process. They stand in tune for decades - it's very, very rare to need to tune one - a good clean usually deals with the odd rogue note. I suspect the reason for their limited use in pipe organs is this stability - they'd rarely be in tune with the pipes! Hybrid pipe/reed organs have been built (the latest Reed Organ Soicity Journal has descriptions of 3). You might get away with it at 16ft if the environment of the pipes is reasonably constant. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Musicom hardware is also used in Copeman-Hart digital organs (and a few other brands) - and I've not heard of any significant reliability issues. Every Blessing Tony

Hi There's a mini survey on NPOR (ref. P00047) but it really only notes the existence of a pipe organ - there is a named source that might just be worth following up. There are 2 organs recorded for the Royal Pavillion, Brighton, neither of which seem to fit the bill, but there is a mystery as to the fate of the Willis in the Dome - predecessor of the HNB/Christie hybrid recently restored. Any information gratefully received by NPOR! Hope the "Top Ten" service goes well. Every Blessing Tony

Hi NPOR has a listing for the Hill, and it's been awarded a Historic Organ Certificate - sadly though, nothing whatsoever about an earlier organ - if anyone has info, please let NPOR know! Every Blessing Tony

Hi You could also try Roger Molyneaux (see advert in Organists' Review, etc.) - and I think that Margaret Phillips - English Organ School - took the stock of the late Charles Macdonald's shop in Steyning - and that was a vast amount of music! Every Blessing Tony

Hi Whilst a pretty building is a plus, it also depends on area - I played 3 weddings last year (not at my own church) - and none this. In N.W. Essex where we were previously I played for many weddings at the pretty churches (especially those that didn't have organists) - a very welcome additional income! (A good few funerals as well). My own church here in Bradford hasn't seen a wedding for about 5-6 years, and in our previous one I only officiated at one in the 4 years we were there - and that was a major village family that had connections with the Baptist church. As for funerals, I've taken quite a few - had 4 in 2 weeks last year, which is quite a strain when it's church families - but (so far) only 1 this year. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I'm also a railway enthusiast (and buses and trams - and any vintage transport). I'm a member of the Bradford Railway Circle (which very conveniently meets in my church!). I also quite like theatre organs - although so far I've only managed to play 4 (apart from electronic copies and the (free) computer simulation "MidiTizer" - well worth a look if you're into that sort of thing). Every Blessing Tony

Hi Rev Tony Newnham Born 1952 in Worthing. Was fascinated by the sound of a pipe organ in Maidstone Parish Church (on a family outing) and was hooked for life. Started playing in church aged 9 )playing recorders in a music group - that was early 60's so there's nothing new!) and then American organ (and likewise have been fascinated by reed organs ever since). Got interested in electronics because I wanted to build an organ for practice (still haven't found time or money to do anything about it!) Trained in electronics, but got diverted into recording and audio-visual later, so my electronics is rather rusty. Various organ posts in different churches, culminating as Director of Music at Rye Baptist Church (a rather poor 2m by Morgan & Smith) and a music group plus some occaisional singers - then became a Baptist Minister. I still play the organ frequently - if anyone is in the area, I'm giving a recital as part of Saltaire Festival. Current projects are restoring an Alexandre harmonium and a 3-stop pipe organ (on which I'm making VERY slow progress). Married with 4 grown-up children, and currently minister of Heaton (Bradford) Baptist Church. Every Blessing Tony

Hi HTB is the home of the Alpha course - aimed more at evangelism - but these days, in my opinion - touted as virtually the only way to do it. I don't know the feeling about organs,e tc. - but I can guess. When will certain clergy and church leaders realise that the organ can (and should) have a place in contemporary worship? Every Blessing Tony

Hi Try NPOR - it's always a good place to look first! N07267 and it's predecessor seem to fit the bill. There is also a later survey for BMI in a new building, also used as a Christadelphian church on NPOR. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Not really a haunted organ - more a demonstration of how to start a rumour! Many years ago, on a summer evening, a friend & I were examining the organ in a redundant church - and like most redundant churches, the building did rather suffer from vandalism. Whilst we were looking at pipework, etc. we heard some youngsters playing in the porch - so I started the blower and played the opening bars of the Dmin on full organ. By mid-day next day the rumour had gone round that the church was haunted and the organ played at midnight! I had a job to keep a straight face when one of the lcoal children told me! It did keep the youngsters away for several months. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Winson Green (Birmingham) had a 2m Nicholson(?) in the chapel - I played it once for a Sunday morning service in the 1970's (I was organist at a local Anglican Church at the time) - don't know if it's still there, I've had no cause to go back! Given that the chapel was well into the middle of the prison, I don't think recitals would be possible. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Apart from the removal of the Nave section, Bradford Cathedral is still in use, and it's its 1970's guise. The "budget" rebuild shows at the console, where some couplers refer to "choir" and others to "positive" - actually the same department! I gather that the Nave section was removed to suit the ideas of the clergy at the time, and a Bradford-system department put in its place, the only survivor being the "Purcell Trumpet" which now is at the top of the chancel case firing South. It actually sounds much better than it deserves to - and is unlikely to be rebuilt again soon because the Diocese of Bradford has severe financial problems. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I agree with you - 3 manuals are pretty much essential for some repertoire (ranging from Stanley onwards). 2, even with good pistons, isn't always enough! Every Blessing Tony

Hi I think I'd menioned it (but perhaps that was on the other list in a parallel discussion!) Every Blessing Tony

Hi I have played it once, but only as a "visitor", not for a service or anything. I would talk to one of the regular organists and find out what they know works - is David Dunnet still there? If so, you'll find him very helpful. One thing to watch is the transfers - make sure you know where you've parked that floating/transferable divisions! Hope it goes well. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Following from earlier comments, John Compton's description of his enforced stay in Italy in WW2 are recounted in The Organ no.114 (Vol.XXIX - Oct 1949) pp.60f the article is titled "Towards a more complete Diapason Chorus". I shall re-read it when I've got some spare time! Every Blessing Tony

Hi Andrew Many thanks for the support! I actually dealt with the 2 updates that you mention. Althoguh we would all prefer to have full information on every organ, whatever is available is more than welcome (and I've forgotten to note details as well and I usually spend a day a week processiong entries!) The minimum requirement to trigger an NPOR survey is that a pipe organ was present in a building on a particular date, and usually one other significant detail (e.g. name of builder). Less info than that usually just gets added to the building record and only comes up if you include buildings without surveys in the search. Thanks again Every Blessing Tony

Hi Re Darlaston - that's exactly the situation - no one has informed us of any changes. The survey may well come from a historic source (most likely with a 1903 survey date). We do our best - but if people don't give us information it can't be processed and included in the register. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I doubt if Peter can add any more, as it was he who tuned the organ in 2005 and supplied the NPOR update. I find your comments about NPOR somewhat less than helpful - like any information source, it is only as good as the sources of the information. We do not have the resources to visit every organ that we get information on to check on the reliability! (And we certainly can't visit those that are no longer in existence). Published information is also not always reliable - it's not easy trying to sort out what the truth really is. The key to using NPOR properly is to take note of the survey date and the latest update, and the recorded "state" of the organ (which, of course is only valid for the time it was seen and recorded, which may be anything up to 100 years ago). If you have any corrections, then let us know at the NPOR office and we will may corrections - please include the source of your information. Every Blessing Tony (NPOR Editor)

Hi You're correct in assuming this - if you look at the survey "state" it says "not up to date" - and that's because we were only told that work had been done by GO Organs with no further detail. If you can give us an up to date stop list, please send it to the NPOR office. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Npor again - http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N04378 says "destroyed by enemy action". If you know for certain that it (or parts of it) went elswewhere, it would be good to know. Birmingham Town Hall has been out of use for some time - I hear that work should be completed on the building soon, so maybe the organ will be recommissioned. Other than those already mentioned, the only town hall organ I can think of is Portslade in Sussex, which at one time had a small (2 manual?) straight job - now removed and replaced by a theatre organ of somewhat varied pedigree (to put it politely). Not town halls, but similar buildings are the Assembly Hall, Worthing (another large Wurlitzer from various sources) and the Dome, Brighton (HNB/CHristie dual-purpose instrument recently restored by David Wells). That might be an interesting contendor. St' George's Hall, Bradford is unplayable - and likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Every Blessing Tony

Hi It is on NPOR - see http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=R01065. There's a picture of the hydraulic blower control, which is reported as present but not working in 2004. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Quite likely - I have read it - but a long time ago. It's a far better book than his Theatre organ one. Sadly, I don't have a copy - maybe if I find one in a s/h bookshop when I've got some spare cash I'll buy it. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I did the NPOR updates for Selby Abbey a while ago - the COmpton (a substantial rebuild of an earlier Binns organ) "was dedicated on 27/9/1906 and destroyed by fire 22 days later;" There's some info in "Pipes and Actions" Laurence Elvin pp.45-46, and the update info on NPOR came from "The Organs of Selby Abbey" New Edition 1976. NPOR Ref. is N07130. Possibly the shortest-lived organ ever? Every Blessing Tony