Tony Newnham

Hi Since this topic has resurfaced, perhaps I can share some further thoughts. There are 2 organs in the Bradford area that have digital additions. Addingham Parish Church has a substantial digital contribution - pretty well all the upperwork and reeds, plus a harpsichord. I was able to spend a morning playing it recently. I found I was able from the console to identify the digital ranks fairly easily in isolation, but once the fine tuning was adjusted they sounded acceptable in context - not as good as pipes, but then that's not really the point. I don't know the type of services and other uses that the organ has, so I shall refrain from comment on the ethical and aesthetic aspects of the additions - at least they have retained a nucleus of pipes, and produced an instrument which is more versatile than prfeviously - and it sounds reasonable (the acoustics of the building don't help!). The other instrument is Bradford Cathedral, where a pipe Nave department was replaced by Bradford system electronics in 1990. I was there practicing this afternoon (I'm playing for a funeral on Friday) and was warned by the deputy organist not to use the Nave organ as it's unreliable - there are several missing notes. When I've heard it previously, the Nave organ sounded dated - typical digital sound of the period. Again, I can't comment on why the digital section was installed, but the life-span is an issue that needs to be considered. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Chris As far as I understand it, temperature has more effect on pipe pitch than humidity - but in general, flue pipes will move with temperature as a body, and still remain "in tune" with each other althoguh they will shift sharp as the temperature rises. This normally is only an issue if you wnat to use the organ with other instruments. I'm told that some of the cinema organs that were installed in temperature controlled chambers would stand reasonably in tune for years. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Chris I'm suprised that all flue pipes need much tuning other than the odd note here and there. I've nornally had organs tuned twice a year (spring and autumn - just before Christmas) but that's been in churches. One organ I used to play had cone-tuned metal flue pipes, and they hardly ever needed touching. I await the professional's views with interest. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Looks an interesting instrument - I like divided stops on small organs - adds a lot of flexibility. Puty the 4ft isn't divided as well. As regards an earlier post, I can't comment on "Yates & Allen" and a quick look for Allen in DBOB didn't show anyone who looked likely. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Which church is it in? NPOR has an altered Merklin organ in St. Bede, Clapham Park (Roman Catholic Church) index no. N17268. According to NPOR the organ is c.1900 and was altered by Yates in 1927, so is unlikely to afforded "Historic Organ" status by BIOS (the details are on the web site www.bios.org.uk) - it depends how much Yates changed and if there's historic significance in the rebuild state. NPOR list a Merklin Schultz & Co. organ in Aberdeenshire - now removed to an unknown location (D03629). So Merklin is a rare builder in the UK. Every Blessing Tony

Hi It has come to my attention that the organ in the former St. George's, Halifax is redundant. The church has been sold for redevelopment. The organ needs to be removed fairly quickly. Contact is Andrew Mear 07966 421531. If' I've identified the correct building, it's NPOR index no.D00122 which shows a 3 manual Abbott & Smith. Maintainer is Michael Fletcher who will be able to advise on the organ's condition. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I suspect that there's rather more money in churches in the USA - there are very few UK churches that have the financial resources for new large organs - and those that have probably already have a pretty decent organ. Then there's issues with organ advisor's, English Heritage and the conservation lobby to contend with. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Looks like fun! Is there split accidentals or what? Every Blessing Tony

Hi Definitely straight concave (RCO standard prior to to Wesley/Willis design was adopted). I've played all sorts regularly, and have always found straight concave the most comfortable. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Johnsons did indeed used to be based in Cambridge, but moved out a few years ago. I think I've heard that the proprietor is now semi-retired. I have played a couple of organs worked on by them - St. Clement, Cambridge (NPOR D02721) is pretty "off the wall". A much-rebuilt Chancel organ in the church where Bill Johnson (son of the firm's founder - if my info is correct) is (was?) organist. A single manual with such delights(?) as a Groos Tierce whitch, along with several other stops, is not what is shown on the stop knobs. With careful registration, the sound is quite pleasant. More conventional is their rebuild of the c.1875 Miller just up the road in St. Giles (NPOR A00673). The firm was still in business in a small way when I left Cambridge 3 years ago - but most "ordinary" work in the city was by then in the hands of Charles Hall. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Thanks for the reference. The NPOR link should work for the time being - I'm not sure when the actual server is being moved - if it doesn't then access via www.bios.org.uk/npor should provide a link to the new URL once it's operational. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I find a swell department a little bit of a luxury - yes it's nice to be able to adjust the relative volume of stops, or to bring in the swell reeds in a crescendo over the Great, but organs were around long before swell boxes were invented, and in a small, well-voiced organ, it's not totally necessary. (The chamber organ in my current church is all unenclosed, and it's not too much of a problem). AJJ's post also races another, all too common, issue (althoguh I've always found lever swell pedals quite useable - but you can't normally leave the box 1/2 open. Many of the recent crop of house/practice organs are also all unenclosed. It will be interesting to see how the organ works over the next few years. Every Blessing Tony

Thanks Every Blessing Tony

Hi There's no point in trying the keyword search, because the function, as far as I know, only works on the address fields - and anyway, unless the original surveyor knew and recorded the modal name, it won't be on the survey. One of the "editor only" tools does allow searching for text in other fields, but I suspect it could be a long process, and until the server move is completed, I don't have access to it anyway. What period were the Nordic organs built in? It seems that a number of builders had basically standard small instruments (Bishop's Blatchington & Cecillia ranges; Compton's Miniatura; Walker "positives" etc) - and the concept is still around with the Collins EOS series. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Another one I've not heard of - but it sounds interesting, althoguh N7B were very influenced by Hope-Jones in this era. Where is the one that you know? Is it on NPOR? I would suggest a search on NPOR, but considering just how many organs by N&B (or worked on by them) that there were, it would be a VERY long job. Since the old NPOR server is now not available, I currently can't access the editor-only tools that would enable a full text search, althoguh I doubt if it would have shown anything much. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Thanks for the replies so far. Every Blessing Tony

Hi That makes at least 3 of us in Yorkshire (I'm in Bradford). Just possibly Hull would be suitable (but not until after Christmas). Every Blessing Tony

Hi I came across a reference and stop list of a Cavaille-Coll cinema organ in the Whitworth book. Did the firm actually build any? How many? And do any survive? (Whitworth doesn't give a location). Just wondering. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Yes, there are plenty of redundant mill buildings, and not a few redundant or near redundant churches in Bradford - sounds like a good idea to me - we might even get the St. George's Hall organ restored then! Every Blessing Tony

Hi I suspect that Birmingham is significantly cheaper in terms of property than central London, and doesn't do too badly for other resources - there are 2 cathedrals in the city, plus Litchfield & Worcester both in easy reach, not to mention the Town Hall & Symphony Hall (or whatever it's called) which both have pipe organs. The public library had a pretty good collection of organ-related material in the 1970's, when I lived in the city for a while, and that was before the British Organ Archive moved there! As a country, we do tend to be rather too "Lonond-centric". And bear in mind, London is only 90 mins. by rail from Birmingham. Every Blessing Tony

Hi An enquiry to Allegro music (www.allegromusic.co.uk) might help with a score. I'm pretty sure I saw them in a music shop fairly recently, but I can't remember where, or who the publisher was. As regards copyright, the composition remains in copyright for 70 years from the date of the composer's death, after which it becomes "public domain" and no royalties are payable for recording or public performance (but N.B. if it's an arrangement, the copyright will be 70 years from the date of the arranger's death, as far as I know). The situation with "editors" copyright is far from clear. As someone said, the publisher does have a copyright in the physical layout of the printed page, which lasts, as far as I know, for 25 years frfom the date of publication. Hope this helps. Every Blessing Tony

Hi The ramifications will spread beyond the RCO as well, as the British Organ Archive (and the new NPOR office) were due to be in the Curzon Street building as well. Maybe it's as well to pull the plug now, if there's going to be a financial shortfall, but surely the sums should have been done properly (with an adequate contingency) in the first place. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Good to have another member of the clergy on the forum! (I'm a Baptist minister in Bradford). I've not got time to check at present (Morning Prayers with the other local clergy (Anglican & Roman Catholic) looms), but the L-W could be available on the Organs & Organists online web site (you'll probably need to register, but the site is worth a visit anyway). Every Blessing Tony

Hi Is the Willis "floating lever" the same as Barker Lever. I thought I'd read somewhere that the Willis design is a sophisticated "servo-like" pneumatic action. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Good to see that "Blended Worship" is spreading - I'm convinced that it's the way ahead in many areas. As regards pipe organs, all too often they are seen as irrelevant, and discarded even if the church is not htreatened with closure - there's one in another local Baptist Church that hasn't been played since the previous organist died last year, which is a real shame, as it's quite a nice 3 manual - originally an early Binns 2m rebuilt & extended by a local firm, but very much in the Binns style. It's a resource going to waste - the organ can be used with music groups (contrary to what many seem to think!) as well as in more traditikonal roles. Every Blessing Tony