Tony Newnham

Hi There is a significant price difference between producing pre3ssed CD's and CD-R's, which can make small runs uneconomic - especially now that the price of blank CD-R's is so low. I haven't had cause to check recently, but a year or so ago, you needed a minimum run of 250 pressings before a duplicating plant would even take the job on, and it was more like 1,000 before it starts to make financial sense. I suspect that we will increasingly see CD-R's used for short-run, specialist recordings. Most modern CD players will recognise and play CD-R's - it's really only the first generation machines that were problematic. If you have a player that doesn't read them, then maybe it needs cleaning and setting up (or replacing, which may be cheaper!) Every Blessing Tony

There's a survey on NPOR. I heard the organ in the mid-1970's (I was accompanying (on piano) a choir from, I think, St. John's Harborne for some area event (can't remember the details now - it was a long time ago, and not desperately memorable! - just helping someone out). I was suprised to see that it had been restored in the early '70's accoring to NPOR, as there were at least 2 cyphers that evening - one being the pedal reed, which "stuck" during the closing hymn, and refused to stop speaking until the wind was turned off and reservoir emptied! (I was glad I wasn't the organist!). Apart from that, I seem to remember quite a reasonable instrument on that brief encounter. Every Blessing Tony

Hi The Birmingham organ was a four manual until the last rebuild. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Having spent a number of years producing radio programmes, I know a bit about recording, and it is possible to reduce the dynamic range of a recording to manageable proportions - indeed, until the advent of CD, it was essential if the quiet sounds were not to be overwhelmed in the background noise of CD - and even analogue tape hiss. I also agree that a short period of quiet music is acceptable - but constant switching between very quiet and very loud can become irritating! To a large extent, the approach that the recordist takes is governed by the final audience of the product - a recording for the general entertainment market will be approached in a different way to a purist, documentary-type recording for the enthusiast (which I prefer on the odd occaisions when I've got time to just sit and listen) - although traffic noise outside is a bit of a problem here. Like many other things, it's a matter of choosing the approipriate compromises. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Yes, the Lincoln recording is very obviously Wakeman - not really great music, but enjoyable none the less. IIRC, he used the Compton 2m at South Harrow Baptist Church (the church where he grew up) on the original "New Gospels" (I've got it on LP, but they haven't been unpacked since we moved here, so I can't easily check). I'll have to look out for the Mike Oldfield CD. I have a particular interest in organ plus other instruments, both contemporary and historical. Another LP that I have is organ and guitar duets (John Williams & Peter Hurford). I really must get my LP's out and have another listen. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I think it's worth remembering that multiple microphones was often the norm for recording (as opposed to broadcasting) when the GCOS was recorded - and often still is today. Purist recordings have their place - but we do need to remember that a CD is primarily intended for home entertainment (anad to make money) - not as a documentary record. Inevitably, there will be compromises. I have a problem with some Priory releases that preserve the dynamic range of the organ from pp-fff - in most domestic settings, that means constant adjustments to the volume control to hear the soft passages above the ambient noise (traffic, etc), or being nearly deafened with the loud bits. There is a particular problem with divided organs - there often will not be one place that does every part of the instrument justice. I've recently bought a Rick Wakeman recording made at Lincoln Cathedral - primarily on the organ. That's very interesting - especially as there's a bonus CD that includes binaural versions of some of the tracks - very impressive on headphones. Every Blessing Tony

Hi Sorry, but Wurlitezer beats this by a long way - the Rye Wurlitzer (dating from the 1920's) had all 8 thumb pistons configured as generals on the original setter board. I would guess that other Wulitzwers of the same vintage had similar arrangements?? Every Blessing Tony

Hi Richard Web site looks good - keep it up. One point though, the link to NPOR is incorrect - it takes you to the LeHurray server, will is no longer being updates, and will be taken off-line at the end of August. The correct link is www.bios.org.uk/npor, which currently takes you to the new database on a computer called Emma at Cambridge University - but that in turn will be moving within the next couple of months to a new location in Birmingham, hence the URL for that will change, however, the link via the BIOS web site will be updated to take you to the correct location. Hope it goes well at Chester - meybe I can come and have a look (and a play) when we're on holiday in the area (probably soon after Easter next year). Every Blessing Tony

Hi Glad we agree on something" - and "agreeing to differ" should be part of life. As to the suitability of an organ for Anglican liturgy, there are plenty of organs in the UK, let alone the world, there that just isn't an issue - especially in the Free Churches! Anyway, I assume that it is possible - there are some decidedly "non-liturgical" organs in University Chapels! Every Blessing Tony

Hi Splitting hairs, maybe, but pianos can be as individual as organs, both in sound and feel. There's a world of difference between the upright in my church, and my favourites - Bossendorfer and Bluthner (and they again are very different) - and modern grands are different again from the probably c.1900 Broadwood Grand that we had when I started learning, may years ago. In an ideal world, you could select a piano top suit the repertoire that you're playing, just as different schools of organ building suit some repertoire better than others. Every Blessing Tony

Hi That's not quite what I said - althoguh by the nature of things, there MUST be a delay due to the speed of sound propogation between pipes and the console - and inevitably, when a console is detached, the distance is greater, and hence the dealy is greater. I - personally - have found that I am quite sensitive to even relatively small delays, hence I prefer attached consoles. Maybe if I had to accompany Catherdral Choirs from a pulpitum console my views would be different - who knows? Whichever way you go, there are compromises, so, as has been said before, "each one to his own". It depends what your priorities are - and what the function of the organ is. I will hapily play organs with detached consoles (I've played services on 2 within the last few months, as well as an electgronic with the console at the head of the nave and speakers at the west end - but I notice the delay, and I'm far happier with a good tracker action. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I personally would rather be close to the organ, rather than at a distance. For me, the advantages of immediacy far outweigh the percieved problems of balance, etc. A trusted listener (and listening to others playing the organ) can help on the balance issue. Sightlines to a conductor can be a problem. As you say, each to his own! My dislike of detached consoles dates from my early days of learning the organ. The church that I used for practice (St. Giles, Kingston Buci, nr. Shoreham in Sussex) and where I ahad lessons, replace their old 1m 5 stop tracker organ with a 2m extension job by Osmonds. Pipes at the rear of the church, console at the front. The first time I played it, I found myself virtually a semi-quaver in front of what I was hearing (and it's not a large church). I've also played some horros with detached consoles since (St. Leonard's Parish Church, St. Leonards, E. Sussex springs to mind even after about 15 years, the action was so painfully sluggish) and I have never, with the exception of the Wurlitzer, found a detached console set up that I was totally happy with. It's the variety of organs that makes them so interesting, though, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I'll let you (and the list) know anything I find out. Every Blesswing Tony

Hi As I see it, action choice depends more on the organ's position and layout, and of course, wind pressure. Tracker can work - and be very light - on a fair sized organ. Last year I was able to play the St. Martin organ in Girton College cgapel, Cambridge (the stop list is on NPOR - no time to look up the ref. no. this morning). It's a moderate-sized 4-manual (probably it would be laid out as a fair-sized 3m in a normal church or concert hall - student practice for major recitals was part of the design brief. It has a very vertical disposition, suspended action, and is incredibly light and responsive, even with the couplers drawn. (To the point that, I was told, some players actually draw the couplers to increase the action weight!) Admittedly, there are no octave couplers, and no high-pressure reeds, but it's still pretty versatile. And I still hate detached consoles - even with non-mechanical action, I want to be able to hear what the organ's doing! And not have the "lag" due to sound propogation, if not the organ's action. Every Blessing Tony

Hi You might try listenign - you might even learn something of spiritual benefit! Not all sermons are boring. How would you feel if the audience sat reading books or whatever during your recital - or the choir's anthem? Every Blessing Tony

Hi Probably not - I suggest you e-mail and point out the problem (although I doubt if anything will be done at present. The old layout is currently still available on http://lehuray2.csi.cam.ac.uk/npor.html - but don't tell anyone I told you. PLEASE NOTE:- a) This database does not include recent updates. It will be removed - the last date I had was end of August. The whole situation is in a state of flux - I spoke to the outgoing manager this morning, and even he doesn't really know what will happen. In the meantime, I - and the other editors - wait to see what transpires. Every Blessing Tony

Hi As I see it, there's no advantage whatsoever of pneumatc or electro-pneumatic over a well-made tracker action. Pure pneumatic action, by the nature of the beast, will always cause some "lag" in response - and particularly when the console is some distance from the pipes (the only reason, except on very large organs) for not using tracker. E-P is better, but I've only played one example that seemed to have a really adequate response - that was a Wurlitzer theatre organ with the action on something like 20-30" pressure, and only a small distance between console and pipes. Direct-electric, as someone said, is problematic because of the inertia of the magnetic parts. I've read a study of the response of electric actions (www.pykett.org) and it gives food for thought. Maybe I'm ultra sensitive to timing, but I much prefer the direct mechanical contact with the pipes - and the feel - of tracker action. Every Blessing Tony

Hi I sympathise - I have the same "problem" - not so bad now we have enough space for her to have a seperate study with a TV, etc. Having said that, finding time to just sit and listen is a problem - most of my listening is while I'm working in my study, so I can't access the Sky audio outs either. Every Blessing Tony

Hi If you've got access to Sky, the BBC R3 feed on there is uncompressed (except for the digital data reduction), and reflects most accurately the balance engineers' intentions. Most SKY digiboxes have an audio output that can be connected to a Hi-Fi system. Every Blessing Tony

Hi The "recommended" URL to access NPOR is www.bios.org.uk/npor - although the links to lehurray & emma should work, the whole set-up is moving to Birmingham in the next few weeks, at which point the URL will change, but the link on the BIOS web page should be updated to point to the correct place. Hence I suggest that you do not bookmark any other link at present! Every Blessing Tony (one of the NPOR Editors)

And I still say that it's insulting. Your right to freedom of speech, as with all rights, also brings responsibilities, especially the responsibilty to respect other points of view, not denigrate them. I would have no problem if you said Latin Mass/traditional music or whatever is your (personal) preference, but to say that it's the only valid worship music is not only insulting, it's patently untrue. Every Blessing Tony

I'm sorry, but I find your view of music groups downright insulting. What right have you got to say that your Latin music is any more sacred than anything else - or the BCP or anything else come to that! It's your sort of intolerance that has upset many contemporary Christian musicians. Tony

Hi I listened with interest to last night's prom. Despite the fact that I'm not really "in to" modern classical music, I found the organ concerto interesting. The organ sounded well - although the interior shots on BBC4 seemed to bear no relevance to the pipes actually being used at the time! I only wish we heard more of this unique instrument - especially in the Proms - the organ needs all the exposure it can get these days. Every Blessing Tony