Barry Oakley

Fifty-three ranks at today's prices I reckon would cost, at best, just under £1million.

April 1st?????????????????????????????????

"It's a curious thing, but the original Forster & Andrews organ at Hull City Hall, would never have come about without an act of parliament, because there were those who regarded the organ as being far too large for the hall, and raised objections. I'm glad to say that they were overruled." And some organ builders, Willis amongst them, said the original concept (1911), was too large for the space and declined to submit a proposal. How wrong they were.

It points to civic authorities needing to have someone, at least, in the permanent role of custodian. For some time I believe Wolverhampton had been without its organist. I’m sure that had there still been a knowledgeable custodian in place, the Wolverhampton Compton would have remained in existence. Although he was paid a pittance by Hull City Council, the late Peter Goodman strove endlessly to keep the City Hall’s wonderful Forster & Andrews/John Compton organ in good order. The only time he was overruled was when the city fathers insisted that the remote Compton console was placed in a new fixed position under the facade to make way for pop concerts.

I'm most grateful, Philip. I wonder what you got for £75?

Apologies for the digression, but has anyone on this forum any idea of what the cost would have been for an 1898 Casson "Positive." ?

Bairstow was equally minded to express his disappointment after the Willis organ in Sheffield City Hall failed to come up to expectations after the completion of the hall.

Forster & Andrews/John Compton - Hull Minster.

A wonderful organ that my late friend, George Sixsmith, looked after. The pedal Violone is the best example I know of the stop.

When reading this topic I wish had been so minded to ask all the questions raised with the late Frank Mitchell, John Compton's console designer who I knew when he lived in Worksop.

This organ was apparently last restored less than 20 years ago by the Lichfield firm of Hawkins, organ builders. Asbestos is now being cited for its scrapping and so are the people who worked on it now in a state of terminal decline due to asbestosis? I think a certain amount of salt needs to be applied to statements and excuses coming from the local council.

Along with my late friend and former Hull City Organist and Master of Choristers at what is now Hull Minster, Peter Goodman, I lunched about 20 years ago with Noel Rawsthorne and his wife outside the pub in the Cheshire village of Great Budworth. Much humour erupted at the dining table prior to Peter Goodman giving a recital in the parish church on a newly built digital organ by another friend, the late George Sixsmith. May Noel RIP.

I’m one of those who whilst I like most of Widor’s output, have become averse to his famous Toccata. Unfortunately it has been flogged to death and become a hackneyed classic. Yesterday I attended the Requiem mass of a dear friend, a former Benedictine nun, in the Pugin chapel of Oulton Abbey near the town of Stone. Its modest two-manual organ has not an array of reeds (thankfully) to do the said Widor Toccata any form of justice. Instead, the most talented young George Gillow played a selection of Trio Preludes based on Sarum chant hymn melodies by Josef Henriksen and R V-W’s “Rhosymedre” at the start and finished the occasion with Howells’ “Master Tallis Testament.” Today, George heads back to Toulouse to enjoy the delights of the cathedral’s Cavaille-Coll where he is doing a further stint as an organ scholar.

A wonderful occasion indeed. I shall have to listen to the Judith Weir piece again before I come to decision.

And so on........... You also forget the work of Compton in transforming the organs of Hull Minster (formerly known as Holy Trinity) and of Hull City Hall, both now in the care of former Walker-trained organ builder, Andrew Carter. The Hull Minster organ is slowly being restored and when completed, its new acoustically sympathetic environment will place it high on the list of must play organs. Compton was a genius who did not just build instruments for the cinema.

I don't think anyone has so far mention ed the Cook "Fanfare"

The museum idea for the Compton console at Hull Minster is worthy of consideration. A previous organist had the idea of siting it in the quire where many more services are held these days and a new mobile console for use as a liturgical and recital instrument in the nave. I only ever knew one Compton drawstop console, Bridlington Priory and when a three-manual following the firm’s rebuild just after the war. Whether I shall be around to hear a restored organ at Hull Minster is something I dream of being fulfilled. I was fortunate to hear it within 10 years of the 1939 rebuild and its typical Compton singing qualities still resound in my mind.

The most important aspect of the eventual Hull Minster restoration is the retention of the original voicing, especially the work of Billy Jones who masterfully voiced the wonderful reeds. During the past few years much has happened to the internal fabric of the Minster. Gone are the heavy fixed central pews and a new stone floor has been laid, transforming the acoustics to a wonderful level. The nave choir stalls have been modified and transposed to a new position. It’s easy to be sentimental about the console with its 1930’s patented illuminated Compton stop heads. But the Minster’s reordered nave and the much improved acoustics present an opportunity for a new mobile drawstop console and the organ to be more suitable for recitals.

The beautiful north case of the 1938 Forster & Andrews/John Compton organ in Hull Minster. The 4-manual, 104 speaking stop organ is now in urgent need of a thorough restoration, having not undergone any extensive work in 80 years and for which the Minster authorities is now actively seeking funds.

This wonderful carving that will adorn the case of the new £11Million Dobson organ in St Thomas Church, New York.

Thomas Ospital is scheduled to give recital in a fortnight's time (18th August) on the organ of the Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, commencing at 12 noon.

To be honest, I had forgotten about Basil Ramsey as it was so long ago that I last had contact, but I am sorry to learn of his death. At the time he was managing editor of Choir & Organ in its early years and my dealings with him were essentially journalistic. Always a man with a receptive ear he commissioned and published a number of my articles.

I, too, heard that the organ now had 4,996 stops.

I applaud this ethical approach by Mander Organs and am reminded of an opposite approach by the former company, of Rushworth & Dreaper (R&D). When R&D acquired the assets of the pipe organ division of the former John Compton Organ Company it chose to change the console label of the Hull City Hall organ built originally by Forster & Andrews (F&A) and rebuilt by Compton. The then new replacement label showed the R&D name in very large characters, wrongly overshadowing the names of F&A and Compton whose work represents the essential core of the organ as it stands today. I believe the matter has since been readdressed, putting the correct perspective on the organs pedigree.

I think they "Do God" more on the continent than they do here in the UK and is perhaps why they get many more listening to organ music prior to or after masses.