Barry Oakley

Pre the early 1990's and for several years the Sheffield RC Cathedral's organ was looked after by a rather dubious outfit based south of the city. After them, the reputable Wakefield-based organ builder, Andrew Carter, did what he could on a limited (inadequate) budget to keep it going. I remember the late George Sixsmith casting his experienced eye over the instrument and pronouncing it the worst T C Lewis organ he'd ever clapped eyes on.

I know that Sheffield's RC cathedral is now without its inadequate and historically lamentably maintained T C Lewis three-manual, pending funds for restoration. The said cathedral is presently using a digital substitute and this could well be the place in question.

Is there possibly some confusion with St Wulstans, an Anglican church in Wolstanton, not a million miles from Tunstall? http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=D06176

I can only see the former Tewkesbury console which I well remember from several visits to Paul's East Yorkshire barn. The other console he had there, and I guess it's still hooked up to the organ he has so far assembled, is the former console from Cheltenham Ladies College. It's unfortunate that Paul is no longer able to contribute to these pages otherwise I'm sure he would enlighten us.

I thought the topic was Buckfast Abbey and not five-manual instruments or Atlantic City organ or 64ft stops.

Should not the last few posts be under a new topic?

Now that it is pretty well known that Buckfast Abbey is to have a new organ, it really is time for the abbey to make an official detailed announcement. And to those who have raised their eyebrows at the substantial cost, Buckfast is not without a substantial amount of financial clout according to some figures I saw a year or two back.

I don't know where the consoles are to be sited, one may be on the west gallery where part of the organ is to be installed. My guess is that the other console will be movable, making it available either in the quire or nave,the latter position for recitals.

BUCKFAST: Ruffatti; 100 Speaking Stops; Two consoles; Two-year project; Cost: £2.5 million; Non English voicing. Simply what I've heard and I would not question the source.

Is it definitely to be a Ruffatti? Has an official announcement been made?

"Picked up from Facebook this week. Ian Bell has been engaged as Consultant here. The Downes/ Walker organ has gone in a skip. Fratelli Ruffatti are to build the new organ(s). No timescale given. I can not see an official announcement on any websites yet so we await details with interest." I note your accuracy warning, but is it to be believed that there's now no Downes/Walker at Buckfast? I always felt that the Downes conceived instrument rather stringy in tone, but perhaps this was influenced by the monastic essence of the place. If the Fratelli Ruffatti rumour is to be gospel, they have built some fine-sounding jobs in America. But can no English builder be found?

It never seemed to be a problem for David Liddle when he played the Hull City Hall organ with its former Compton stop heads.

I know what you mean. This was a problem in the early days of the Compton console at Holy Trinity, Hull (soon to be renamed Hull Minster). It was overcome by creating a template and cutting a brown paper disc(s) that is then inserted behind the actual stop head. This successfully creates a reddish/brown glow that contrasts with white light or daylight. Something like 130 discs were required for the full compliment of stops and I guess that Downside would require a similar number.

The topic of console lights (or lights on the console) has got me thinking about the Compton consoles with luminous stop heads. They used small tungsten bulbs with a long, thin spindle-like conductor that went deep into the stop unit. There can’t be many of these consoles around now – Downside, Derby Cathedral and Holy Trinity, Hull – and I wonder how these places go on for replacement bulbs. Are they relying on salvaged bulbs from redundant Compton jambs (like Hull City Hall) or is there still a ready supply available from an enterprising manufacturer?

It might be worth considering getting hold of some large sheets of MDF or plywood, laying them on the carpet and rolling the piano over the hard surface to its required position.

I think an erstwhile contributor to this forum, "Cynic," received organ tuition from Howells.

Like you, Jim, I also like (or did like) to retire to bed and listen to Radio3. In the past, Late Junction often broadcast some acceptable, fairly melodious and harmonious music. Nowadays the programme's output is akin to standing in the middle of a printer's machine room, bombarded with monotonous, repetitive sounds. As you say, "appalling noises." I'll have to give Classic FM a whirl although I do get irritated when some of their presenters are unable to correctly pronounce the names of even well-known composers.

The organ, good on paper, still sounds lousy in spite of the enormous sum spent on its renovation thanks to the RFH’s abysmal acoustic. Meanwhile good organs in good acoustic surrounds in other parts of the country are crying out for funds. It is another example of the continuous focus aimed on London and the SE.

It’s easy to lose track of time, and as a former resident of the East Riding of Yorkshire I remember Alan Spedding’s appointment as Beverley Minster’s organist. I can’t believe it was as long ago as 1967. His retirement from that post in 2009 (it seems like yesterday), made him one of the Minster’s longest serving organists since John Snetzler installed the original organ there in the 18th century. He contributed much to the musical life of the East Riding away from the organ and was closely connected with the University of Hull. He will be greatly missed. Personally, I shall remember him more from listening to several of his fine compositions, particularly for organ, than I shall from his recitals.

Precisely my thoughts, too. Make a date in your diary for 12 months hence to see if he's moved on again.

I remember turning for him when he gave a recital at Holy Trinity, Hull, in the 1950's. You're absolutely right, John - down to earth and a nice man!

This is the first time I have come across this posting. I feel that, again, mention has not been made of the 1938 Compton rebuild and enlargement of the organ in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Hull, reputed to be the largest parish church organ in the UK. And there's no mention either of the fine concert organ rebuilt by Compton in the city's City Hall in 1950/51, one of the UK's largest concert hall organs behind the RAH. Perplexing that there has not been any contributions on Compton for some time from MusingMuso?

This topic does tend to remind me of ice cream vans.

I think in terms of choral evensong at parish churches there are now so many distractions in modern society that have caused the demise of what was once a regular weekly occasion in even the most modest of village churches. Many sporting occasions now take place on Sundays and the growth of car ownership has provided an opportunity to get out and about at weekends. But as a boy chorister in the late 40’s and early 50’s, choral evensong was always a joy and something to look forward to. It’s unfortunate that Anglicanism has largely forsaken the BCP and the English Missal when it comes to the service of Holy Eucharist. When done correctly they always provided for a spectacle accompanied by sounds, sights and smells as well as a strong spiritual dimension. Whilst modern Eucharistic liturgies have been couched in banal language and over-manipulated scriptures, it has become a farce with mass walkabouts and love-ins during the peace. It’s caused no end of controversy and discontent in the Catholic Church and even the development of factions. But in the case of the old Latin mass, does one really want to sit through the service whilst for the most part the celebrant, deacon and sub-deacon all inaudibly mumble away at the altar with little audible participation by the congregation?

Paul Derrett ("Cynic") is celebrating his 60th birthday by way of a recital on the nave organ at Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire, this coming May Bank holiday - Monday, 6th May at 3.30pm. Admission is free and Sothwell's bank holiday recitals are usually well attended.