pcnd5584
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Posts posted by pcnd5584
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Fear not, it is very considerably easier! The main challenges are counting the many bars of rests (which I solve by following the vocal score, marked up with those places where one needs to jump to the organ part) and the usual problems of co-ordinating with an orchestra that may be some distance away, following a conductor who appears an inch high on a TV monitor, and making a rosbif organ sound suitably Gallic.
Indeed - having played both versions on a number of occasions.
In particular, as Wolsey says, the Sanctus is rather easier - the LH semiquavers of the organ-only version being divided between the hands. In addition, the third movement Domine, Jesu Christe is less stressful, with the brass taking much of the former RH organ part.
However, it might be advisable to check out the instrument on which it is to be played. Whilst I have a colleague who has accompanied this on the Marcussen instrument in Saint Mary's Church, Nottingham (something which I should not wish to do), a varied palette of tone colours and a plentiful supply of adjustable general pistons are useful.
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So if the organ has a two-rank Celeste controlled by one stop knob, presumably the ranks are placed side by side?
I guess this would be easier than having to add another stop action for the second rank, but then the problem of one rank pulling the other into tune would probably occur.
JA
I had wondered about this. Pierre's reply (see above, but immediately below Josh's) would indicate a possible solution.
The earliest example I have found to-date is the Voix Célestes (II ranks) 8ft., in the Swell Organ of the Wm. Hill instrument of Saint John's College Chapel, Cambridge; this apparently dates from 1839. Does anyone have another source (aside from the NPOR) which could verify - or refute - this, please?
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... There is also the 'Octaves Alone' on the Choir at Exeter Cathedral - which, without it's Sub and Super which are not present, would seem to be odd until one understands (I think) that it is there to shunt the 16', 8's and 4' quiet stops up an octave for more variety in accompanimental noises. This would seem to be Vox H's idea of 'closet' extension principle - not very 'neat' but if it works....
AJJ
I have only just noticed this post, Alastair.
Indeed you are correct; in fact, the Octaves Alone at Exeter Cathedral only affects the 16ft. Bourdon, the two 8ft. flues and the 4ft. flute. At the time of the cleaning in 1985, these four ranks were also given three extra pipes each, to take the upper compass to sixty-one notes (they were placed on a top-note machine). Apparently, Lucian Nethsingha found the 8ft. Lieblich Gedackt too loud for verse anthems, etc - he preferred the Lieblich Bourdon played up an octave.
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Yes, in NL we nearly always have to play it on one manual. The secret? well, if any, having very flexible hands/wrists/arms does help.
I had to play it on one clavier here, too - at Wardour Castle Chapel.(http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N15066).
That was the last time I accepted requests for specific works, without checking on what the instrument was like first....
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If it sounds alright, it is alright! The examiners are going to mark you on how it sounds, not how you get those sounds. However, you stand a much better chance of getting the right notes if you are comfortable and don't have to do odd stretches, so there's a lot to be said for dividing up big chords where possible.
Very sensible advice, David.
I recall playing Messiaen's Transports de Joie for an examination some years ago (with one of the examiners turning pages, since I had forgotten to ask anyone). At one point, in order to make a particular passage easier, I cancelled all the G.O. stops - and Choir to Great, but leaving Swell to Great in play - and split the passage (marked to be played with both hands on the Récit) between the two claviers. The examiner(s) did not bat an eyelid.
As David states, the important thing is that you find a fingering (and hand-sharing) which is practicable and which is comfortable for you. As long as whatever you decide upon allows you to play the passage(s) accurately and fluently, I doubt that anyone will mind how you organise your hands.
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Wow! It looks fabulous! And full of interest. I sometimes feel, when looking at recent British schemes, that they are a little bit 'safe'. It's nice to have the potential to be scarlet as well as subtle. I thought the Petersham job looked to be packed with potential and fun, and this is along the same lines. Maybe the old adage about two well-stocked manuals being better than three small ones is not true after all - I'd often wondered....
Indeed, David. It is good to see a slightly different stop-list and overall design in a new instrument. It iwll be interesting to hear it at some point.
Jon - are there (or likely to be) any sound files available, please?
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Grand Orgue
Bourdon 16
Montre 8
Bourdon 8
Prestant 4
Flute a fuseaux 4
Doublette 2
Plein Jeu V
Recit expressif
Flute harmonique 8
Viole de gambe 8
Voix celestes 8
Flute octaviante 4
Nasard 2 2/3
Octavin 2
Tierce 1 3/5
Hautbois 8
Resonance expressif
Grand flute 8
Flute 4
Cornet V
Basson 16
Trompette 8
Clairon 4
Pedale
Contrebasse 16
Soubasse 16
Flute 8
Bombarde 16
And of course an etoile sonore!
Thank you, Jon. I apologise for the tardy reply - I have only just seen this post.
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A question or two about the Flute Harmonique (and yes, of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating):
Wouldn't it be more useful (appropriate for more repertoire) to have it on the Resonance rather than as the only 8' flute on the Recit? Is there much precedent for it as the basis of the cornet composé?
And I wonder what kind of flute the Grand Flute on the Resonance is? A big open flute, I suppose. Are the 3 8' flutes designed to balance each other or build from the quietest, on the Grand Orgue, to the loudest (on the Recit?)?
Easy to ask questions, I know.
Although a Flûte Harmonique should pair well with the Viole de Gambe and Voix Céleste - perhaps rather better than a Cor de Nuit or a Flûte à Cheminée might.
As you imply, only by hearing the instrument once it is completed (and settled-in) will it be possible to make a fair judgement of its various tonal characteristics.
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Well, good luck with the Westerkerk. We stayed very near this church and tried several times just to be able to look inside. Passing the church late one evening we noticed that a concert had just concluded. Seizing our chance, we slipped inside to admire this beautiful church. A brusque churchwarden saw us and unceremoniously grabbed us by the arms and ejected us, in spite of our attempt to explain ourselves. I do find 'Christians' disappointing when they behave this way.
H
This is an unfortunate experience - and I am sorry to learn of it. Without wishing to make excuses for people whom I do not know, it could be (as has often happened here at the Minster) that the person(s) concerned had been on duty all day and were simply desperate to get home and get some rest. There have been a number of occasions when one or other of our vergers have been on duty all day - and then expected to come in again of a Saturday evening, in order to be on hand for a concert. This would normally entail being there at least from 18:30 (after working all day in the church), until at least 22:00, when the last orchestra member and concert-goer had left the building. However, on a Saturday, since our vergers also double a sacristans, once the building was made secure, there would be at least another half-hour's work getting everything ready for the first Mass the following morning. After such evenings, our vergers have looked absolutely exhausted.
Whilst I can understand that you wished to see this beautiful church, perhaps directly after an evening concert is not the most appropriate time. This church is normally open during the day for several hours - I have had no trouble whatsoever either looking around for as long as I wished, nor in taking photographs. I did just this a few weeks ago - and have some good, clear photographs of the interior of this beautiful church. If you wished, I should be happy to send you copies of some of these pictures by e-mail.
Perhaps it is easy to point the finger at vergers and churchwardens (or whatever is the equivalent in a Dutch church). However, if I had been on duty as long as our vergers have been on several occasions, I cannot say honestly that I would be particularly accommodating to late-evening visitors.
It is possible that this was the case at the time you wished to visit.
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Hello,
next weekend I'll be in Amsterdam (attending IBC) and I would love to take that chance (first time visitor) to get to know/play an interesting organ there. As it's most probably not possible for a "noname" to play one of the famous instruments like Oude Kerk, I gratefully take tips where/whom to ask on a smaller instrument ((pre-)baroque or modern) there..
Perhaps someone has tips here..
Thanks so much!
You might try contacting Sauer1889, who occasionally posts here and is currently Organist of the Nicolaaskerk, Amsterdam.
Aside from the fact that the instrument in the Oude Kerk is out of action (or was about a month ago), it is in a fairly dreadful state. In any case, it was partly 'Romanticised' at some point in the nineteenth century and somewhat spoiled as a result. However, the fine instrument in the Westerkerk* is definitely worth a visit. Jos van der Kooy is Organist there.
If you are unable to get access to any instruments and you still have some spare time, do visit the Rijksmuseum - it has recently re-opened after a ten-year refurbishment - it is absolutely stunning. Even if the exhibits were boring (which they are not), the building itself is a work of art.
* I can also recommend the restaurant next door (Werck), Prinsengracht 277. tel.: +31(0)20 627 4079, just to the left of the Westerkerk tower door, as you face the church tower. (It is between the church and the Anne Frank House.) I had a meal or two there again this summer and the food and service were still excellent. Herenstraat (off Herengracht) also has several restaurants: Max is good: Herenstraat 14, tel.: +31 (0) 20 4 200 222 (just to the right of Seasons). Also, l'invite: Bloemgracht 47. +31 (0) 20 570 2010. I know that you requested information about organs, but I thought that a few restaurant recommendations might help.
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I couldn't agree more with the above sentiments about encouraging anyone interested to 'have a go'.
What I cannot understand is how some organists are so very over-protective of their instruments and then bleat about the lack of interest in the organ amongst young (and not so young) people.
Absolutely.
Which reminds me - I meant to see if there was any interest in arranging a board members' trip here to play our Walker organ. If there are sufficient numbers, I can then find a Saturday afternoon when the building is free and set up a visit.
If anyone would like to do this, please let me know - here will do, or PM, if you prefer.
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The number of times I've said to ever-protective and over-officious custodians of organs: "You can't break an organ by playing it".
This is not quite true.
There is (or was) a pipe organ not many miles from here, which is now defunct. A previous organist was so heavy-handed that he managed to get through two consoles. The last time I had to play it for a concert, I had to play as best as I could with one hand and both feet, whilst holding up as many of the stop-keys as I could manage (during quieter pieces), since otherwise they simply put themselves on all the time. The key action was also pretty much shot away, too. apparently, this was almost entirely due to the regular rough handling which this organ had received at the hands of the (then) incumbent organist.
In addition, another contributor here has quoted a story of a workshop or composite lesson involving a young organist and Olivier Latry. After watching the person play, Latry said 'You will never play at Nôtre-Dame.' The sense of the story seemed to be that the young man in question was being unduly rough with the instrument. (This story was related to a video clip which someone had posted, which featured an organist 'playing' with a sequencer, which he had set up to move the stops in 'pretty patterns' - this is sheer irresponsibility.)
Furthermore, I have occasionally had to remind visiting organists to the Minster here that the instrument does not have an old, heavy mechanical action - and it is therefore not necessary to stamp on the pedal keys, or slam the keys of the claviers into their beds, by using the whole weight of the arms and the power of their shoulders. After one or two such visitors, I have had to take panels off the back of the console and re-position contact wires, after the organists managed to cause cyphers.
Whilst I take your point, a church organ is not a toy - it is a costly, complex machine. I recognise the need to encourage others to take up playing the instrument, but one still needs judgement and discretion.
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Happy to answer that one. The Acoustic Bass (actually named Contra Bourdon on the stop knob) replaces the Quint 10.2/3ft which was derived from the Bourdon. The staff at the cathedral felt a softer quint would be more useful for psalm accompaniment etc. The new stop is derived from the 16ft Bourdon down to note 13 then is the Bourdon 16ft quinted with the softer Choir Echo Bourdon in the bottom octave. It was an electrical modification only, so the cost was minimal.
The organ is now completed and will be used for the first time when the choir returns from holiday. For anyone interested, the inaugural recital of the completed instrument is by Robert Quinney on Friday 8th November in the evening. The programme will, I am told, include the Elgar Sonata in G.
Andrew Moyes
Nicholson & Co
Thank you for this, Andrew.
As David states, this seems to be a good idea. There are some Bourdon ranks which do lend themselves to this type of effect - notwithstanding my previous comments regarding acoustic basses (which Gilbert Benham also decried). In fact, I suspect that our own Bourdon stop at the Minster would probably be quite effective if so treated. Unfortunately, the coupling and Pedal extensions are electro-mechanical - still with the ladder switches, which date from 1965 - so we dare not touch the wiring, for fear of messing up the whole unit.
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I'm no expert in the field—can anyone give an outline of the kind of repertoire the RAH organ was designed for and, secondly, what was generally played on it in its first 50 years? I'd be surprised if more original organ music was played than transcriptions but pleased to be proved wrong.
I am not sure if any programmes still exist from the original opening of 1872. In any case, at the time (and for many years afterwards) most organ recitals anywhere consisted largely of orchestral transcriptions - for the simple reason that few people were able to hear an orchestra playing live and, in any case, recorded music was not then widely available.* With the number of excellent professional orchestras and high-quality recordings available today, I can see little or no point in playing orchestral transcriptions on an organ.
However, to return to the RAH organ: at the re-opening composite recital (part-way through Harrisons' complete rebuild of 1924-33), as far as I can ascertain, all pieces which were played were mainstream organ repertoire.
* I am aware of the historic recording of Au Clair de la Lune (of 1860). However, this sounds dreadful (as well it might) - and even reduced Charlotte Green to a state of helpless mirth live on Radio Four's Today programme.
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Personally I have never had any desire to travel this road either - but that doesn't mean I can't admire those who play in this style. I do - and I enjoyed this prom hugely. This style of playing is totally different discipline from the one I have, but I am certainly the poorer for not having it.Vox - I have no quarrel with that.
However, I am both saddened and puzzled that it is considered necessary to attempt to coax the music-loving promenaders to like organ music by playing either transcriptions of light music - or by engaging artists who may be considered eccentric - with a playing style to match.* I cannot help but wish that the opportunity had been taken to present the audience with music actually written for the instrument - choosing works which were reasonably tuneful and accessible, yet nevertheless were more 'mainstream' repertoire. I genuinely doubt that, in the long term, this will have a lasting positive effect on the world of organ music. Is this not 'dumbing-down' our art just as much as an endless succession of trite game-shows (or so-called 'reality' shows) does to television audiences?
Again, in order to be perfectly clear, I have no quarrel with either the technique or musicianship of Richard Hills - both of which are clearly excellent.
Having a good professional orchestra based a few miles away, I note from their concert season programmes of the last few years that it is apparently not regarded as necessary to resort to a similar tactic for those attending orchestral concerts.
* By this, I do not refer to Richard Hills.
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I have recently acquired the excellent Priory CD of Matthew Martin playing the organ in the Brompton Oratory but I am curious as to the purpose of the column of mini stop knobs/pistons just to the left of the Choir Organ stops on the RH stop jamb. Can anyone enlighten please?
A
They appear to be standard (for that time) Walker piston heads. (Identical to those on the Walker instrument here.) Looking at the console, I note that the inner panel on each jamb is thinner than the others. This type of console layout was often employed by Walker's, in moderate-sized instruments. The Minster organ here is another example. It was not unusual to find one of these panels left blank - or perhaps with one or two switches, but no draw-stops.
I then looked at the NPOR entry, and the article in Choir & Organ (as listed in the NPOR survey). Whilst Choir & Organ gives no details about the restoration of 2004-05, I note that the accessories as given in the NPOR are as at March 1998. I wonder if, at the time of the 2004-05 restoration, the number of general pistons was increased and, perhaps for reasons of economy, the existing layout of the key-slips (with the pistons spaced more widely than became common by around the 1960s *), was retained. Therefore, perhaps it was decided to mount the new (and extra ?) general pistons on the empty right-hand inner jamb panel. In fact, the pistons appear to be duplicated; there are two which are engraved with the numeral '4', and I suspect that this is the case for all five pistons. I am not sure why this has been done. Multiple memory levels would obviate the need for duplicate pistons - and these are hardly convenient for a registrant to press without running the risk of accidentally knocking the player's right arm.
* Although I can think of at least one exception to this - and many years earlier: the organ, by Harrison & Harrison, which was constructed in 1928-29 for Newcastle City Hall. Contemporary photographs show that the divisional pistons (there were and are no generals) were placed somewhat more closely together that was customary. Compare this layout - which still obtains - with that of either Westminster Abbey or Winchester Cathedral, by the same firm, and it will be seen that the latter two consoles have kept the 'old' wider spacing, which results in the pistons occupying most of the key-slips.
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At least it hasn't been designed with the need to be able to accompany Rumble in J flat canticle settings as its raison d'etre. Tastes in organ design have moved on since the many diapasoned scheme for the Sheldonian. Personally,I wait with interest to hear the new instrument. Never judge a book by its cover...
As an aside - the Sheldonian scheme (which was a conglomeration of the ideals of Sir Hugh Allen, William H. Harris and Henry Willis III, I believe), was one of the weirdest organs around. Personally I think that I should have preferred this instrument in its previous incarnation.
With regard to the RAM, I have mixed feelings about this. I have no doubt that a number of British firms could have built a superb instrument, which would have enriched the music-making of this conservatoire. However, I suspect that none of us here would be so gauche as to react in a negative manner when British firms themselves export pipe organs to other countries. Whilst it is clearly advantageous to have a healthy import-export market, nevertheless there have been a number of occasions when British organ builders have felt handicapped by perceived unfair (even 'sharp') tendering practices. In one instance, the only known advertisement which invited firms to tender for a new pipe organ (which was for a location in the UK), was in a particular European trade directory. The publication concerned would have made a telephone directory appear svelte. It was also published and updated frequently. Finding the notification in such circumstances would have been commensurate with spotting the proverbial needle in the haystack.
However, until the new RAM organ is completed and has settled in, it is probably not worth speculating as to whether it is a good instrument or not. In any case, as has been pointed-out, it is unlikely to be called-upon to accompany Anglican choral music, so its design and voicing can be somewhat more flexible. Whilst I have not yet played the new organ which Orgelbau Kuhn built for Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge, a good friend and colleague has done so - daily for some months. He found it to be a very musical and versatile instrument. This said, I am rather sad that the previous organ (a two-clavier instrument, built by J.L. van den Heuvel, in the style of Cavaiilé-Coll) was discarded. Clearly, if a world-famous alumnus wishes to donate a new instrument, the governing body of the RAM could hardly turn down the offer. Personally, I would have kept the van den Heuvel organ and put the new organ in Marylebone Parish Church. And discarded the Rieger. *
On a related matter: has anyone yet heard the almost-completed instrument in Llandaff Cathedral? I understand that the prepared-for ranks of the Pedal and Solo organs have now been installed and that final voicing, balancing and finishing are in progress. However, there is one slightly odd point: according to the latest stop-list (as given on the cathedral's website), the Pedal Organ has mysteriously acquired a 32ft. Acoustic Bass. Apart from the fact that this stop appears not to be listed in any other version of the stop-list, I wonder why it was thought necessary to include an effect which is generally considered inferior to either a full-length 32ft. flue (which this organ possesses) or a stopped 32ft. (Or, for that matter, an open stop with a Haskelled bass.)
* Yes - I have played it (on a number of occasions). I dislike it intensely - in fact, in about equal proportion to my admiration for the instrument in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. I cannot explain precisely why, but - notwithstanding the fact that just about everyone else in the organ world collectively despises this organ - I really like it; yet I have no time for the instrument in Marylebone Parish Church.
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His technique and musicality are beyond question.
However, this is not for me. At all.
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A few weeks ago, I travelled to Chester with a visiting choir, which was booked to sing the services in Chester Cathedral from 15 - 18 August. I was engaged to play the organ for these services (and a concert at another church).
Initially, I was somewhat apprehensive; I had regarded some of the work undertaken on this Whiteley/Hill instrument as unfortunate - and some of the subsequent alterations as questionable. However, I found that I was pleasantly surprised.
In fact, the organ was superb. Several ranks which were introduced to the scheme at the time of the 1969-70 rebuild (by Rushworth & Dreaper) have since been displaced. For example. the G.O. Double Open Diapason has been re-instated, the Gedeckt now speaks at 8ft. pitch. The Solo flute chorus has been placed on an open soundboard and the two vaguely Baroque reeds replaced: the Regal for a Vox Humana (although the Tremulant needs to be slower in order to make this stop effective for Franck) and the Schalmei by a Clarinet.
On the Pedal Organ, the 4ft' Flute extension has given way to the Choir Double Dulciana (borrowed from this division - and far more useful than the usually pointless 4ft. extension of the Bourdon).
Due to the retention of Hill's distinctive and possibly unique* drawstops, with their reeded edges, several stops are not as engraved, so one has to be aware of this when playing.
It would be interesting to know whether the compound stops have had their missing ranks re-instated. according to the NPOR stop-list most of them have had one or two ranks removed (or silenced), for some reason. I did not have time to attempt to analyse these stops, but I suspect that the G.O. may be missing some of its upper-work. I am not sure why this was done.
I must admit that I enjoyed my time on this fine organ immensely. sitting at the console and playing was like wearing an old pair of jeans or an old, much-treasured jacket. It was most comfortable (aside from the frightening - and occasionally anonymous - foot pistons). The 'hidden' Great to Choir (by thumb piston only) was also useful.
I am not sure whether the G.O. Open Diapason III still has Spitzflöte pipes from C25 up, but it was a most versatile stop for accompaniment.
The instrument has an almost inexhaustible range of tone-colours. The choice of two 16ft. and two 8ft. chorus reeds on the Swell was a luxury - albeit an extremely propitious one. The only disappointment was that I found the Solo mutations lacking in colour; they were rather bland. However, the chorus works surprisingly well, especially when coupled to that of the Choir Organ. It is then possible to use the Swell upper-work and either of the two 16ft. reeds to augment the Pedal Organ.
There were two stops which I did not use: the G.O. Twelfth, which now speaks at tierce pitch, and the Solo Tuba. I have no idea what this stop sounded like.
The Pedal and G.O. reeds were superb. I cannot imagine why anyone should ever have favoured Harrison Trombe with stops such as these.† I think that I prefer these reeds at Chester to those by Willis. Certainly, from the console, the Pedal Trombone (for example) is capable of far greater musical use than the FHW Ophicleide at Truro.
Whilst it would be helpful to have the G.O. reeds transferable to both the Pedal and Choir organs, even as it stands, the Chester organ is a comprehensive and versatile instrument, with a thrilling tutti - and probably the best 32ft. reed (and flue) which I have ever encountered.
I understand that some restoration work is contemplated. I hope that the character of this instrument will be retained, perhaps with the re-instatement of any missing mixture ranks. It would be good to see the G.O. Tierce returned to its former pitch as a Twelfth. In addition, some of the woodwork of the console (the key-cheeks § and sundry panels containing the piston control panels) needs replacing.
I suspect that the pistons and key slips (and the pedal 'sweep') may also be tidied-up and the layout rationalised. As it stands, there are fourteen pistons to each division (1 - 11, and the pistons A, B and C; each with their own setter, I believe), and fourteen general pistons. They are of the same - or a similar - wood to that of the key cheeks. The off-white engraving is barely readable on some pistons - particularly the generals.
However, even as it stands, the organ of Chester Cathedral is a noble, beautiful and thrilling instrument.
* I am not aware of any other instance of the use of such draw-stops by Hill. It would be interesting to hear of any other examples, should they exist.
† It is quite possible that Dixon disliked Hill reeds due to having heard some bad examples, since it must be said that Hill did produce some less than good work towards the end of the nineteenth century. However, even allowing for unevenness of tone and poor regulation, I should still rather have inferior Hill reeds to those by Harrison..
§ I suspect that the key cheeks were replaced at the time of the 1969-70 rebuild. The rest of the console woodwork (and the main case) is executed in limed oak. The teak (?) used for the key cheeks and other panels is rather too much of a contrast.
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I am reminded of a moment at a masterclass given in Wellington by Olivier Latry, when a young organist was rushing through the sequencer at quite a fast pace to a particular point in his piece, to which Olivier replied "You will never play at Notre-Dame!!"
Never mind what it's doing to the electrics, but more importantly what is it going to do to soundboards (if they are sliders)...
I wondered about the same thing. I should have thought that it was possible to cause some damage by doing this. Aside from the fact that it is pointless.
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Hardly a casual visitor, obviously! Also clearly one with a hang-up about the organ (which I will concede is, though in many respects excellent, not as eclectic an instrument as it might have been). I'm afraid I think the report says more about the mystery worshipper than about the service. Though it's a long time since I have been there and even longer since I played there (on the old H&H!!) I distinctly remember that the worst thing about CC is the acoustic. An absolute "bummer" (pardon the expression). To my mind, it's that which compromises the Rieger more than anything else. If you must have a "brittle" toned organ, at least make sure you have an acoustic to give it some bloom.
This is a fair comment, Vox.
Whilst the former FHW/H&H instrument will have sounded quite different (and, arguably, more suitable for certain types of accompaniment), I wonder if it also lacked that magical quality which a good acoustic can bestow? And I do not simply mean resonance, but bloom, warmth - call it what you will - which lends another dimension to the sound of an organ.
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John Belcher's 'The Organs of Chester Cathedral' gives the following information:
Whiteley incorporated parts of 22 stops in the new organ "but most were eventually replaced".
Gray & Davison's 1895 work (costing 600 pounds) included the substitution or transposition of the Great Gamba, Solo Orchestral Oboe and Pedal Mixture.
Hills' kept most of the flue-work and revoiced it - it's always easier to revoice in a Romantic direction because you cut off pipelengths, cut up mouths and deepen nicks - and added a new Large Open and Octave to the Great and Open Diapason (metal) 16 and Double Open (wood) 32 to the Pedal. All the reeds were new. The Choir Organ was moved from the case on the screen (which now houses a Rood and attendant figures) to its present position in the south quire arcade.
Thank you, David.
So - half a Hill, then.
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Again, this is not a YouTube clip - but it is too good to miss. The late, lamented Gerre Hancock, improvising on Ora labora, (the hymn tune by Thomas Tertius Noble.), on his last Sunday as Organist of Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, NYC: https://soundcloud.com/pipe_organ/gerre-hancock-last-improvisation-saint-thomas-church-on-ora-labora
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It looks as though the 1853 Hill in the Panopticon had a two-rank Vox Angelica on the Solo, although the information in NPOR is not completely conclusive. It certainly seems to have been there when the organ moved to St. Paul's Cathedral in 1861.
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N16545
Slight tangent - Wivenhoe Church, Essex, has a very fine old Walker, which has paradoxically got more Walkerish over the years as the Great Fifteenth replaced a Clarinet in 1962 and the Swell strings were replaced by a Gemshorn and Mixture in 1971 (the Swell was entirely octopod before that). I gave a concert on it to celebrate its 125th birthday in 2010 (I used to play it a lot as a teenager, especially for weddings so that the organist - he's still there - could play cricket). The Celeste was long gone, but I found that one could get just as good an effect by half-drawing the Open Diapason with the Stopped Diapason. No rocket science here - I'm sure lots of people do the same thing - but I wonder if such an effect was ever used in the nineteenth century, when the 'effect' would have been appreciated but the actual undulant stop not present.
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N08706
Thank you, David.
There are a number of organs by Hill which have (or had) a two-rank Vox Angelica on the Solo Organ; the short-lived transept organ in Worcester Cathedral is another example.
I was interested to read of your subterfuge for obtaining an undulating rank, at Wivenhoe Church, Essex, Indeed, I have resorted to similar tricks - even, occasionally between claviers. Partly drawing the Swell Open Diapason at Romsey Abbey, and coupling it to the Choir Organ (and playing on the lowest clavier), produced a reasonable Céleste. *
On an even more tenuous tangential matter - I have several ways of faking a 32ft. register on my 'own' church organ - including using the bass of the Positive Gedeckt (uncoupled), to provide the first few harmonics of the 32ft. octave. This works surprisingly well in certain keys.
Fortunately this instrument does have an undulating rank, a Vox Angelica (in the Swell Organ). However, I had it re-tuned sharp several years ago, and much prefer the effect. (Yes, I know it is supposed to be tuned flat, but it was fairly ineffective thus.)
* This is no longer possible; the stop and combination of the Romsey instrument action was altered to electric in 1995, by J. W. Walker.
Parish church organs - the future?
in General discussion
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Since this scheme was first publicised, I had regarded it as a measure driven by (one would hope) sheer desperation. I cannot imagine that any self-respecting churchwarden would ever suggest dispensing with the services of a priest and, instead, playing a recording of one of the sermons of (for example), Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang.