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bam

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Posts posted by bam

  1. On 26/12/2023 at 12:21, Martin Cooke said:

    The thing that caught my ear was the little bit that Daniel Hyde had done for the refrain in the final verse of 'O come, all ye faithful.' It was only used in the Radio service - not the televised service. I see it as a very worthwhile enhancement of the Willocks v7 organ arrangement - splendid both in terms of descant finale and organ harmonisation, complementing the Willocks very well. Worth a listen or a few minutes' transcription if you missed it! 

    Fully agree - it sounded 'just right' to complement the Willcocks arrangement.  I hope it gets published.  When he took over, Daniel Hyde had a rather annoying habit of clipping the final chord of a verse or piece, but he seems to have dropped that now - mostly.  Also good to hear Bach's In dulci jubilo played after the radio service in a clear and measured way.

  2. I agree, a very interesting solution to the problem of lack of space in the old case noted above. The main choruses are 'straight' and few cathedral organs had an independent pedal pre-1960.   I'm looking forward to hearing the result.

    Also interesting is the reference to Schoenstein in the notes.  Their first UK instrument has been projected for several years at St Bartholomew the Great in London, but I can't see any signs of progress at present.

    https://www.greatstbarts.com/worship/music-2/the-story-of-our-organs/

     

  3. The 2005 restoration at St Helen's, Abingdon to close to the 1927 25 stop original is very successful, but I was disappointed by the Swell mixture.  It has been restored to its 1927 composition of 15,19,22, breaking back a full octave at middle C to 8,12,15 so losing its brilliance just where it's needed.  I don't think this is a typical period H&H composition so perhaps it was done to the wishes of the organist at the time. 

    https://www.npor.org.uk/survey/E01126

  4. What is posted is usually worth reading - I would much rather not have to wade through lots of 'non-posts'.  As an example I found the thread on the new Gloucester Cathedral organ fascinating, especially when read in conjunction with 'Baroque Tricks' and the booklet produced at the time of the HN&B instrument, when it was clear that those involved were absolutely convinced that what they were doing was right.

  5. Some very sad news is that Francis Monkman passed away on 11 May:

    https://www.loudersound.com/news/curved-air-and-sky-founder-francis-monkman-has-died-aged-73

    He had returned to his classical roots and done much research on the Bach family as well as the organs of south east Germany.  He had the practice slot before me on the wonderful Willis at Stony Stratford.  He was a very fine player - the last time I heard him was just before the lockdown when he was thundering out big Bach on the magnificent plenum - quite a sound!  I last saw him a couple of months ago when he was clearly unwell but very upbeat about making a recovery.  He will be greatly missed. 

  6. Good article - thanks.  The future of the church organ is inextricably bound up with the future of the church, and the leadership shown over the last few years does not fill me with confidence.  The 'Save the Parish' movement is a shaft of light.  I am told that theology/ordination courses include little if anything about music.

    After many years of trying the IBO finally set up an apprenticeship scheme for organ builders last year - we must hope it has long term success.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2156992797792795&set=pcb.2156992847792790

     

     

     

     

  7. Thanks for a very clear and well explained summary.  It leaves me increasingly grateful for solid Victorian tracker action, but increasingly concerned that small country churches need to be very aware what they are taking on with modern electric actions.  It's a different situation for large, well funded institutions with high six or seven figure rebuild costs where the initial cost and that of subsequent maintenance are (I suppose) considered to be part of keeping a big instrument.

  8. Thinking slowly about this a bit more, I wonder why organ electronics are so expensive?  I guess most systems are bespoke and the market is small.

    My last involvement with computers other than as a user was in the days of HP9830s and DEC PDP-11s so I can only speculate from a position of ignorance, but wonder why a simpler, perhaps PC-based, transmission system is not available.  Something like Hauptwerk is obviously not the same as a transmission but shows what can be done with a reasonably standard computer.

     

  9. 17 hours ago, Robert Bowles said:

    I am sorry to hear of your disappointment about  the edited version, but, imperfect as it may have been, it has projected the pipe organ into the public domain in a way that has rarely been achieved - and on Christmas Eve!!  .  The original film was made, privately, over a year ago, and it was too long for the slot that was available on BBC4. Something had to be left out.  The wonderful experience of the Seventh Day Adventists and the youngsters learning the organ there may be the subject of a future programme, methinks.   The Henry Jones at London Bridge was only installed in August 2022, and couldn't be slotted in to a programme that was already too long.    Let's see what happens! 

    Apologies if my comments came over as less than positive!  It was a tremendous achievment to get the BBC to broadcast it and Huw Edward's narration came over very well.  But getting youngsters interested in and playing the organ is key to the future and I hope there will be a follow up with the London church.

    I made an attempt to engage with one of the local schools that has a strong music department a couple of years ago to set up an introduction to the instrument but was not successful.  I will try again in the near future when I hope to be a bit more mobile.  Although (as far as I know) Aylesbury remains England's first and only county town with no pipe organs, there are some very good two manual mechanical action instruments in the outlying villages that would be ideal for teaching, but sadly there are few if any students.

  10. I found the whole documentary coherent and well put together.  I was disappointed at some of the editing for the broadcast version, notably retaining the "guy with his house organ" (although that may be of great interest to non-specialists) at the expense of showing the youngsters learning the organ at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in London following the installation of the restored instrument, and the organ installed and being heavily used at London Bridge Station.

    The Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire OAs had a Zoom screening of the full version last November followed by a Q&A session with James Dawson and Martin Renshaw.  Martin emphasised that he almost always selects all-mechanical action instruments for saving as they are easier to restore and have a much longer potential life - very relevant after reading the "Interesting repair story" topic.

  11. I am curious as to why solid state systems have a comparatively short life if they are correctly installed and not interfered with.  There are no moving parts so surely all they have to do is sit there and work.  A number that I've seen have no dust protection so perhaps that is a factor?  Or are there intrinsic issues with solid state components that limit their life?

    I was told a few years ago by the then MD of one of our leading firms that the system they used was future proofed in that if a fault developed on a circuit board they might not be able to buy that particular board to replace it, but they would be able to buy a board that would do the same job and fit in the same place.

    That's encouraging but not the same question - why is a limited life expected?

  12. A shortened version (60 mins of the original 70) of James Dawson's acclaimed documentary will be screened on BBC4 at 9.10pm on Christmas Eve.  Narrated by broadcaster and organist Huw Edwards, it looks at the loss of pipe organs as churches, chapels and other venues close and the efforts of organ builder Martin Renshaw amongst others to save and rehome the best of them.  It will be available on iPlayer after the screening.

    https://wingspanproductions.co.uk/what-we-do/read/80/Organ-Stops

  13. After checking some interesting posts on the work done in 2017 at Southend School for Boys, a search on "The Village Workshop" brought up a Google  box noting that they are "Permanently Closed".  Can anyone confirm whether that is correct?  The only example of their work that I've come across is the 2016 rebuild at Great Missenden.

  14. Thanks for the clarification!  Good to hear the Trumpet has found its voice - it sounded rather lost in the Chapel.

    I would very much like to hear the Chapel organ again following the Nicholson work.

    I went to the lunchtime recital in the Parish Church (St Andrew) in April and it sounded as though all was not well.

     

  15. Another appeal which I hope is successful is that for Holy Trinity, Coventry, where the plan is to transplant the 3m H&H from St Thomas, Leigh, Greater Manchester.  If you search 'holy trinity coventry organ' there's a fair amount of info online.

  16. The pipe organ in St Mary's is a charming one manual built from the Nelson instrument previously in St Nick's, Durham.  It's very much an 'orgue de choeur' and none the worse for that, but the 'main' organ is the electronic.  The G&D is the URC is well worth a visit if you are in the area - the only pipe organ left in Abergavenny and a testament to the longevity of Victorian tracker actions.

    All Saints, High Wycombe has an appeal running for the overhaul of their 1930 HW III, a fine instrument which fills the church and has an almost ideal layout - Great speaking west, Choir south and Swell between the two.  It has what I think is the only full length 32' in Buckinghamshire, the pipes being in the north east corner of the church in what is now the 'Chapel of Rest'!  The mechanisms are well past their sell-by date, said to be a mixture of very old slider chests and Willis pitman chests, and some unsuccessful tonal changes were made in 1984, together with some ugly revisions to the console.  Hopefully the appeal will be successful and it can be edged back towards its former character.  Reading Minster (St Mary the Virgin) - not an organ I know - has a long running appeal for the restoration of its Willis I / Bishop / Willis III.  The old Mander firm was looking after the instrument but I don't know the present situation.

     

     

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