swalmsley

Just to pick up on a couple of points here, one with my AP hat on and one without. I don't believe Stephen Smith posts in this forum (or even reads it), but for one I'm glad to see that organrecitals.com is appreciated. I've been pleased to be able to provide some of the technology behind it as a way of "giving a little back" to the community which has given me much interest and pleasure over the years. Stephen puts in a tremendous amount of time keeping the site up-to-date and it's important to me that the technology allows him to make the most efficient use of his time. In common with I think everyone that was there, I very much enjoyed Francis Jackson's recital on Saturday and I personally found that the wanderings-around on the gallery could not distract from some truly memorable music-making. It is important to point out (and is no secret, having been in our newsletter and on our website) that the video equipment was funded solely by a grant from the Lottery "Awards for All" scheme for the specific purpose of increasing accessibility to recitals at the Ally Pally. There is no question of those funds being usable for organ restoration. For those not fortunate enough to have been present, some photographs are available at http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/concerts.php Stephen Walmsley APOA

If MTT is a good way into the whole running of the DVD, then the cause is most likely the changing of layers during playback. The laser has to be repositioned to read the second layer, a process which causes a pause which will vary depending on the mechanism. It's there in all commercial releases over a certain length if you look for it; it's just that in some cases it's more noticeable than others. If I'm right, any replacements will show the same "fault".

I saw and played this organ shortly after the second console was added. I distinctly remember David Wyld, who was good enough to arrange this, telling me that the second console was added against his advice, at the insistence of the authorities, who wanted to create a more "intimate" feel to services focussed on the chancel. Naturally, I spent most of the time at the upstairs console...

By sheer coincidence, I listened to this CD from start to finish just a few days ago, and the effect of these old recordings caught me quite by surprise. I think it's about time that a snippet of the other scorching Dupre performance - the first movement of the Widor VI - found its way to that page, and it has... There are many wonderful moments here, but one of my personal favourites is Goss-Custard's build-up to full swell in "AD1620" which is still awe-inspiring no matter how many times one listens to it!

Could this be a way of raising funds? Go to a web page late at night, see which organs are not in use (buildings closed up), put in credit-card details, sit at home MIDI-console and play it live with sound relayed back! It's almost practical with current technology. Once potential hazard springs to mind though, having heard from a reliable source a hilarious recollection of how the local residents reacted to the Sorabji/Bowyer/Redcliffe late night recording sessions!

I'd second this assessment, having also heard all three of these works of genius at the hands of their titulaires. St. Sernin has a big, somewhat brash sound which speaks very directly to the listener rather than to the building - more so than even one would expect from the many recordings. St Sulpice and St. Ouen, having buildings acoustically fabulous where "anything would sound good" are more smoothly integrated, and in each case one thing I found remarkable was the incredible acoustical presence they have without sounding loud at all. The tutti are loud, but in an enveloping "I could drink this in all day" kind of way rather than the other kind of loud, which you will hear if you cross the river after the St. Sulpice audition. The tutti at St. Sulpice is like an good St. Emilion, ripe with velvet chocolate and depth, with layers of complexity which gradually reveal themselves to the listener. I'm not much given to unqualified admiration of anything, but what I can say is that for me St. Sulpice's younger and smaller brother, at St. Ouen, as heard in the building, represents the absolute pinnacle of the romantic organ music listener experience; not because there aren't other romantic organs which render other repertoire (e.g. Reger, Howells) more effectively, but because this masterpiece in this building does what it does in such astonishing style. Widor was guilty of understatement, if anything, with the famous characterisation he gave at the opening recital. No recording* or hearing of other organs live can prepare you for the breathtaking colour of the sound in the building. The tutti will make you cry. The chorus is massive without stodge, with glittering mixtures and the positioning and colourful snappy overtone-rich voicing of the chamades lends a great zing and transparency to it. The rich blend between the mixtures and the high-pitched reeds seems to be lost in the recordings. The miraculous contre bombarde manages to completely balance and integrate with the tutti at the same time as standing completely apart with that explosive effect which some of us enjoy and which satisfies emotionally rather than musically. Anyone who appreciates fine organs has to make the pilgrimage to Rouen at least once in their lifetime. We are incredibly lucky that CC had the opportunity, at the end of his illustrious career, to work with such a fabulous acoustic, perfect middle-height west end positioning, and such a goldmine of historic pipework, and that he used his skill, genius, and money to such spectacular advantage. We're also incredibly lucky that a century of vigilance has resisted modernisation, electrification and other "improvements". On the other hand, it's unfortunate that, unlike St, Sulpice, it can only be heard at a handful of autumn recitals each year, which are, shockingly, attended by just a handful of people! * Daniel Roth plays fabulously on JAV SACD and is very well recorded, bit still no comparison with being there.

Amusing to see that the ubiquitous ethernet and IPv4 are now very much at home in a modern pipe organ, with off-the-shelf components of limited lifespan taking their place among other custom-made parts which look built to last rather longer. How sensible; these parts are now so commoditised that one would no more struggle to replace them than one would a console light bulb. I wonder if the inbuilt (and unavoidable) latencies of this action are noticeable from the console in terms of a delay in response? Or are they relatively insignificant compared to the inertia in the downstream EP actions?

I had the extraordinary pleasure, some 5 weeks ago, of hearing this great instrument used as a vehicle for an improvised accompaniment to the silent film Nosferatu. It might seem logical that a theatre or concert organ with double touch, traps, swells, electric stop assistance and so on, would be more appropriate for this kind of usage. Having seen and heard a number of such performances, as is the current vogue, I retained a healthy sceptisicm about calling upon a baroque organ - even such a comprehensively-specified and romantically-nodding one - to play a role so apparently out of keeping to that intended by its makers. I'm afraid that the reverse was true; many other silent film accompaniments pale at what can only be described as the creation of high /art/ that the transfixed masses (standing room only) bore witness to in that candlelit gothic barn that evening. The film some three hundred years the junior, the music contemporary by an artist (and, undoubtedly, registrants) whose sensitivity and brilliance was as moving as his name is unfamiliar to me, the almost unwordly beauty and unmistakable authority of the sounds emanating from the west wall were captivating. There was an audible gasp as the artist used two mutations partially drawn to paint a tonal portrait of a ticking grandfather clock. I know only a little Nederlands, but not much is needed to translate their amazement that it was actually the organist accompanying at that point. The soundtrack merged so seamlessly with the film that whilst at the same time as marvelling at it I had constantly to remind myself that it was not integral. In that evening I like to think I learned something about the baroque organ. In terms of suitability for the purpose of accompanying a silent film, Alkmaar's choruses have to be regarded as abstract in the sense that there are no "effects" providing the concrete sounds that one might wish for. But the abstract sounds, born from an entirely different need, are of such quality that they easily bridge the apparent gulf in the listener's mind to produce an overwhelming effect. The recordings to which this thread links, whilst of fine quality and good enough to remind me of that evening, serve to demonstrate that the gap between recording and reality is bigger for this instrument than for many others. However, when one thinks how we are lucky enough to be able to hop on a ferry or a eurostar and experience such gobsmacking greatness, "Blimey" is pretty appropriate, really.

The most recent discussions between the Appeal and the Palace Management regarding our wish to tender the contract took place some six months ago. Note, however, that in keeping with our constitution we can only express a wish and can not mandate The Palace to take any particular course of action in this matter. Amongst those present were an external advisor to The Palace from the firm managing the proposed leasing process for the complex. After a wide-ranging discussion of all the possible options, it was the view of The Palace representatives that whilst a tendering process had considerable merit, the potential consequences of attempting to tender a new contract to spend a large sum which is yet to be raised (and which they could not underwrite) were not something they felt they could countenance. A piecemeal alternative - that of breaking the project into stages to be tendered seperately - was deemed to be impractical on artistic grounds. There was (and remains) wide support for this process - in principle - from all members of the Appeal Committee. On the long-tired topic of the curatorship, I have been the 'other' curator since 1999, and in recent years have taken a more active role than David Wyld due to our relative geographical distances from The Palace. Other members of the Appeal also carry out this function from time to time. Now that this information is public, it may be apposite to query why it was not so earlier. A glance at the pitiful standard of the some of the contributions to this debate, which seek to 'spin' any emerging 'facts' into 'truths' supporting spiteful objectives, will give a clue. Stephen Walmsley APOA

John Sayer asks some thoughtful questions, many of which have not escaped consideration by various people involved with this project over the years. Whilst it may be true to state, in the strictest sense, that the future of the building is uncertain, this has been very much the case over its entire history and actually the current (i.e. 2005) climate for the building is much more positive than in the past. This is regularly demonstrated to me in direct fashion as I find it increasingly difficult to gain informal access due to constant commercial hirings of the Great Hall. Those who would 'write off' the Alexandra Palace so lightly have been consistently proved wrong over the last 130 years. Many other significant instruments inhabit buildings whose future has been in question at various times - St. George's Hall, Liverpool being a prime example. Even where the future of the building is assured, there can still be uncertainty over the instrument's future. For example, I believe that even in the case of the Royal Albert Hall, the possibility of replacing the organ with an electronic to create more seating space was (thankfully briefly) considered. It is also true to state that the original situation of the Ally Pally organ can never be regained with any degree of practicality. The hemispherical recess, tiered orchestra and original roof are all gone. However, the rebuilt hall, whilst not quite as resonant as the old, is very friendly to organ tone; the acoustic effect is remarkable and quite unlike many other venues due to sheer size alone. I think many people who have supported the project would agree that an absolute pursuit of environmental fidelity to the point of unrealism should not be a sticking point. After all, the hall is a commercial entity, even if the organ isn't. The notion that the capital (or even the country) has too many large Willis organs is for me the least tenable of those stated. Few large Willis concert organs survive, many have been greatly altered, few are acknowledged to have been so successful at combining with a vast hall to produce such a magnificent sound. Would we be so swift to complain at there being too many paintings by a particular artist? If Mr. Sayer is referring to the Royal Albert Hall organ, I would suggest that this instrument speaks with a grand and distinctive voice which is as much a product of the Harrison firm as it is of Henry Willis I - now that it /does/ speak so well again and does the Mander firm great credit. The 32ft front wasn't tin. Mr Sayer then questions the commercial reality of the organ, supposing that it may be an expensive white elephant. How many organs, and even other works of art are grounded in sound commercial reality? On a wider perspective, what about, say, the Millenium Dome? To (badly) paraphrase the reply to those who questioned the sheer size of the proposed organ for Liverpool Cathedral - if necessity had been the only consideration, most great works would never even have been contemplated. Are organs pointless because they do not generate measurable profit? As for recital attendances, we have had very large audiences for some concerts, most notably when a large new section of the instrument was installed. Concert attendances are better now than in the last few years, and actually quite respectable in terms of London averages. If the current problems were rectified, more organ restored, and the ugly innards currently on prominent display were properly clothed then more people would come. In any case, I believe that it is dangerous to judge the worthiness of something without reference to the current zeitgeist, which is not generally favourable to organs. Times and fashions will change and our children may read history with gobsmacked amazement at how we let the real possibility of finishing this job slip through our fingers. As for whether the APOA will ever achieve a complete restoration, I do not have a crystal ball but certainly a complete restoration would never happen if everyone decided that it wasn't worth bothering with. I would remind those who tend to this point of view that it was regularly and loudly claimed that even the initial phase of the restoration would never occur, and now almost half of the instrument is playing (notwithstanding several well known issues which do not require further expansion here). The reconstruction will happen if we make it happen. Stephen Walmsley APOA

Those interested in the Ally Pally Organ may like to know that The Appeal has just published 11 new sound samples from a live concert played by David Dunnett in April 2004. They comprise a couple of minutes selected from each piece. We very much hope you enjoy listening to them. http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/recordings2004.php Stephen Walmsley APOA

According to Elvin, who wrote an "Organ Notes" article in The Choir, for which I don't have a date, "The action was Barker Lever, with a clever system of pneumatic to the drawstops and pistons...". In the Musical Standard, 28 October 1899, an article in the "Organs of Great Britain" series states "The pneumatic lever for the manual key action is of the most approved design, and the Pedal Organ has Willis's Patent Tubular action. The drawstop and piston action is also pneumatic with "vacuum exhaust" on a system patented by the builder." In The Rotunda, March 1930, Willis III wote "Pedal Action: A highly ingenious tubular pneumatic system was introduced of a then novel type. The player operated a pneumatic primary on a chest, which, by means of governing sliders, played the various sections of the Pedal... In the 1875 instrument every manual department was played through the intermediary of a Barket[sic]-Willis pneumatic lever. I could have readily converted the old pneumatic lever by an immediate electrical application, but as this would have left the tracker connections of great length and considerable weight to the pull-downs of the soundboards, I preferred to place a new electro-pneumatic converter at the soundboards themselves." Stephen

The distinctive 32' front was indeed one of the many things which made the instrument remarkable. Its eventual recreation and reinstatement has been on the agenda from day one; in fact never even questioned to my knowledge. So to Mark's statement that "Any future creation must replicate this, otherwise it will disappoint.", I say "Amen!", along with the rest of the 1929 organ! My understanding of why It hasn't been done so far is that (as one might expect) the case and display pipes will be expensive to recreate. Both were tragically vapourised in the 1980 fire. I'm reliably informed that the original 32' pipes were slotted and, for visual effect, rather longer than the 40' or so one might expect. Comparatively, for the cost of this one rank, one could restore rather more ranks on the Swell and Great - for which the original pipework exists in varying states of repair, and whose musical contribution will arguably be greater. Regarding the 1873/75 action, there are some prescient remarks taken from a 1930 edition of The Rotunda available on http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/organ.php , but I shall seek further and more detailed information. Stephen

Mark, All of the current Trustees of The Appeal share your wish, and speaking as someone who has, like others this year, given up hundreds of hours of time, free of charge, I can state that we do work together practically every day, pouring lots of energy into making it happen. At the tender age of 12 I encountered the LP reissue of the EMI recordings in a local library. There were many things about that LP which stirred my young imagination; Felix Aprahamian's inspiring sleeve notes (now available to read online at http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/recordings.php ), the spectacular photograph on the front - which makes the towering case seem even more so - the exciting playing and most of all those astonishing sounds in the equally astonishing resonance of the hall. Even then I knew that here was something quite wonderful and worth fighting to save. Many years later, with a partially-successful restoration in a much-changed hall, and having played and photographed it ( http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/organpresent.php ) as recently as a fortnight ago, I still believe that the Alexandra Palace Organ has the potential to be as wonderful again. I am far from alone in this view. The present incarnation has received its fair share of criticism but to the "glass is half-full" people it offers a tantalising glimpse of what once was, and what could be. The legend lives on, the challenge is now to help it regain its full stature. It will be an uphill struggle for everyone involved, as it always has been, but we look forward to what one day might grace the gallery in the Great Hall, and as far as I am concerned, and however it happens, nothing less will do than the glories of the instrument which speaks to us from long ago via those recordings**, and upon which Dupre, Cunningham, Marchal, Thalben-Ball and others lavished such praise. Stephen Walmsley **possibly modulo standard pitch, of course

It has been brought to my attention that in my earlier posting, of 4th March 2005, one of the phrases is rather open to interpretation; namely, "his accomplices", when I referred to Appeal property not being returned. Accordingly, I should like to clarify this: to avoid misunderstanding that phrase should have read "the former webmaster of The Appeal". I apologise to Mr. Taylor and his friends for the potential misunderstanding my unclear statement may have caused. Stephen Walmsley

Perhaps I can help to clear up some of the confusion on this matter, as I am a current Trustee of the charity in question. Firstly, Alan Taylor has no authority to speak on behalf of the Ally Pally Organ or its Appeal. When considering whether his views and opinions may be partisan, one should be aware that he has publicly vowed to destroy the Alexandra Palace Organ Appeal, and this clearly informs his selective quotation of the 'facts', which he does so out of context and without permission of the authors or owners. One should also be aware that Mr. Taylor and his accomplices have failed to return Appeal property - not least its website, which was eventually reclaimed by us. This explains why the old official website became the new 'unofficial' one. Secondly, this truly is a sad and sorry tale of spectacular incompetence, but maybe not quite in the manner you might expect. Allow me merely to say that the The Appeal has learned greatly from its mistakes in the past, particularly with regard to appointing members. The present Committee is focussed on finishing this great project, and not on the petty infighting which may have dogged it previously. Thirdly, The Appeal enjoys an excellent relationship with and is in regular communication with The Charity Commission. Accounts are prepared and submitted each year and have always held up to scrutiny. The Appeal is very much aware of the great responsibility placed on it of ensuring that the money of donors is used responsibly and in keeping with charity aims. This requires that Committee members uphold their responsibilities also. If they do not, the constitution of the charity requires that, in order to be removed, [four words removed by moderator], a UNANIMOUS vote of no confidence must be passed. Fourthly, I am greatly saddened to read that Malcolm Farr's donation was not acknowledged, which I am confident is due to a simple clerical error. I apologise sincerely on behalf of The Appeal. If Malcolm would be so kind as to contact me privately specifying the details of his donation I shall do my best to determine what it was spent on and obtain a formal acknowledgement. Fifthly, I'll speculate that the various authorities do not 'want to know' about Mr Taylor's claims for one simple reason. They have seen them for what they are - a spurious and cynical attempt to discredit the name of a respectable charity. Sixthly, you are most welcome to hear the organ live at any one of the regular concerts we hold - details on http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/concerts.php . MP3 recordings from the 1930's and 2004 are also available on this, the official website. Seventhly, it is public knowledge that the two Wylde Green stops were loaned to the Alexandra Palace by the Organbuilder. Eighthly, parts of the instrument are indeed 'temporary', although they have lasted remarkably well given this. They have unfortunately given spurious fodder to the detractors, who have criticised them along the lines of not looking permanent enough. You can read more about Henry 4's views on the temporary components - a necessary part of a piecemeal restoration - on http://www.allypallyorgan.org.uk/organ1993.php . Ninthly, there is confusion over two sets of Trustees; those of the Palace, and those of the Organ Appeal. The Organ Appeal owns all unrestored pipework. Once installed, ownership passes to The Palace. The two choir stops in question have only ever been owned by Henry Willis & Sons. Tenthly, there are indeed 'two sides to every story', and when considering the 'two sides', one has to bear in mind the motivations of each side. We know about Mr. Taylors', ours is quite simply to complete the restoration of this glorious instrument, and to keep it in the public eye until and after that occurs. Thanks to Mr. Taylor, we have had an enormous amount of unintentional help with the latter objective. Stephen Walmsley Alexandra Palace Organ Appeal