AJJ

Stop names and previous instruments aside - if other work by Tickell is anything to go by (Dulwich, Eton and the recent rationalisation/augmentation at Sherborne) Worcester is likely to be in for something quite exciting. If they are able to go for the best solution to their needs then good for them! It will be interesting to see the Nicholson part of the whole scheme. AJJ

Thanks again - it's really rather good! - who's playing & where? AJJ

Have a look at: http://www.tickell-organs.co.uk/specInfo/Worcesterspec.htm AJJ

Thanks AJJ

Is there any more please? AJJ

Steeple Ashton over the border from here in Wiltshire (see NPOR) has a Bryceson Brothers & Ellis dating from 1875 and nearly as it was originally. It is a fine medium sized 3 manual in an interesting medieval church with a reasonably good acoustic. There is another slightly larger 3 man. recently restored by Geoffrey Coffin (Principal Pipe Organs) in the Temple Speech Room at Rugby School (1890). There used to be a large Bryceson (1872) in the Chapel there with an early electric action but it is now long gone. Bryceson worked with a number of other individuals during his career including Ellis, Morten and Fincham (Godmanchester - 1860 - is another good example - restored not so long ago by Peter Collins). The 2 manual for the 1885 Kensington Exhibition won a gold medal for its pioneer electric action and detached console and the company held the English concession for the 1868 Paris patented 'Barker/Peschard' electric action. Much of their work during the 1850s and 60s remained in the English tradition though later they became more experimental. They were later taken over by Kirkland in the early 1890s who in turn were taken over by Hill, Norman & Beard. AJJ

Try Robert Clark playing Bach here on Calcante CAL CD041 (recorded in 2001) - amazing!! AJJ

Thanks for this AJJ

Not exactly organ music (although one has been arranged for organ) - I would like a recording of Durufle's Trois Danses for orchestra - does anyone know of one? (There is a fairly old recording of the Requiem with one tacked on as a 'filler' but my reliable local CD shop has as yet been unable to source a copy). Cheers, AJJ

An aside - but the 'little organ that disappeared' is now incorporated into the organ at St Peters Budleigh Salterton. AJJ

NPOR says 'Yates & Allen' - could this have been Roger Yates? - I have not come across an association with an 'Allen' except that he knew Aubrey Thompson Allen when they were both associated with Willis early on in their careers. Thompson Allen of course later went to the USA. Or am I totally off course! AJJ

I was there and thought he and Clive Driskill-Smith played really quite well. Mind you it it's interesting to compare the recorded sound of the organ now and on the old Kynaston recordings - everything feels a lot more 'tightened up' and efficient in its operation. AJJ

A bit of an aside but for years I felt uneasy about the above sort of thing till my GCSE students gave me a 'cop out' for the whole pop music v classical discussion - they decided that rather than pop and classical there was just good and bad music. This allows all of us to like or dislike whatever we wish. I can now play them whatever I like and they will listen and give an opinion and the reverse for me...though not too loudly...except if it is DGW at the RAH. AJJ

I seem to remember that he died only this year - Thierry Mechler played on the CD in question I think - perhaps he could help. http://thierry.mechler.free.fr/ AJJ

This interestingly brings things back to where they started as from what I can gather, the Buzard organ in question is in a fairly dead acoustic (though not a new building) - the 'surround sound' effects of remote divisions together with a large ammount (for the building size) of fairly opulent sounding pipework seems to work very well. AJJ

The Willis reconstruction at Ruthin has a rather interesting approach with a single line of 16 pistons under the lowest of the three manuals - these have multiple memories. There is also a stepper facility. I understand that this was something to do with re using an old set of keyboards - space between etc. but personally this arrangement with them as generals or with some sort of scope facility would fit the way I tend to register ideally. AJJ

QUOTE(Pierre Lauwers @ Oct 24 2005, 08:26 AM) ''Were the churches in Britain today as wealthy as in the US, what would happen today?'' I would suspect that where new organs were replacing old (as opposed to rebuilds etc.) pretty much the same would happen as is happening at present - look at St Albans (Mander), Honiton (Tickell), Deptford (Drake) - there is an economy and perhaps one could say healthy leanness of design that is sometimes not present in the US. That is not to say that we skimp on details over here but even with our exports there is nothing there that doesn't need to be there. Jack Bethards of Schoenstein once wrote to me that he wished that clients would ask for smaller instruments with better economy of design. Rebuilds are a different thing but even there on the whole there seems to be more common sense around than there was - look at the work done at Sherborne - ok it has a new action etc. and remote section but the rest shows a healthy regard for what was good about the old scheme by leaving it alone. Money does have a lot to do with it though. AJJ

Very succinctly put! AJJ

Also interestingly the big new Mander, Harrison & Walker 3 & 4 manual jobs going to the US are often less 'lean' than the new examples over here though not as out and out 'romantic/symphonic' as some by Buzard or Schoenstein etc. over there. One can almost tell what one is going to get over here when a new project of larger proportions is announced. That is not in any sense meant as a criticism but new instruments in the pipeline from a number of builders for instance back this up (though Kenneth Jones has done some 'different' things at Rugby and Tewkesbury). Not wanting to start an old (and tired) line again - but I'll say it anyway - we wait in anticipation to see what happens at Worcester. Regardless of the pros and cons of removing the old organ - the opportunity provided by the new will I hope be taken up and exploited fully and with imagination. AJJ

I agree - Redcliffe etc. are spectacular - hopefully less threatened than in the past - vis restoration work at Al Saints Margaret Street and Crediton. But in the USA it is almost like reform of the reform of the reform! AJJ

Priory Records have recently recorder John Scott on a new J P Buzard organ in Atlanta Georgia (see link below). The playing and recording standards are as would be expected from player and company involved and I am assuming that the very impressive range of sounds are a representation pretty much of what one would hear in the building. The instrument is large for its 'context' with a wide array of tonal resources including a chorus of Dulcianas, extended Trombas, a H & H Harmonics, proper choruses and mutation ranks, a plethora of colour flues and reeds and two remote divisions away from the main bulk of the organ. The blurb states that this is an organ in an 'Anglican' context - presumably from a liturgical point of view and it can seemingly cope with a wide range of the repertoire as the recording shows. What I am wondering is - whether this 'type' of organ would ever be built over here in the UK or is it more an example of the sort of instrument being built by an number of companies in the USA in a kind of 'new romantic' or 'new symphonic style' almost a sort of upgraded St Mary Redcliffe. Compared to recent new organs over here there seems little similarity to me. AJJ http://www.buzardorgans.com/opus/opus29-list.htm

So how do you remember what's what? - postits or something similar? AJJ

Scope sounds interesting - can someone explain please? AJJ

Wells Kennedy did the following at Donaghadee, Co. Down a year or two ago - John Norman was consultant. It has a rather nice quasi Victorian gothic case designed I think by Didier Grassin. GREAT Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Principal 4 Wald Flute 4 Fifteenth 2 Sesquialtera 1-3/5 III 17.19.22. c1 15.17.19. f18 12.15.17. c25 SWELL Gedeckt 8 Viola 8 Principal 4 Trumpet 8 PEDAL Bourdon 16 Bass Flute 8 ext. Tremulant & usual couplers Mechanical Action 3' Wind 'Looks a bit like a mixture of our 'inventions' above - apparently it sounds and plays well. AJJ

I play an 1870s Vowles organ fairly frequently - 2 manuals - usual stops etc but with a fairly pungent 17.19.22. Mixture on the Gt and nothing but a 2' Piccolo to top the Sw flues. The two 8' reeds (Trumpet and Oboe are on the Sw - this division is quite recessed) Consequently for any big chorus effects the Mixture needs to be drawn. It works but sometimes one could do with something less 'clangy' and 'complex' sounding and the Gt 2' is not really 'pointed' enough tonally. I often use it with the 8' and 4' flutes as a RH solo against Sw 8' and 4' Principals. It was suggested at the last 'clean up' that a new quint mixture could be added to the Gt on the Dulciana slide - tempting - but it was decided not to mess around with things in the end. The sound is as one would expect from an organ of this type and vintage in a resonant church. I quite like it actually! AJJ