AJJ
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Cawston Organs were at one time looking after quite a few important organs in the SW including Bath Abbey, Clifton Cathedral (I think) and also the Klais in Symphony Hall Birmingham. I am not sure if this is still the case but their reputation for this work seemed always to be good - this was a year or two ago though and I am not sure if Tony Cawston (who seemed to do much of the work then) is still in charge.
AJJ
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I've had a look at the specs of this on NPOR. A rather nice 2 manual 14 stop Walker got mercilessly extended. In came EP action, thumb pistons, etc. This is the sort of work that should never happen to small organs. It affects everything - pipe speech needs altering for conversion from mechanical to EP action - it changes the entire instrument. There should be laws against that sort of thing. If they needed more power on the organ, they possibly could have filled the spare slides with a Trumpet and Mixture and not created a nasty behemoth that needs the maintenance schedule of a poorly cathedral organ to keep it running. Money badly spent. A straightforward overhaul, filling the spare slides if necessary with appropriate material would have cost less and have much better results.
There are still a number of firms doing the old 'EP plus extending' bit - usually smaller instruments by 'non-top-notch' firms in the first place, perfectly suited to their role - more in need of overhaul, cleaning and maybe judicious tonal adjustments than complete reincarnation. Frequently a large (and sometimes mobile) console appears, more pistons than stops and the whole thing then is transformed out of all recognition. The trouble is that on occasions the new work sounds tacked on - ok, impressive stop manipulation can now be achieved and on the surface the extended reed chorus L, R & C appears impressive - likewise the gleaming new console but ultimately what has actually been achieved? More often than not temporary gloss till the whole lot needs sorting out when either people get fed up with it or it starts to show its age. (There are also instruments that seem to be in a constant state of rebuild with things being added and changed every few years - one wonders where the money comes from. One such 3 manual in an important eclesiastical establishment comes to mind - transformed with new mixtures and mutations in the 70s, more tinkering in the 80s, fairly recent 'beefing up' on with a new solo reed etc. and now five or six digital stops are to be added to further 'beef up' the Pedal section with 16s and 32s that could not possibly be fitted in any other way.)
Having spent the last few years playing 1 & 2 manual Victorian village organs together with the occasional 'town church' 3 manual - all in near original condition and a couple recently restored to pristine condition by local builders with hertiage lottery grants (and all that involves) I now appreciate their worth far more than in my heady youth. My playing reflects the instruments (I have not had any complaints yet) and I do not long for all the electronics or the ability to move the console on a weekly basis.
This has strayed a bit from the Daniels topic and is not meant to be a reflection of their work directly - as I started the topic I suppose i'ts my right to stray a little!
AJJ
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Back now (alas!) but I saw a few nice instruments - St Sever (Landes region - SW France)) has an interesting CC not long restored in its west gallery and Bourges Cathedral was celebrating 25 years since the organ was rebuilt/restored. Superb case and from what I heard some nice sounds too - much old pipework. I also had a brief encounter with a rather strange looking little machine in a church in Ambroise and saw the new machine in Evreux Cathedral with its drum shaped case. Also - heard the organ in Boulogne Cathedral with its rather minimalist case.
Thanks for all the suggestions
AJJ
Have a look at Evreux.
http://orgues.evreux.free.fr/anglais/page-...eil-english.htm
St Sever
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/adora.orgue/stsever.htm
and Bourges
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Thanks!
Would anyone know about this one:
http://www.pykett.org.uk/the_hope-jones_organ_at_pilton.htm
Best wishes,
Pierre
I've seen it but not heard it - as the article says, it has had some things done to it that are not fully in sympathy with its origins but there seems to be enough left to get an impression of the sound as HJ intended it to be. The minimalist console is very neat!
AJJ
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It was announced in a recent IBO communication that Daniels had been taken over by Cawston Organs - does anyone know any more about this?
AJJ
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There are still a number of e Osmond men around the south western counties doing excellent tuning etc. on instruments in many of the villages - mine included. The large 3 manual Osmond rebuild of a Compton (late 70s/80s?) at St Peter's Parkstone in Poole has been mentioned here before - it is certainly very exciting - complete with Tuba and 32' reed. The last time I heard it (a few years ago on an Organ Club trip) the player concerned did a very respectable improvisation on plainsong themes in a very 20th Century French style - he has also been known to contribute to these discussions on occasions I think....!! Despite the somewhat unorthodox use of extension (check the NPOR) it can sound very effective. I believe Michael Farley has worked on it since then - the acoustic helps too - I think Roger Fisher was consultant to the Osmond work - the console is very sumptuous as I remember with no tabs in sight.
AJJ
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There are interesting organs in Bordeaux, and of course at Poitiers -but the Loire area is a vast one!-
Here is a very interesting one in Bordeaux (far more than the Cathedral's):
http://www.france-orgue.fr/bordeaux/
As for Poitiers:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/organ-au-logis/Pag...oitiersCath.htm
Pierre
Thanks for these - they both look rather exciting!
AJJ
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As Pierre told you, Bordeaux / Ste Croix is fantastic (initially built by dom Bédos, restored by P. Quoirin), and one of the greatest monuments of the french classical organs. The cathedral in Bordeaux is very standardised.
Try also the Cathedral in Blois, a Merklin (3 decker) recently restored, probably very interesting.
Driving down : Rouen, St Ouen is for me the top masterpiece of Cavaillé Coll, although a one-off in his production. This organ is really very unique.
Nice holidays !
PF Baron
These sound great - thanks!
AJJ
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In case you're sadly unaware - choristers from all over UK form in medium sized but gorgeous priory church in Wiltshire, form three choirs and perform all daily offices for a week, four services a day every day. Weds evensong is broadcast. This year also a lunchtime recital series on very big exciting Bevington just up the road. Come!
Westbury I presume - who's playing & when please?
AJJ
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Thanks for that.
AJJ
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I am soon to be in France for two weeks holiday 'en famille' - firstly about an hour south of Bordeaux then in the Blois area of the Loire region. Can anyone suggest one or two good organs to visit? (We have daughters aged 5 and 6 so anything lengthy could be a problem - likewise my wife is usually happy to participate in such ventures but not over much so!)
Cheers
AJJ
Ps We are going by car so are driving down from the northern ferries etc.
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Aren't the Tubas better "outside" the tutti, I mean rather pitted against it from
a Solo manual?
Noise isn't an aim in itself; was any Tuba intended for use in chords?
Pierre
I agree totally but in the Lincoln context as a special effect it worked. Maybe it is the acoustic - I am not sure - but the Tubas there are certainly not the obliterating type - the Chancel Tubas at St Paul's Cathedral could be used similarly.
AJJ
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I was told frequently by my teacher at Lincoln (an ex Assistant Organist) that the 8' & 4' Tubas were intended to act almost as super Great reeds - ie in a chorus context. At some point a Great to Solo coupler was added to facilitate this. I am not sure if this is the case at Salisbury etc. though. (I did once add the Tubas to the final part of a piece being played by a friend for whom I was page turning at Salisbury - it sounded good to me but his reaction was almost such that medical help may have been needed!)
AJJ
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I've noted on an earlier topic my own admiration of the organ in St. Michael's, Tenbury, which I would suggest as a candidate for your list.
And St Dominic's Priory in Hampstead/Belsize Park also.
AJJ
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You make some interesting points!
I understand from a previous assistant at Lincoln (who is also extremely familiar with the Salisbury organ) that he certainly viewed Lincoln more favourably than Salisbury. He expressed the opinion that it was both louder and more magnificent. However.
This is interesting - having 'sung against' Lincoln regularly for a number of years and also recieved organ lessons on it during this time I feel that part of its appeal is due to the space it has to speak into. (To hear Jennifer Bate play Messiaen there and in the same concert accompany the Durufle Requiem was a revelation!) Despite this, however I never had any feeling of 'lag' when playing. Salisbury I played once briefly but have largely experienced in a 'non participatory mode' - one feels much closer in to things there - the Choir Lieblichs etc. and in consequence the effect is very different - perhaps more intimate. The 32's 'round the corner' effect also adds to this in that the reed has perhaps a more 'safely out of the way' feel than that at Lincoln.
AJJ
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Of course we all know of several widely-acclaimed organs by HW - even if not everyone agrees on exactly which ones are greatest. I have suspicions about some of them not being tonally 'as originally intended' any more, and recently posted one of the reasons why I personally do not regard Truro as a typical work. For various reasons Lincoln would be another such.
I hope that those responding to this topic will add their favourites rather than their fondest moans amd that favourites (ideally) would only include instruments they have actually heard 'in the flesh'. Sadly - or maybe fortunately (since I am on the firinges of the recording business) the microphone sometimes does not tell the whole truth!
The 1906 Willis II at All Saints Lincoln - since it has had its Great 15th reinstated is well worth a visit - See NPOR for spec. (Cousans revoiced it as a Harmonic Flute 4 ! - Julian Paul, who has done so much to keep the Cathedral organ in good shape put the 2' back in the '80s)
AJJ
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Interesting - I never noticed this - 'have not been there for a while though but did some research on Roger Yates for an article in Organists' Review back in the '80s so spent some time there with the then Rector - Ronald Watts who had been instrumental in getting the Yates work done at Kilkhampton PC. He was also an organist himself so maybe console details etc. were worked out between him and Yates.
AJJ
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An aside.... but the Kilkhampton Willis (see above) combination pedals are very cunningly devised to allow registration easily by adding and subtracting by hand after the combinations have been set by foot. There are four pedals, each pedal draws Swell to Great, Choir to Great and Great to Pedal, plus a selection of speaking stops. Playing on the Great one gets:
1. Salcional 8, Principal 4.
2. Salcional 8.
3. Salcional 8, Hautboy 8, Flûte Harmonique 4, Principal 4.
4. All manual stops with 8ve coupler.
Rather amazing if you think about the various possible permutations for recital or service work and in this context it is better to have combination pedals to the whole organ than just divisionals. (In fact I think I prefer this in the small parish tracker context generally.)
AJJ
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I agree about Kilkhampton - here's the spec. for info as it's quite unsusal - 'supposedly it was originally a house organ:
CHOIR: Lieblich Gedact 8, Principal 4
GREAT: Open Diapason 8, Flûte Harmonique 4
SWELL: Salcional 8, Hautboy 8
PEDALE: Bourdon 16
Tremulant (inoperative)
Couplers: 3 to Pedal; Swell to Great, Choir to Great, Octave coupler to Great
Trigger pedal to Swell Horse-shoe pedal for Great to Pedal reversible
Four composition pedals to all the manual stops
Compass: 56/30
The 1876 at Davidstow in Cornwall sounds similar to the Yorkshire example above.
AJJ
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The above looks rather like St Aldhelm, Branksone in Poole (A really quite effective 1990s rebuild by Lance Foy of a 1920s Gray and Davison that had some 'typical of its time' work done to it by Osmond - it also has a Choir to Pub coupler!! - nice church too.)
AJJ
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I like Derby cathedral organ, and for the record there is also a good Compton at St Georges Cathedral in Southwark. At least they sound English in a way good old Gloucester cannot ever hope to now. Its also interesting to see how they mastered extention priciples in a way other builders haven't. I spotted that new CD, also another new one of Blackburn, with storm works on it, and I just cringe at the thought of the electronic thunder.......I've had my moan on that score already!!
Richard
Downside in the right hands can sound pretty good in it's acoustic too - I once heard Geoffrey Morgan playing there - it was magical.
AJJ
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Oh, and also working on the voicing was the exceptionally gifted Stephen Cooke, whose work see, then on his apprenticeship.
And I think on the HN&B Positive at Bath Abbey which seemingly had little done to it when Klais rebuilt.
AJJ
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I like this one!
Interesting ideas. As to have the organ in two swellboxes,
Great included, this is considered a good enough idea
by Schoenstein. Of course this is bound to dedicate
acoustic conditions, as Mr Johnston says.
Best wishes,
Pierre Lauwers.
Schoenstein would probably have put the Tromba rank and Ophicleide in another swell box inside one of the other two together with a couple of quiet strings/celestes.'Not sure whether we are ready for that sort of indulgence here in the UK yet!!
AJJ
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I have witnessed, at Steeple Ashton, the vicar ask; Tammy-Wynette, do you take Dwain to be your lawful wedded wife? Unfortunately, he realised and corrected it, and not a moment too soon judging by the size of her...
How did the Bryceson cope with Stand by your Man.... then which I am supposing was the requested exit music?
AJJ
Percy Daniel & Co
in General discussion
Posted
Maybe the best thing is to try the Institute of British Organbuilding and see if any creditation that either firm had still stands. Since they were set up the IBO seems to have got itself well involved in sorting the profession out somewhat. They also have a very readable website and their journal is also good bedtime fodder - if you like that sort of thing!
http://www.ibo.co.uk/
AJJ