AJJ

This could be pre recent work as the reeds mentioned earlier do not seem to have arrived in the spec. yet. AJJ

Or even Leicester...........! AJJ

The school where I teach is in Andover - the church is right next door to our local ABRSM centre so in gaps between playing for students' exams I used to pop in for a reasonably enjoyable blast. That was about three organists ago. AJJ

St Mary's? AJJ

I understand Gordon Stewart is also heading for a job in the USA - maybe this (see also John Scott, David Briggs, Graham Elliott, the gent at Washington National Cathedral whose name I have temporarily forgotten, Ross Cobb from Bristol who is now at the Anglican Cathedral in Sydney etc.) should be the start of another topic though. AJJ

I heard West Bromwich on a BIOS trip about 20 years ago - not long after Nicholsons had worked on it and it sounded very fine - played by Geoffrey Morgan I think. http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N04938 AJJ

Back editions of 'The Organ' may be of some use - OK, not primary sources but if one also includes some of the letters to the editor there is a wealth of info. there if one has time to look. AJJ

Laurence Elvin is indeed no longer with us but as far as I know his wife still is - living in Lincoln. A

I think it is something different to this when used in recent instruments by Bernard Aubertin (Aberdeen etc.) in that it seems to be a metal stop that is sometimes used in the facade - as a sort of all purpose foundation voice (the Aberdeen one is 16' on the 'Great') I have a feeling that this topic has come up before but vaguely remember that there is also some sort of variation in construction throughout its compass. Nigel Allcoat will know. AJJ

This is a shame because in the past the journal was quite authoratative in its content - I have a complete set from its start till it went A5 size and there is some quite pithy research contained there - I quite often refer to articles etc. AJJ

I remember it well! AJJ

Isn't Derby Cathedral another Compton with a mainly independent Swell - largely retained from the previous manifestation of the instrument? A

Imteresting but 'sounds a bit like the sound track from something pretty compelling (at least in our house anyway) that went out on BBC1 on Saturday at 7.00. The only thing missing was the periodic cry of 'Exterminate'! AJJ

There are also Ian Bell articles on Compton in back issues of the BIOS journal though mine are packed away at present so I can't check exact references. He also spoke about Compton when BIOS visited Downside some years ago. Roger Taylor - the organ builder based at Burrington in Somerset looks after Downside and has a good knowlege of Compton's methods etc. I know he was ex R & D - 'could have been ex Compton too though not sure of this last info. A

And well deserved too - 'should happen more often! AJJ

Downside is also an interesting Compton to hear - some attractive sounds at the p to mf levels (not including some of the 'composite' solo stops - some of which I think are quite vile) but the full choruses leave me at least strangely unsatisfied. The big reeds are also quite 'thick' sounding. The acoustic helps a lot though and generally if one registers with care the instrument can give quiite a good account of itself. AJJ

Thanks for this info. DF67 and greetings too! - I think I may have sung for you a few years ago! AJJ

Do we know the builder yet? AJJ PS Apart from the Choir spec. the rest looks on paper like the 'Klais' at Bath Abbey!!

[quote=Colin Harvey,Jul 5 2006, 04:36 PM] Turner Sims is just a rather unfashionable organ right now. It's rather a shame because as I have written here before - I was there when it went in (and indeed one of my fellow students was actually helping to install) and it was so good then to have an instrument to play 'properly'. (Oops - sorry Adrian - St Mary's was great fun but too cold in the winter and too far to bike!!) AJJ

Homebase do nice 'natural wood look' doors.................... AJJ

Likewise more recent instruments by Quimby, Schoenstein etc. in the US AJJ

No doubt with Del boy and Rodney at the helm. AJJ

Yes - but Manders left the mechanism in case anyone in future wanted to move it back. AJJ

Have you heard Alexander Mason who was/is assistant at Lichfield? - he does rather a good improvisation too. AJJ

Why does he move around so much - he is only playing long chords? AJJ