[Friends]

I particularly enjoyed his 'World Guide to Beer'

 

PF

[Compton Electrone And Multicolortone At Bbc Maida Vale Studios]

I'm afraid I can't add any factual information since I never came across this instrument during my spells at Maida Vale as a radio broadcast engineer. However it would seem more likely that if it were used in conjuction with 'Friday Night is Music Night' then it may have spent some time at the Golders Green Hippodrome. The Maida Vale studios have a fine Compton pipe organ in Maida Vale Studio 1, but I don't recall there ever having been an organ in the Hippodrome.

 

Am I right in assuming that you are the Ray White, one time Engineer in Charge of The BBC Radiophonic Workshops?

 

If so, then may I commend the following website about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to forum members.

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[Dr Alan Spedding To Retire]

After 42 years at Beverley Minster Dr Alan Spedding has recently announced his retirement. The Hull Daily Mail has seen fit to feature him in a two page article in tonight's edition

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[Manchester Town Hall]

I believe Nigel Ogden has a soft spot for this organ and he made a recording on it in January 1994 (In Classical Mood. OS207). At that time, quoting from the sleeve notes, the last time any major work had been done was in 1970 by Jardine and Co Ltd. The organ was cleaned and a moveable detachable console was fitted, along with new electro-pneumatic action to the primary motors.

 

At the time of recording, the organ was not in the best of health and Messrs Denny and Ginder of Jardines spent a few days patching things up to allow the recording to be made.

 

Unfortunately I've no later information but this may be of some interest.

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[Youtube]

Must have been Georg Felix Handel Bartholdy ...

I particulaly enjoyed his 'Fingals Largo'

[Youtube]

No console?

 

 

This young Italian gentleman appears to have something of a flair for entertaining improvisations and access to some interesting Italian organs as well as his own electronic instrument. I think some of his other items are worth a look too

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[The Best Cases]

I'd certainly agree about Beverley Minster. In my opinion, the organ in Hull City Hall also has a fine case. Personally I've always liked the Grant, Degens and Bradbeer case in New College Oxford. I realise I may be on my own here!

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[How About A Campaign?]

So often, the government of the day have an uncanny knack of awarding an honour in the last few months of the recipent's life. Surely the fact that they have not yet seen fit to award Dr Jackson the knighthood he so richly deserves can only mean that he's going to be with us for many more years yet. Well, I sincerely hope so anyway.

 

Best wishes PF.

[Crowd Pleasers]

I don't play the organ, or anything else for that matter, but I'm a regular recital-goer and avid collector of recordings. I'd like to think that some of the following pieces might be well received as part of a recital. I've certainly enjoyed them. In no particular order:

 

Toccata on 'Now thank we all our god' by Egil Hovland

Mozart Changes by Zsolt Gardonyi

The piece Derek Bourgeois wrote for his wedding, but I can't remember what it's called. I'm sure you all know the one

Elves by Bonnet

Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 541

An Elf in my Bonnet by Richard Francis

A Song of Sunshine by Alfred Hollins

Penguins Playtime by Nigel Odgen

Alles was du bist by Billy Nalle

 

etc etc. I could go on far too long.

 

Dr Alan Spedding has been playing some pieces by Davide Da Bergamo (apologies if spelt incorrectly) in his recitals and these have been well received and great fun.

 

Hope there's something useful here.

 

Best Wishes

 

PF

[Set Free]

==============================

There's always the sledge-hammer solution!

 

Does anyone remeber those days, when technology was basic....nay...primitive?

 

We had bits of bent wire on H, N & B consoles, and nice little toggle switches on Walkers; often behind the music desk. (They were great to keep one occupied during the sermon). Everything could be set on - off or neutral, and life was simple, and flexible and logical and obvious.

 

Then "they" came along with their Nintendo tricks....computerised this and computerised that, flashing lights, LED's, sequencers, touch-sensitive what nots, keys with hall-effect generators built into them, hard-disc memory etc etc.

 

I'm not a musical Luddite or anything, but the only sound better than organ-pipes or the repetitive slurping and guggling of a private oil-well, would be that happy sound of wood splintering, as a sledgehammer smashed it's way through modern MDF and circuit-boards.

 

Call me traditional!

 

 

MM

When was a child, my father would sometimes play the Walker organ in the Barking Baptist Tabernacle and I would often go along too. As a small boy intrigued by all things electrical, I was absolutely fascinated by those little toggle switches. I was pleased to discover that the NPOR entry for this organ has some rather nice pictures of them.

 

Best wishes

 

PF

[Youtube]

a little something I happened across which may be of interest. Apologies if somebody else has already posted it