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Henry Willis

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Everything posted by Henry Willis

  1. I'd be interested to hear how the 'Rebuilt' organ sounds - presumably as dire as the last incarnation and the one before that: it's nothing to do with the instrument, the building is DIRE! Did you go David? DW
  2. And how "Spectacular" was it then? Especially after all the honking and hooting that went on about it - nothing since? I wonder if the days of more than 80 people turning up to ANY organ recital are dead? I do hope not, but if an event in London can only raise these numbers (especially after Radio puffing), even if it was only on a toaster, what hope to the rest of the Isles? On a rather more positive note - Colin Walsh's recital at Christ Church Port Sunlight attracted over 350 I think, so maybe all isn't lost! DW
  3. St. Thomas, Kilnhurst (Rotherham) Henry Willis 1862 (ish), 1-manual and Pedals, / Manual: Compass 54 notes Bourdon 16ft Open diapason 8ft Gamba 8ft (Enclosed) Hohl Flute (Enclosed) Lieblcih Gedact 8ft Dulciana 8ft Principal 4ft Fifteenth 2ft Pedal: Compass 25 notes Bourdon 16ft An utterly superb little organ. DW
  4. Why? I am still, even at my advanced age, surprised at the resistance to 61/32 - what possible reason could there be for NOT having these extra notes? And before anyone chimes in with "the cost" - this isn't a factor. It seems to be a referred abhorrence, possibly to electro-pneumatic specifications which are, invariably, 61/32. David Wyld.
  5. This one seems to have gone quiet for a very long time so.... May I draw to the attention of any members who are in (or who are likely to be in) the North West on Saturday that there is a Recital at Christ Church, Port Sunlight- a rarely heard instrument for many, many years. Colin Walsh - 7.30: http://www.willis-organs.com/port_general.html DW
  6. Café de la Mairie - great, but don't use the Loos! DW
  7. Oh Paul - I'm sorry! Perhaps I should explain: we have a complete set of Rotundas which we make available for any interested person to come to read in the Works: Stephen Bicknell also borrowed them for some time. We get many visitors to the archive and of course, these copies are now becoming slightly dog-eared and I have been a little concerned as to how long we will be able to continue to make them available. So a second set for 'library' use, as it were, will be extremely good news for those who want to come to use them. We do have many, MANY copies of some issues, but I'm afraid that some of the more obviously-popular ones ran out completely several years ago. We did once consider a facsimile reprint but of course the costs would be enormous - subscription copies anyone?! DW
  8. At the price being asked, I think it's safe to say that it'll being staying where it is! DW
  9. 'Superstition'? I tend to think that several hundred years of its being a rule would tend to suggest something more than "a tenuous basis". If you want clumsy sentence construction then the instance I saw at an antiques sale takes some beating: on a nicely-done, green and red enameled sign hung over a rather grand dealer's wares - "We are pleased to also BUY" - I challenge anyone to suggest that this, a split infinitive at its worst, is anything other than extremely ugly. It seems to me (as a simple, Grammar Schooled chap) that when these rules are forsaken either through wanton disregard or by sheer ignorance or carelessness, the results are telling enough - this applies both the the rules of grammar AND Harmony. How many on this list have recollections of the Kitson harmony books? These were standard reading when I was at School and, later, Walter Piston was de rigeur. The fact that they are now almost completely disregarded is very clearly demonstrated by the appalling efforts to which we are subject in the name of 'Contemporary music' - at least all of the letters of the word which I would use to describe it are in the word 'Contemporary'! DW
  10. Quite - Fifths are only inverted fourths! DW
  11. Not here it ain't! Consecutives are tricky: some think they're OK so long as they are intended while others think they are completely inexcusable. I've been somewhat surprised on several occasions when personages you would think should know better have completely missed them (both on paper and aurally). I subscribe to the Richard Marlow recognition scheme: Fifths "Waaah" and octaves "Honk"! DW
  12. The first 'performance' of the piece, by Vierne, was actually in Notre Dame de Paris on November 29, 1929. There are various stories about the mis-quoting of the chime tones but the notes in the file shew that HW3 quoted it correctly and therefore it's highly likely that Vierne changed it under license, as it were. Totally different point: I was told many years ago by Dr. Ruth Gipps, that the Westminster Chime is based on Handel's "I know that my redeemer Liveth". Any thoughts on that? DW
  13. Did he fall out with them? I thought that he merely expressed his opinions in a publicly-available forum. It would appear that they don't like anyone with an opinion - especially if it isn't like their own - how unusual!! DW
  14. And there M'lud, I believe you have it. Policing organbuilders and advisers isn't really the point: there is a real need to try to prevent the same thing from happening everywhere, time after time after time - namely, that the church will usually take between three to ten estimates ranging from larger firms to one-man-and-his-dog and then, guess what? One firm sends a thirty-page report and an estimate of £100,000 while Mr. Bloggins (that nice man down the road who knows Mrs. Sproggit in the Choir) says he can do all of the same stuff for £1-10-6d so we'll get him to do it. Sometimes, Mr. Bloggins also helps out the local 'organ expert' (to whom everyone goes for advice) not charging him anything for the odd rank of stuff for the old house organ etc., - oh, yes, it looks like that'll be OK then! The result is the sort of thing to which Paul Morley referred earlier, with copious quantities of Blutack and the like. The answer as to what is done in other countries is relatively simple - there, organs don't belong to the 'Parish', they beong to the Town, City, State etc., and therefore nothing can be done by the Mr. Bloggins's of this world (or their supporters) which will wreck them. The artistry has gone out of commonplace organbuilding - not because organ builders have no enthusiasm for it, but because (initially) in an effort to ensure that the botchit merchant down the road didn't take the church for a ride, they had to get an adviser: this adviser's job SHOULD have been to assure the parish that what they got was well-done and worth the cost but that situation has now mutated to the point where some Advisers dictate the work to be done (even though there have been occasions when this is shewn to be widely off the mark) and then proceed to interfere in the method -even though without any practical experience at all. Unfortunately, a bad situation which brought in the requirement for 'overseers' has resulted in a worse one. The 'corgi' reference above is not really appropriate as that is based on safety standards issues and little to do with anything else. DW
  15. I'd be interested to see one - as I haven't yet! DW
  16. Not compatible? - How so?? I have only ever seen one instrument where ALL of the Great pipework was 'on', as it were: even then only by having a single, full-length 8ft bass, passed around the several 8ft stops. It is (or at least was) usual to have the larger pipes stood off - usually in the fronts. Strutty was a martinette - I see his papers every day and we still use many of his calculations and drawings on a regyular basis but I suspect that old Robbins was making his own mileage in some of those opinions and comments.
  17. An extremely valid point but one which requires a proper solution rather than merely talking about it or setting up an organization which then pretends to seperate the Sheep from the Goats, while constantly covering over the cracks in the Goats' work for the sake of keeping the membership numbers up. It would not be difficult to cause considerable shuffling on seats by asking if that very same question has or should be asked of some of those who occupy the ivorine towers (without surface joints, of course!) of "Advisers"; Consultants, DOA's etc.. Admittedly, some are paid ond others not, but the question of 'validity of orders' remains.... DW
  18. ¿Se permite para que me registre el concierto? As VoxH says, this is a perfectly normal time for such things in Spain - in fact, I'm surprised that it's SO early! DW BTW, you don't have to learn to voice the upside-down queries!
  19. Nice ideas Colin! Unfortunately - and this is a big one! - there isn't a triforium on the North Side! All of the job HAS to go into the triforium position all on one side and, as JA (NZ-Organist) commented in a post in a different thread, the chamber isn't huge: this also means that the Solo soundboard is really only able to take 5 stops (this will be directly behind the tall case which will be placed in the tall, narrow lancet opening into the Choir/Chancel. We've tried to get most of what you 'favour' into the spec - strings in two divisions etc.. I take your point about a Clarion in the Swell, but there is an octave coupler there, whereas there isn't on the Great - that was my logic, however flawed! The Pedal mutations are something that will appear in all new Willis jobs (large enough) in the future. Entirely my own bias I'm afraid, but then I am in a position to do it, so why not The whole instrument will be entirely erected in the Works before it goes out and we intend to invite whomever would like to see/play it - likewise with Florence. More details at a later date. DW
  20. Sorry Nigel - I think you are slightly misinterpreting (or perhaps over-interpreting) my words: I did not say that the organ was to be made specific for the art of improvisation: the point was made to us that there were not any requirements for 'Choral Accompaniment', which is perhaps more to the point. In our discussions it was made quite clear to me that the emphasis was on the organ's being used for improvisation within the liturgy. and recitals. Of course, a stop list tells you nothing! DW
  21. I'm sorry Paul, I'm afraid that I totally disagree - The only interesting thing about Kopex is the fascinating machine that makes it! Kopex pulls wind off to an alarming degree, to the extent that if a one-inch diameter conveyance is required, you will need to use a one-and-a-half inch diameter Kopex line. We did tests here on blower pressure loss through Kopex (about ten years ago) and the loss is horrifying and worsens almost exponentially with distance. As to whether it does or doesn't affect pipe speech - just watch a length of Kopex bounce about when you put anything through it (someone else also mentioned this in this thread). Ref. the green 'tubes' in the Trinité organ: The Mutin-Cavaille-Coll organ at Highlands College in Jersey has an enormous amount of conveyancing on the Great soundboard (partially due to the fact that there is Pedal Transmission on two slides) and this is ALL finished in a bright-green size, obviously original. I must say that it's not quite as green as the Kermit-like stuff in the pictures. I'll try to find out what that actually is! DW
  22. A sweeping statement n'est ce pas? He was just as opinionated as all of the others, if that's what you mean! DW
  23. Don't even think about it!! In answer to several earlier question: David C: There is only the usual extension of the Pedal ranks but the mutations are independent. JA: It will all go into the triforium chamber (which is actually considerably larger than it looks, plus the full-height 'well' to the south end of the chamber for all of the Pedal stuff. DW
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