Henry Willis
-
Posts
359 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Henry Willis
-
-
Fine Great chorus and a splendid Cornopean.
There are still very many of these fine little jobs going strong and, thankfully, unaltered.
We restored this one last year http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=N09603
and we're currently doing this one http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=N18122
DW
-
The reply came back....."I can't get anymore out of it without increasing the cut-up."
Would anyone like to vote on the likely scenario?
Is it:-
d) A split in the pipe
e) An ill-sealed stopper
MM
As you say, B*** S*** - it used to work and now it doesn't. AND, anyone who would let a tuner start cutting up a pipe that was perfectly OK until the last two tuning visits deserves THAT tuner.
After the winter we've had, I'll go with either (or both in extreme circumstances) d) & e) above. You'll probably have to take the offender out and shine a strong light up it (pipe, not tuner).
DW
-
Oh I knew that, but I just hadn't heard by then that it was actually on on that day.
They were here for hours and recorded a huge amount of stuff, so I think they might be using some of that for a different programme, perhaps in the future.
For Mr. Richell's information: It would have been difficult to interview HW4 as he lives in India and has done for several years now. Unlike some, I don't have much time for newspapers!
DW
-
Radio 4, 1.30pm today is broadcasting a programme about the Willis firm.
Peter
Oooh! Thank you for drawing my attention to it Peter - they hadn't let ME know!
DW
-
Can anyone point me towards diagrams/line drawings of different sorts of organ pipe?
Try here: http://www.organstops.org/_apps/Illustrations.html
There should be most things that you would need there (including 5 Heckelphones!)
DW
-
======================
My favourite is the 32ft reed at the Riverside Church, New York, which has a rubber sleeve to do the same thing.
MM
It's not a reed, it's a Contra Gamba - "Purrs like a pussy cat" as Tony Bufano used to describe it, God rest his soul.
DW
-
I recall playing for a Mass at S. Etienne, Caen a few years ago, and adding the Octaves Graves G.O. (with reed ventil 'on') and almost wetting myself with exhilaration.... (Of course, the same thing would not obtain on any English organ I can think of - the scaling and voicing of the G.O. reeds would invariably produce basses with too much tonal 'body')
St. James's Florence (http://www.willis-organs.com/florence_general.html) is an English organ with just that - G.O Octaves Graves & G.O. Octaves Aigues. The Great Bombarde is not a 'Trumpet' but instead a more French voice and so you are right that there isn't the tonal body in the bass.
The Great Mixture has had to be changed (by introducing another break) as the Aigues made it too high, too soon!
DW
-
....Simon Preston is alleged to have described as the worst organ he ever played (he may have been in a bad mood because he left his organ shoes in the loft while he went for tea before the opening recital and the verger thought they must have belonged to a tramp and threw them out, but he was not too far from the truth).
The Verger?
DW
-
======================
I've been sitting on this for some time, and I'm frustrated.
I'm fairly certain that I read somewhere, that T C Lewis had enlarged the organ to four-manuals at Manchester Town Hall, using Cavaille-Coll bits and pieces, and then later re-building the instrument as a 5-manual one in 1911.
The touble is, I've combed my usual sources and archives, but I simply cannot find reference to it.
I wonder if anyone knows anything about T C Lewis working on behalf of Cavaille-Coll at ManchesterTown Hall?
(Hence my use of the term "under the approval of C-C)
MM
I think that you might be confusing two episodes:
Wadsworth added the Solo organ, in collaboration with Cavaille-Coll (C-C sent out the parts and Wadsworth put it in).
DW
-
I'll never forget how the university organist described it on the phone to me... ' He's...... naaaaaiiiiillllled with naaaaaiiiiiilllllss!!!!!!!!
Indeed Apalling. But is this so very different from what most of us in 'the trade' see on a daily basis: white, plastic bulb holders, lighting switches, both white-covered and plain copper 'Pyrotenax' cable, screwed with round headed screws (usually of the wrong gauge, resulting in the splitting of the plastic) into extremely venerable quarter-sawn oak or mahogany music desks, drawstop jambs etc.?
I was told only yesterday of an instance of a call-out for a fault: "The (mechanical) swell box isn't working!". An electrician had run a cable right across the swell front, cable-clipping it to each shutter in turn. SOLID!
I saw a few days ago one of the nicest early Wordsworth & Co (Leeds) organ that I've seen, very much as it was built, but the CONSOLE!!!! It's like Blackpool illuminations! all of this carried out with 100w pearl lightbulbs in the aforesaid white plastic holders screwed on to the soffit and kneeboard and controlled by a lovely 4-inch-square, white plastic switch on a two-inch-deep backbox. To top off this oeuvre extraordaire ..... a mirror held in place in the middle of the (formerly) lovely Walnut music desk by a 2 1/2" no 14, black-japanned roundhead screw and, to the left, a white plastic speaker box.
WHY?
DW
-
==================
The waters become a little murky, because the Willis take-over of Lewis may or may not enter the equation.
Does anyone know the precise history of Lewis from 1901 to his death in 1915?
Having relinquished his position at the Willis firm, he worked for Norman & Beard for a short while (1902), and also worked independently under the style of Thomas C Lewis rather than just Lewis, or as part of the Willis concern.
MM
This has been discussed (and corrected) several times already, but here goes again:
The FIRM of "T.C.Lewis" was, basically bust from 1900 and John Courage set up "Lewis & Co." in 1901 - as a LIMITED COMPANY (Registration No 70718) in which Lewis initially worked but in which he had no control. Somewhere along the line, he more-or-less fell out with Courage and left to work with others and also on his own on - presumably the working for others was when he needed the money?
Courage got tired of Lewis & Co. making losses and even by 1914 was in discussions with the partners in HW&S (which was NOT a Limitied Company and therefore could not, legally, take over Lewis & Co.) with regard to a merger of some kind. Henry 2 couldn't do anything about 'buying in' then as he was still paying off his father's debts.
In 1919, after the end of WWI and when HW&S needed more staff (and better premises) the discussions were re-opened, the Willis contingent bought the shares of Lewis & Co, and because of the legal limitiations the Company became "Henry Willis & Sons & Lewis & Co. Limited.". John Courage was also included as a Director of the firm and stayed on the Board of HW&S (as far as we can see from the minute books) until 1926. At about that time the title of the Company (still 70718) was changed by dropping the Lewis & So. Ltd.. Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. is still Co. reg. No 70718
Thomas Christopher Lewis was never involved with "Henry Willis & Sons & Lewis & Co. Ltd." or with "Henry Willis & Sons Ltd.".
DW
-
An interesting thought. The former Willis company operated from Petersfield, Hampshire, and was run under the direction of Henry Willis IV.
Not only an INTERESTING thought, but also a true one.
There is only one company named "Henry Willis & Sons Ltd" Mr. Oakley. Our Company Registration number is 70718, registered in 1901. I took over as Managing Director, installed in that position by HW4, on the 2nd Oct 1997 and the shareholding was subsequently acquired from all of the former shareholders on the 28th of November of that same year. There was no "change" of company, winding-up, cessestion of trading etc., only a change of Directors and then share holders - as is often the case in limited Companies. Henry Willis, Henry Willis & Sons and then Henry Willis & sons Ltd (to quote all three names) has traded continuously since 1845.
As to the quiet implication that we can't be the same as we don't still operate from Petersfield - sorry, have I missed something there? We moved our Head Office (and Registered Office therefore) to Liverpool in 2001, where we have had a Branch since 1854; we still have a southern Branch, though not in Petersfield. For information we have been with the same Bank for 143 years.
Now back to the subject:
The drawing which you have referred members to doesn't shew the complete action - this is only the dual-membrane exhaust and supply valve chamber and does not include the motor springing arrangements. Be aware that lodged Patent specification drawings rarely, if ever, gave a full or accurate view, for obvious reasons. Interestingly one of the Witnesses is named Spackman - as in Charles Spackman Barker. I'll look out the original documents on Monday, if anyone is interested.
The 1889 patent action is referred to in the firm as "Willis Lever" and we have restored six actions of that type in the past few years, another one to come in soon.
DW
-
Superb acoustic too!
Heavily coated in 'stardust' if I'm not mistaken.
DW
-
As the temperature in the church in which I play was -2 degrees I have come to the following conclusion re toasters:
2 manual drawstop toaster (actually doesn't get hot enough for toast anyway) as installed in my lovely heated music room = 100 points
2 manual drawstop pipe organ installed in local church @ -2 degrees = NIL POINTS.
End of.
Is this analogy fatuous or serious? Are you awarding points to the situations (i.e. the 'rooms') or not?
DW
-
It seems these Cornets, when done right, can add solemn grandeur by the bucketfull (as Stephen Bicknell wrote), so I'm surprised not to see more of them. Though I suppose David Briggs is working on it!
Justin
He's not alone: the pedal specification for St. Matthew-in-the City includes 10 2/3 - 6 2/5 - 5 1/3 - 4 4/7 as independent ranks. We first considered doing this in our proposal with Stephen for the Miami-Dade concert hall organ which never happened.
DW
-
============
The Town Hall organ may need work, but it was all working the last time I played/heard it.
As for the character of the instrument, it is still very much Cavaille-Coll, but lest we forget, the organ was enlarged by Lewis
BY APPROVAL OF CAVAILLE-COLL HIMSELF.
MM
That isn't possible actually: Lewis (&Co) did work in 1911/12 but CC was dead in 1900.
DW
-
I assure you that I most certainly would have gone even without the free beer. I think if I were HW, I would rather resent the suggestion of 'bribery'.
Thank you John, I'm glad that you all had a good time.
I would resent the above comment, if I weren't so used to it from that quarter - even though it is a libel.
DW
-
Got a name yet David? What about "Old Father Henry"?
This, of course, refers to the name of The Ale. Actually, it's gone a little further than we expected, as there will now be TWO different brews:
1. 'Cheeky Pheasant'
2. 'Pipe Dreams'
This is the trouble with leaving arrangements in the hands of the shop floor!
DW
-
As if to put me in my place, when I made my first recording with Priory the brains of the outfit (Neil Collier and Paul Crichton) described to me the system as used by Colin Walsh. According to them (then) his arrangement was that when recording him they set up their equipment and leave the building. After precisely the requisite time for the whole programme, they are under instruction to return, to find that he has played everything perfectly once. My God, how wonderful it would be to have such talent! And, to a certain extent, such faith.
In 'Mirabilis' days we only did complete takes, no editing. We were extremely fortunate in using great players who did get things down in a single take - this was especially wonderful with FJ, when we did the complete Bairstow disc: he was about 73 then I think.
The "set it and leave it" technique was one I used generally. All of the red light stuff only serves to get players wound up and nervous before they've even played a note.
DW
-
I think it appropriate to add at this point that the Diocesan Organ Adviser for Hay-on-Wye was (and probably still is) the vicar himself, Revd. Richard Williams who holds an LTCL organ performers diploma.
In which case, I'm reliably informed, the correct protocol is that there should be an 'independent' adviser called in to advise the DAC where the DOA is directly involved with the job.
DW
-
Because they could.
This is not so far off the mark actually.
We maintained this organ from 1953 as HW&S and it was in the hands of Ingram (whom we 'absorbed' at about that time) for 30 years before that.
Interesting instrument with a spectacular case (as we see from its appearance in the (too small) gallery of its new home. Originally two manual Bevington, all mechanical, built for Puddleston Court; 1905 Hill Choir organ added with pneumatic action - the C-side of the choir to the left of the organ and the #-side to the right; removed from Puddleston Court and into St. Bartholomew's, Holmer in 1934. HW&S overhauled it in 1960.
We have provided estimates for the straightforward cleaning and selective re-leathering of this organ for over 30 years, approximately every six years, on request but nothing more ever carried out. Notwithstanding, the organ performed perfectly well, with no soundboard problems or action problems other than occasional burst motors or purses. The last time an 'estimate' was requested, three were sought: we stated that only that work required to be done should be done (cleaning, repairs to pipework and re-leathering of the pneumatics).
However, the two other quotes were for "Restoration" and therefore much higher. Restoration was not required as the organ had little, if anything, wrong with it. We were told to submit a further quote for 'Full Restoration' but said this was not required and therefore did not quote for this.
Our tuner in Hereford had already been informed that the organist of the church had stated a preference for an electronic substitute but we genuinely believed that common sense and the fact that this instrument was such a visual part of the church would prevail over personal preference of a transient body! Not so.
The higher quotations for the restoration of the organ were obviously used as a convenient means of persuading the Parish to take a cheaper option (note, cheaper, not less-expensive) and depressingly a faculty was granted for the removal of the organ.
Unfortunately, this get worse: the faculty granted for the installation of the organ in its new home allowed for electrification and so the damage is complete as authorised by the Diocesan Advisory Committee and its organs adviser.
A shame, and shameful I'm afraid, in several directions.
DW
-
Those with wind pressures above 3"? Some stops I know in the UK needed to have a Govt Health Warning for decades.
Best wishes,
N
OOPS! That's us completely in the bin then!
DW
-
Oh dear. Luckily, I drive a Skoda. Yes, really, I do! I bought it on the grounds that no-one would be interested in nicking it and so far, touch wood, it has worked. Despite that, it's the best car I have ever owned.
Seriously, I have looked at the local area on Google Earth but, unfortunately, car parks are not a feature of that programme.
Oh dear oh dear oh dear - the stereo-type for Liverpool isn't accurate these days I'm afraid, especially for the City Centre, basically quite close to where we are. Your car will be safer here than in many other places even according to 'official' statistics for car crime: apparently Manchester, London and Birmingham are worse, by far.
As to parking here: there are about 15 spaces on the main road (St. Anne Street) at the front of the building, you can park all the way up the street to the left side of the building (Birkett Street), there is also then the road which runs round the back of the building to our loading entrance (Mansfield Street) and if all that space is occupied, there is Richmond Row, which is 50 yards to the left of the building in St. Anne Street.
Visitors might also like to know that we are 6-8 minute's walk from Lime Street Station, St. George's Hall, The Walker Art Gallery etc..
DW
-
I would love to be there, but will be on hols in America - but one thing is certain and that is that there will be a wonderful welcome in Liverpool.
Q
Sorry we won't see you Quentin.
What MPK didn't say and what isn't announced on our website is that we've commissioned a Special Brew from the George Wright Brewery in St. Helens, for the occasion and this will be administered free-of-charge to needy travellers! Any members intending to come might therefore consider the train!!
DW
Small Willis organs
in The Organ
Posted
The NPOR date is completely wrong I'm afraid: this instrument was ordered in 1897 and completed in 1898.
AJJ commented:
Somewhere here I have details of a new 'model' organ - designed possibly by Stepehn Bicknell with a small but interesting stoplist (chorus, strings, flutes and a Cornopean - all enclosed) over two manuals (maybe even an 'either/or' set up) with some nice choices of case design - 'can't remember whether this was put out by Willis or Bicknell but for a village church it would be ideal. Maybe HW/DW can tell more?
This was a joint effort between me and Stephen - an idea to raise some interest during the period after my taking over really, which he thought was a good idea. It's a simple concept: there are three-position lever handles for the stop control - 'up' puts that stop on the upper manual, 'down' to the lower manual and the middle position is 'off' - full mechanical 'duplex'.
The stoplist is a standard(ish) Willis recipe but able to be varied by the addition of an extra reed or two, having more stops out of the box (rather than just the Open Diapason or OD & Principal etc.. The casework designs were pure SB - simple, but elegant.
Unfortunately we never had an order for one - lots of enquiries, but no firm orders. The drawings are still on the CAD system if anyone's interested..........
DW