Henry Willis
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Posts posted by Henry Willis
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Dare I suggest that if anyone in the UK could build with the artistic and stylistic sense of confidence and quality which their (better) Victorian predecessors did, then we wouldn't be having this discussion?
And dare I suggest that if modern-day organbuilders in the UK were treated with anything approaching the level of respect which their predecessors were and allowed the artistic input into their new work which their predecessors were, then the outcomes may be more favourable!
That said, there are hints of British builders starting to take a serious interest in the Victorian style at the expense of the 'pan-European stoplist style'. Willis in Florence is an interesting example
And there m'Lud, I rest me case - no consultant, the tonal scheme, architectural and technical designs were entirely without outside interference.
Perhaps most interesting is Harrison's project in Glasgow which involves reconstructing in every detail a Father Willis organ 'improved' by Willis III. This includes a new action including Barker machine (made in house), and a new console re-creating in detail, and from scratch the Willis I original
Such a pity that that milieu didn't obtain when Lincoln Cathedral was done.
Klais get contracts because they do their PR well. Please note that every one of their near-identical loud neo-modernist organs gets maximum coverage in the organ press, even in the UK. It would be interesting to know why, from a artistic standpoint they qualify to do anything to a Norman and Beard organ, a style with which they have no experience whatever.
(No, Bath doesn't count, it's a new organ with some old pipes, it sounds and behaves like a Klais).
The point behind my original question actually.
DW
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Because, like it or not, we are in Europe now and I suppose the tendering process has to be totally transparent. That means that even Foreign builders have to get a look in.
Would Willis have done as good a job for the same money?
We did submit a scheme there, in 1999 I think, in conjunction with Stephen Bicknell, but it would have been out of the question now as we're fully booked for the next 4 years already.
If your question means "would the standard have been as high for the same money?" far be it from me to speak of our quality: the Florence organ is completed and anyone who wishes to go to see it does so with our blessing, everyone who HAS seen it (rather than just talking about it) seems to think well of it.
As to the European transparency - this is nonsense: only projects being funded by public money need to be tendered Europe-wide - notwithstanding, no contracts in Germany or France ever seem to go to 'foreign' firms.
DW
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The instrument was removed in 2005 to Bonn when the Cathedral was closed for restoration. It is being restored and reconstructed with new sections for the reordered sanctuary above the new location of the choir stalls at the east end.
There are photos of work in progress in Bonn here together with other pictures from the new organ for St Patrick's in Huddersfield
Both specifications can be found here
May one ask why Klais for the rebulding of a 1903 Norman & Beard? And Skrabl?
DW
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He will playing on fine well maintained organs, and such a distinguished performer deserves this.
I shall encourage my organ loving friends to support these concerts.
Colin Richell.
He Doesn't deserve THAT.
I'm sure he'll be thrilled!
(I refer honourable members to the reply I made earlier - post no. 16)
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If I were you, I'd ask your organ builder (I proposed him!). He is well up on VAT issues and should know.
Hector
There is no possibility of the repayment/reclaim of VAT on tuning and regular maintenance costs.
There is a scheme called the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, operated by the Department of Culture Media and Sport, which allows for the repayment of VAT for "Qualifying works" - which is any major work required as repair or for restoration (which can also include some replacement items) but not revoicing, new stops/additional stops etc..
To qualify, the church much be a Listed Building.
see: http://www.buildingconservation.com/articl...atlstdwrshp.htm
DW
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And sorry for hijacking this thread, but as we are talking "distinguished" organists, has anyone heard anything about "the doctor" (Francis Jackson)
Peter
Absolutely: he's playing at St. Michael's, Tenbury on Sunday at 3pm-ish and (and now here's a warning that we'll almost certainly hear from at least one other 'member' of this list following the mention of this) at Ally Pally later in June. He appears to be in rude health, as ever.
DW
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Sorry.... in his recent postings is pcnd seriously suggesting that neither Noel Rawsthorne nor Willis staff were aware in 1965 that the Tierces had gone in 1924? Surely, this has to be rubbish! Neither the organ-builders or NR could possibly be that much mistaken. Remember, it was NR who asked for several changes to be made later - why change the mixtures if they are already 'in line with modern thought'?
I think the comment about changes of specification is correct, but this happed right back the the start. I have here the official booklet of the Opening of the new cathedral in 1924 - it runs to 122 pages and itemises in detail all the fittings and includes such detail as listing all respective donors.
The important paragraph concerning the organ and specification changes runs as follows (page 82):
'The original specification was drawn up by Mr.W.J.Ridley, the donor's nephew, in consultation with Mssrs.Willis and Co. Subsequently (i.e. before or as the organ was built) the specification was modified, Mr.H.Goss-Custard, the Cathedral organist, acting as adviser and consultant to the Cathedral Committee.'
In this booklet (1924) the mixtures are all as given above in the 1965 booklet with the single exception of the Choir organ, where no Cimbal appears (IMHO this is probably a 1940 Willis stop).
I make no claim to be an authority on the subject, I merely refer to documents in my collection. To repeatedly tell us all that we can't hear tierces on old recordings, or that all documentation about tierces must be inaccurate is asking rather a lot. Isn't the obvious explanation that someone elsewhere (much more recently) got it ever so slightly wrong?
Paul is almost certainly right - on several points here:
In the original scheme, every division had a Mixture which incorporated a Septième: these were all removed from he scheme before the organ was installed.
I would need to get out the files to confirm, but I reckon it's a pretty safe bet that ALL of the Tierces were still there and were definately NOT removed at the whim of Goss-Custard. These records should also confirm, or not, Paul's suggestion that the Cimbal was a 1940 addition.
As to the possibility of 'someone' getting it wrong - this is quite reasonable given that there is a culture in that place of never being wrong, always having a quick answer and not bothering to check facts.
On a different note: an earlier posting to this thread commented on the original specification for the Echo Organ. I would be VERY surprised if that could be achieved for the £86,000 quoted (is this a mistake David?), also at the suggestion that it would all be voiced 'in style'!
We have the original designs and I suspect that it would bear little resemblance to what might be being discussed, like the Central Space stuff.
It all seems rather academic anyway, especially given the current climate and the fact that practically nothing happened when a similar appeal was mounted for St. George's Hall.
DW
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I asked this some time ago and was hushed by none other than the Lord of the House of Willis....
The reason for my curiosity was/is whether there is a mammoth five manual console floating about somewhere; but I never did learn the answer.
Q
This had already been covered earlier in another thread (30th Oct 2006) at which time was said:
Quote: JEPHTHA
" As for the fate of the five-manual 1940 console, it was disconnected by 1965, when the mobile two-manual console was installed, and removed from the cathedral in the early 1970s (by Willis, I think)".
The 5-manual nave console was indeed removed by Willis, much to the consternation of the authorities! Mr. Willis sent several men with trolleys etc., to dismantle and remove it and when there were protestations made ..... "you can't do that!"... he arrived calmly carrying the contract and other relevant paperwork which demonstrated quite obviously that it had never been paid for.
A common problem isn't it? Those who should know better, often forget from where they've had the greatest support.
I have the 'remains' - as Jeptha so politely referred to it - in the factory here. All interesting stuff.
David Wyld
Henry Willis & Sons
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Hello All
The version that I have heard is that WTB arranged to demonstrate an organ to a local dignatory (spelling?), when the chap didn't show up, WTB made to depart, only to encounter him on the stairs. "I've come to hear the organ he said, whereupon WTB made his way back to the organ, jammed some keys down with a broken pencil and left.
Jonathan
Another (slight)variation told to me some years ago:
Best was engaged to play for a Public ceremony but the Lord Mayor had been late in arriving and Best was caused to have to play for 'extra time'.
The Mayor's attendant walked up to Best and said that the Mayor wished to hear to organ so he wedged the top note down with a pencil and left!
The organ was blown by a steam engine until quite late on - up to the time of the 1930 rebuild, I think. The stone bed of the engine is still there.
DW
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Does anyone know of a score of Mendelssohn's Elijah with accompaniment arranged for organ? I have seen mention of one from Hinrichsen by a Marmaduke Conway, but can find no trace of it.
Paul
It's a total bugger to play!!
I'm a little surprised at "A Marmaduke conway": Dr. Conway was Organist of Ely Cathedral directly before Dr. Campbell. He had the most enormous three-manual reed organ in the house which is now in the posession of the Reed Organ Museum at Shipley.
DW
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The Priory DVD series is really well appreciated in this house. I wonder what the next offering is going to be...
Q
Lincoln, I hear.
DW
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I've just checked and the website is still live and makes no mention of the demise.
Malcolm
I suppose that that is sensible if they are hoping to keep this title going and to sell it on etc..
Let's hope that a suitable buyer can be found and that it doesn't just get swallowed up by one of the other periodicals groups.
DW
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Paul seems to have it right I think: the new Editor (David Baker) had made several rafts of changes which really had transformed the appearance and, possibly most importantly, the standard of proof reading! However, he has resigned and I am told that there is a possibility that the individual magazines within the 'group' are for sale - so Paul, you may get your wish after all!
However, be careful what you wish for: you may get it!
DW
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I heard only this morning that 'The Organ' magazine has finally gone. Apparently the company under which it was produced has had "longstanding financial difficulties" (edited!) and there are indeed creditors - did anyone else have any knowledge of this?
DW
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Fisk would be nice ~shhh~ sorry
As what?
After Lausanne Cathedral? I don't think so!
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Come to think about it, can't they just replace the dreadful Great chorus and leave the rest alone? I believe some tweaking to the upperwork was done in the 90s but it still lacks character.
In such a rotten acoustic nothing else would sound any better than what is alreay there. No doubt they will be interested in something from "another place" if the usual suspects are involved, in any way!
DW
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The second console, which should never have been installed, but was done so when the then consultant insisted that it should be, has now been removed again.
John
Oh dear dear dear. John, you know that this isn't the case at all: the then INCUMBENT isisted that he remote console be installed and that there was no getting around that if the work was going to be done at all.
I was also delighted when the electric stuff was uninstalled, which had been carried out in such a manner as to be completely removable without trace - and I DID insist on that.
For those of you not 'in the know', I was the Commercial Manager for the contract, acting for Taylor Woodrow.
DW
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#
Whether Willises 'stayed in business' is a moot point.
DW
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Hello,
some time ago there was a thread about the restored organ of Southampton Guildhall.
I would like to know if the example 5 from the recordings is a written piece? And if so, were can I get a copy of this piece? I tried Peter Hammond but he could not help me. So I am trying my luck here and would appreciate any help.
Cheers
tiratutti
Hmm
Not I piece I've ever heard but it sounds curiously like, perhaps, William Harris?
DW
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Interesting - I have just looked again and I cannot see this piece of information....
About which - Liverpool MetPot or Auckland?
For what it's worth the Auckland example, which I examined last year, is a waste of wind - it is grossly under-scaled, badly winded and the speech of at least half of the bottom octave so slow as to render it completely useless.
DW: in a thankfully warmer and sunnier Italy.
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Rather than use electric coupling, a number of firms use something which is a development of Barker Lever. The system used by Fisk in the USA brings down the keys of the coupled manuals at a rate that completely mirrors the travel of the main (tracker) manual in use. This is clearly the way to go and other firms use this or their version of it.
I'm sure we've had this discussion before: actually theirs is a version of ours (Patented 1884)!
There are several other uses to which the Floating Lever was put, including as a means of operating the steering gear on ships. We are now also looking at this as an alternative method of operating expression shutters.
DW
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Am I right in thinking the Willis firm has built or rebuilt some organs with Barker lever recently?
Paul
http://www.willis-organs.com/florence_general.html
click on: show/hide construction photographs (updated) and scroll about half-way down the page where there are pictures of the Floating Lever being assembled etc..
This organ is being loaded into the lorries as I write, delivered to the church on Tuesday morning next week for setting up.
DW
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Regrettably it's just a pipe-front to conceal the speakers for a toaster!
S
Which is temporary (whether they like it or not) by its very nature!
DW
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There are definitely problems associated with contributing to any list which has an open access policy - Gareth has, we know, been abused by someone with an axe to grind, as have others.
For what it's worth, there are those, one or two of whom actually contribute to this list anyway, who have quoted ME, as usual out of context and only in part, for their own ends and on their own website, so preventing 'Public' access to this board would not have prevented that.
What we all forget, from time to time, I think, is that every word written in this medium will be here, for all to see and to be used for whatever purposes, probably long after we are gone. Engaging brain before posting is what's required!
DW
Leeds Cathedral
in The Organ
Posted
I don't believe that your work is being written off at all - this sort of discussion always occurs when there is what may be seen as a controversial decision made and I'm sure that you might have expected it.
Auckland Town Hall is not a good demonstration I'm afraid: that instrument was de-N&Bd in the last efforts made there, little of the original organ survived unmolested. In the present work, there will be little remaining of the Norman & Beard stuff at all- this is basically a new organ. Time will tell.
As I said earlier, we entered a proposal (by invitation) with Stephen Bicknell some years before Mr. Saunders arrived: this is a very difficult building and mercifully someone else will deal with it.
I'm sure that the organ certainly will be "critically evaluated" by all of the usual critics when it's installed!
DW