headcase

Some interesting similarities with this : http://www.davidsanger.co.uk/bevingto.htm

Perhaps, with Steve Barker's approval, we could widen the remit to include Psalm Chants, short choral pieces, BCP Responses, hymn tunes, etc ? H

Lovely stuff - keep 'em coming...

I'm not going to lay any allegiance to one type of action or another. All I will say is this : As a youngster I belonged to a record library and one of the borrowed LP's that really inspired me was David Sanger's stylish and accurate playing of Widor V, from the Italian Church in Hatton Garden. At that time I knew nothing of tracker or E-Pn actions. The simple persuasiveness of the performance spoke to me. Was that performance hampered by the action ? I think not ! H

I downloaded successfully without logging in to the google account. So, easy access for all ! H

I make no apology for bringing this topic to the top of the pile but just wanted to make forum members aware that the discussion on setting up a site for members to contribute last verses/descants has resulted in this : http://groups.google.co.uk/group/last-verse All credit to Steve Barker for setting this up. There are already 14 files available for downloading. This resource could very quickly build up but it does need active support from forum members. Pass the word around to fellow musicians. Best of all, don't sit on your hands, watching the snowflakes fall but upload your own contributions. You will need to enable a google account and join the group, which takes just a few moments. Files can be uploaded in pdf format and there is free software available, mentioned previously in this thread, which allows you to convert any printable file into a pdf document. Go on - give it a go ! H

I've realised the error of my ways. I hadn't signed up for a google account, which then allows one to join the group. Now that I have done this I can see the 'browse' button ! I'll upload something from my 'main' pc later, when my snowbound offspring have stopped using it! H

No - a Choose File button doesn't appear for me. I've tried using IE7 and Google Chrome. Any ideas ? H

Steve, I couldn't find a way to upload a file to the Last Verse Group. I hit the +Upload File button - what's supposed to happen after that ? H

Brilliant ! Can it be indexed by tune, with some sort of indication of whether it is just a last verse harmonisation, a descant or both ? Thank you for taking the trouble to set this up. At last...something of real practical value. H

hmmm...I've tried handling jpeg images of music before and it doesn't reproduce very well and re-sizing can be a disaster. I still think pdf is the way to go. It's much easier to handle, the file sizes are small which is convenient for downloading/emailing etc and reproduces like an original. H

Indeed, I think the only format accessible to all would be pdf - as on www.cpdl.org H

I still think somekind of online album would be more easily shared by forum members, who would perhaps need a password to be able to access it. pdf format would seem to be the best way to present. Perhaps the password could be obtained by making a 'donation' to a charity. Pehaps some editorial control would be necessary, if only to pick out obvious bloopers and uphold some kind of tidiness in presentation. The idea is too good to let it go dead in the water. Sorry that I'm not clever enough to know how to host it. H

I fear that would be pushing our host's generosity a little too far. Potentially, forum members could contribute a fair amount of organ/choral music, not just descants and last verses. Anyone know how to set up a web location to which we could share/contribute ? H

Is there somewhere forum contributors could offer last verse harmonisations/descants ? I have one I would willingly submit. H (Am I alone in thinking A Spotless Rose was rather loud ?)

I'm reminded of Stephen Bicknell reviewing a new UK organ, built by a Danish firm, with a Solo Tuba whose pipes came from a German pipemaker and were stamped 'Englische Tuba'.

? Willis ? ....watch the video again, use the zoom feature and pause when you see the nameplate. Can't see anything that says Willis. This is driving me mad! H

Indeed - but nothing to suggest TC Lewis 1865 parentage... H

I watched the video in full screen and you can see the console nameplate more clearly. ...Peter Wells, organbuilders 1980. Couldn't find anything that tallies on the NPOR. Anyone else know ? H

I concur. I presume that the two 'new' roller arm holes are a faithful reproduction of what previously existed and that the action is connected as before. H

Would that more people connected to organs/organbuilding had the same ability to received the 'smallest aural details'. I once had the 'privilege' of being on tuning stand-by for a recording of Poulenc's Organ Concerto, with a world-class soloist and well known home-grown chamber orchestra. During a session break, I was invited to the control room to join with soloist, conductor and producer to review the takes. During playback I noticed a sustained chord which was clipped as a piston change removed stops, before the chord was released - a small but perceptible flaw. Mysteriously, there was no comment from the assembled company. At the next pause in playback I mentioned it to the producer...we all listened again... I showed them in the score the exact moment to listen for. It took five repeated playbacks before the soloist conceded that there was indeed a flaw. A re-take of the offending passage was made (and I was thanked for pointing out the wobbly moment.) The worrying things was that out of all the pairs of trained ears listening, no-one had noticed anything wrong and had I chosen not to mention it, that performance would have gone down on the CD. H

I'm wondering if this is the organ in the photographs. Uithuizen, Hervormde Kerk Have a look at www.arpschnitger.nl The key compass appears to be 49 notes. H

More associated with All Saints than Christmas, Dupré's Toccata Placare Christe Servulis from Le Tombeau de Titelouze will be my choice this year. H

A few thoughts... 1 I doubt it's a pedal action/soundboard we're looking at. The soundboard scale would be too narrow to accomodate large basses, some of which look to be in the centre. 2 Where does the action come from ? Well, (partly obscured by the text) at the bottom looks to be a set of action squares that would be at key scale. 3 The holes in the roller arms would only be about 1cm apart - not as much as 3cm. Look at the width of the tracker material. 4 The holes look like an organ builders option, to allow pallet opening or leverage ratio to be changed. Easy to provide this when making the action in the workshop - difficult if you find the touch is wrong when you're on site ! In this case, it looks like a 1:1 ratio was quite ok. 5 The trackers, brass wires, even the oak roller arms could be replacements for originals as part of a 'restoration'. Let's not discuss the rights and wrongs of that - opinions change and differ ! 6 Ideally, the trackers should connect at 90 degrees to the arm. At rest the roller arm will be slightly above horizontal anyway, so that the roller arm arcs through horizontal and slightly below as it follows the key travel. If the back hole had been used, the tracker would only be a couple of degrees off vertical, which wouldn't be a disaster. The ratio of pallet opening to key movement is the critical thing. H

...and finishing with Lo, he comes and the very fine Willcocks last verse... I prefer Andrew Fletcher's last verse in Organ Uplift. A last line that us mere mortals would never dream of ! Congregation lapped it up this morning. No O Come, O come... :-( H