Jump to content
Mander Organ Builders Forum

bombarde32

Members
  • Posts

    371
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by bombarde32

  1. Original comment deleted because content-empty as well as gratuitously discourteous to another forum member. Moderator, Mander Organs
  2. I have been known to help the church cleaners, and even help with the gardening in return for the use of the organ for practice. This is a more practical arrangement, and makes sure that money doesn't have to change hands either. It also endears you to the parishioners and can have a beneficial effect when weddings and funeral come up from time to time!
  3. Moving on from the topic "When is it time to move on" I thought that it might be fun for you to tell us what your final voluntaries were when you had enough or were sacked, or just couldn't stand the clergy/choir/organ/congregation, or life any more. I left a large parish church, after 15 yearws in post having had enough of an itinerant Irish priest, over many years. I just couldn't resist a cobbled-up version of "Paddy McGinty's Goat" arranged, 'Riverdance' style, as my departure. Got a thundering good round of applause too! ........Go on - you know you want to..........!
  4. .........When the Parish Priest listens to the unpaid, uninformed and unmusical Liturgy group and ignores the Director of Music who has been in post for 15 years, and to whom the church pays a decent sum of money for his musical and liturgical experience. THAT'S when it's time to sod off, and never to return.
  5. We have one of those washing machine thingies. However, it is one of the 'new breed' of 'direct drive' washing machines - an LG no less! Unfortunately, due to the direct drive motor/drum assembly (no belts, you know!) it seems to resonate at a rather 'Sifflötic' pitch which, as it speeds up, goes way beyond my 45 year old hearing! .....That's progress
  6. There is another equally vulgar march by Scotson Clarke called Marche aux Flambeaux. Apart from going down extremely well at the local crem (although I have never dared play it there) I did play it for a priest's ordination in one of the Basilicas in Rome a couple of years ago on a totally awful Tamburini. I don't think that the tamburini has been the same since! I have a copy if you want to try this silliness!
  7. This chap does all the service work for Wyvern (often having to mend Makin, Viscount and other makes) - Royston Orme 07811 267014. A cracking good technician, and a splendid chap too!
  8. Great photographs, Colin! Thanks for taking the time and trouble to show us. It's interesting to see a real pedal Bassoon. They're not that common these days.
  9. Let hope that it lasts as well, and is as well thought out as the majority of the items available from the certain Swedish furniture supplier you mention. After all, it could be worse - MFI (now defunct) comes to mind here!
  10. Is the organ being replaced or is the church being made redundant?
  11. It's the first time in all my travels that I have ever seen a 2' Untersatz - 32' yes, 2' er, no!!
  12. I have a colleague who runs a music library. If you want, I can put you in touch with him. PM me if required.
  13. Yes, but at least thank heavens not completely silent like the one at the Abbey!
  14. I too have learnt much from Nigel's interesting and informative contributions!
  15. I'm afraid that if the (flue) voicing was toned down even a little the organ would be even more inaudible at the other end than it is now! Having attended the Christmas carol services when there was (according to the usher 1100 people attending) the organ only just got away with it as it was! It also has to be remembered that the building is to some extent a multi-functional building serving a diocese and a college. Unlike most Cathedrals there are many occasions when it is filled with hundreds of people. The organ does a pretty good job nearly all of the time. Last night we had the Murrill in E (with a couple of good blasts on the Bombarde) and I saw a new heaven (Bainton) with the Howells Ps.Prel. no. 1. The organ sounded exciting and was very skilfully played. It just needs some decent Sw. Reeds!!
  16. I think that the main problem with the instrument (having to endure it at least on a weekly basis) is that there are no chorally useable reeds on the Swell. To have the only swell reeds available as a buzzy 16' Cor Anglais and a Vox Humana 8' seems to be most restricting. The only other 'trumpety' reeds are the Great Trompette and Clarion, which are too big and, of course not under expression, and the Bombardes. Things would be so much better if we had the usual 4 reeds in the Swell box like 16' Fagotto, 8' Trompette and Hautbois and Clarion 4!
  17. Was at Christ Church last night - beautifully sung Palestrina mass and motet. Six people in the congregation! (blasted snow) Organ sounded fine at it is for this music! The history of the early instrument is slightly different to that which has been stated above, however. Most people know that the choir and choir school is one of the oldest in the country, having been established in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey. The provision was for a choir of 12 men and 16 boys and AN ORGANIST. Thus, it follows that the original Father Bernard Smith was the first MAJOR organ installed in the Cathedral (obviously, then, there was at least one other before it!!) and was contained in a case of four towers and three flats situated not where the present instrument is but on a screen between the nave and the choir. The instrument had two manuals and thirteen (not fifteen) stops, and remained little changed until 1825 when J.C. Bishop fitted a fiddle G swell and some pedal 'pull downs'. In 1873 the organ was significantly enlarged and the keyboards extended at the 'suggestion' of Fredrick Arthur Gore-Ouseley. In 1870 during the restoration of the cathedral by Gilbert Scott, the organ was moved to its present position on a gallery by the west door by Gray and Davison. A new choir organ was added in a case designed (presumably by Scott) in the manner of Father Smith's magnificent case at Trinity College, Cambridge. At the same time, the Pedal Organ was extended into the side wings attached to the main Great case. A major rebuild by Willis (the first) occured in 1883-4 and this moved the Scott Choir case to the back of the organ, rehoused some of the pipes in a swell box and added a Solo organ with pipe extending aboce the Great towers. In 1911, Heny Willis (II) moved the Choir Organ back to the east side, housed the Solo pipes in another swell box, and installed 32' pipes against the west wall. Finally in 1022, Harrison and Harrison put in a new console, tubular pneumatic action and added a large Open Diapason and later, a 16' Dulciana. The present instrument, whilst being completely new 1878-9, still uses the Father Smith case, with what little remained of the old woodwork incorporated into the new case. The Scott Choir Case was restored to its former glory.
  18. As dear Felix's anniversary corresponds with my own wedding anniversay, I am never allowed to forget him (courtesy of frying pan to back of head etc.........)
  19. Yes, folks, you read it right! Turned up at a funeral today, (through much snow) started the organ and wondered why there was very little wind. Went round the back of the church to the blower shed to find it completely covered in snow. The air intake for the blower being completely blocked up too! It's the first time I have ever had to dig an organ out of the snow!!!
  20. .......they chuck the whole lot out and replace it with a little box which plays hymns on its own, of course!
  21. I played the T/S Collins twice last year for local choral societies and whilst its limitations are VERY apparent (Brustwerk was useless for choral accompaniment - the damn doors still don't stay at any position - why not fit it with a set of louvres??) it was reasonable. The programme was particularly difficult to register though! Britten - Rejoice in the lamb Finzi - Lo, the full Final Sacrifice But I did decamp to the piano for the Rutter 'Birthday Madrigals!!' I have to agree with most of you though, that the Rieger at Clifton knocks it into a cocked hat!
  22. As far as I know, I didn't see any entries for "goodwill" reductions on my mortgage, gas, electricity, or water statements this year. Nor does it pay for the diesel needed for me to attend churches for wedding rehearsals. End of.
  23. err.... Guildhall Southampton, and most Compton jobs actually!
  24. According to my leaflet "Music at Christ Chruch Cathedral, Oxford" (1988) (published by the Cathedral) it is stated that "Henry Willis II (in 1911) moved the choir organ back to the east side, housed the Solo pipes in another swell box and installed 32ft. open pedal pipes against the west wall (now removed and to be found in Tewkesbury Abbey) The organ is of course now a 1978-9 Rieger of which none of the original pipework was re-used (according to the leaflet)
×
×
  • Create New...