madorganist

Dave, is it the church that's just down the road from the Methodist Church ?

Thanks for the update Lucien

Browne's are/were doing the work - lets hope that most of the organ was in their workshop

I've been wondering about this project too.

We had our grand fitted with a metal frame on wheels - easy to move. It was supplied by our piano tuners

Regarding the coughing and clapping: the BBC did a first rate job in capturing the full majesty of my sneezing outburst during the first (UK?) performance of a work by Petr Eben at the RFH some years ago ! I wonder how it would sound with the revised acoustics ?

Many years ago a lecture recital took place at the RFH, at which Ralph Downes explained his reasoning behind the design and illustrated it with appropriate musical examples. Thomas Trotter was one of the organists delivering said examples. The Solo division was clearly intended to be a ”big” Great for use with/against an orchestra. Time has faded my memory regarding the intended use of the other divisions – it made sense at the time ! And therein lays the key: the recitalist must have this inside knowledge in order to bring out the best from this organ. Like other commentators on this board, I attended many of the 5:55 recitals. It was clear that not all recitalists had “got it”.

I tuned in for a while. Lasted up to the Mendelssohn ,which I thought sounded very odd, then went to watch some paint dry.

At my previous church, now closed and with the organ exported, the organ was insured separately

The original press release, some years ago, was talking of returning the chancel organ to 4m in the Willis style, and with a new 4m organ for the nave. Has Dr Flood changed his mind? or has his budget been cut ?

if you mean this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQZ3NrKv-4 then is the Herbert Chappell one. Not sure whether it is still in print

Well worth a play - rather nice tuba

According to info on the KCOA, work dismantling Canterbury is about to start soon and that the "new organ" is unlikely to be installed before the end of 2014 or early 2015. It's unclear whether the organ is being rebuilt ( as previously discussed) or new.

Gosh! What a sound! Hope it was the (poor) recording and not the organ

The document I saw, some time ago, on the Cathedral website was suggesting that the main organ would return to 4 manuals and that the voicing was to return to a more "Willis" style. A 4 manual "French Style" organ was planned for the nave

Sad news - glad I was able to hear her playing her brothers music

The St Andrews Compton is long gone - pre 1984 when I lived in Luton

Final Sunday Service March 3rd. Anyone need an organ?

So much for programme notes

I recall Charpantier's L'Ange a la Trompette being described as palindromic

I was having a look at this website http://www.stsulpice.com/Docs/specs.html via google translate. It came up with some very interesting stop names: Provision 4 rows Game 4 full rows Watch 16 Bumblebee 16 Watch 8 Unda Husbands 8 bent Trumpet 8 Well...... it made me smile

Just as I suspected !

You've answered the question I was going to ask. Given the amounts of money involved and the frequency of attention I find it rather shocking. Whilst even a modestly sized organ is physically many time larger and more complex than any other instrument, I do find myself wondering why organ “restoration” is such a regular and frighteningly expensive procedure. I'm not “having a go” at John, or the Ripon organ, but I do find myself wondering about the quality of work that gets carried out and the sometimes astronomic price tags that go along with it. I've never met an organ builder that drives a Bentley, but I do sometimes wonder whether they have one parked up at home!

Whilst on holiday last week i was shown a friends wedding video - the happy couple left the church to "jingle bells" ( it was a christmas wedding) played on....... wait for it........ . . it's really worth waiting for....... . . . . . .Bagpipes!

Yes