petergunstone

I have been watching Peterborough Cathedral's 'PipeWatch' series of youtube films concerning the current work to lower the pitch of the Hill Organ. See https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzMmoV88eTR5LOKknv7UNQ/videos In the most recent of the series, 'Meet the organ builders' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdSFNc_e57g) I was interested to note that some of the smaller pipes (1ft in length or less) will not need to be lengthened, but may be retuned to the new pitch simply by using the tuning collar. It seems to me that there are clear pragmatic, tuning reasons for not employing this approach throughout the organ. I do wonder, however, what the effect tuning collars have on the tone of an organ pipe. I understand that the scale of pipe construction has some effect on the tone of the pipe, clearly demonstrated between distinctly narrower and wider pipes. But what of the different material that tuning collars seem to be made from? Taking the discussion further, does cone tuning also have an effect on pipe tone as this does change the shape of the column of air? I suspect that the answers may involve subtleties, but aren't we often interested in such subtleties and their musical ends? I look forward to reading your reflections on all of the above, and any else that seems relevant to this discussion of pipe construction, tuning, and tone.

Picture of 1844 'Fan Tuba' at York Minster? I recently was thrilled to come across the following picture of York Minster's 'Five Sisters' window at a friend's house: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BysZXvZERdMZSThyVFhoMEpoSTd0WHp4dnFsQk1hcXFrUFRR/view?usp=sharing On closer inspection, I saw what I can only conclude is the 1844 'Fan Tuba' (according to http://www.organstops.org/f/FanTuba.html) poking out from the screen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BysZXvZERdMZVkNhMDR4aTU4Q1c1YmtOWlB3MWhKeHlfbHF3/view?usp=sharing Please do correct me if I'm wrong! (Sorry, couldn't figure out how to upload images.)

The Stichting Cathedral Organ Facebook page is enthusiastically showing that this organ is now installed, albeit not yet in its final form. Links to glowing letters from Huw Williams & Ian Tracey on their main website's news page. See https://www.facebook.com/StichtingCOL and http://www.cathedralorgan.nl/ I seem to remember encountering an English Romantic instrument (can't remember which builder) from a North London church in another church in the Netherlands during a study tour whilst I was at the RNCM. Perhaps Paul Walton might remember this? (I think that it was in a balcony to the east of the south transept of whichever building it was in, if this jogs anyone's memory.) However, I do clearly remember at the time that we all remarked (with some lament & irony) on the superb mechanical and tonal condition of the instrument, and how much we wished that similar instruments were equally treated in their home country!

I presume that the 32 reed went to St George's, Stockport, which was rebuilt by R&D in 1981.

This reminds me of a tour to Thuringia with the Bradford Choristers about 15 years ago, when the dates included a lunchtime concert in the Georgenkirche, Eisenach (as well as the fabulous Trost-Orgel in Walterhausen). The repertoire was proudly English, and our performance in Eisenach 'kicked off' with RVW's 'Antiphon' (Let all the world) from the Five Mystical Songs. With Francis Jackson's helpful organ arrangement in my case, what could go wrong? Well, there was a bomb scare, and we ended up with either little or no time to rehearse, at least there was insufficient to get my feet underneath the claviers. With unfamilar registration aids, I chose a set up that allowed me to terrace the dynamics from one manual to the other, with a little assistance from the Schwellwerk, and the registration changes limited thereafter to pedal couplers and the bigger stops on the Positiv and Hauptwerk. I was all set for the off with the swell pedal firmly pushed down when Dicky gave the signal: an amazing rasping sound of the untamed swell reeds & mixtures hit me square between the eyes. I assumed that my proximity to the organ was the cause. Not so! As the introduction built towards the climatic entry of the choir, I duly easy the swell pedal forward, in and amongst additional pedal ostinato quavers. The result was not as expected: the action of moving the swell pedal forward served to close the swell box...!!! That was an interesting concert - telling yourself to do the opposite with the swell pedal from what you were normally used to doing! Starting Stanford in C with the box 'open'....

I understand that the builder is Peter Collins, reusing some old pipe work (mostly in the Great and Pedal - the Swell is almost all new), The chests, blower, internal layout, and drawstop console will all be new.

No sign of the H&H console in the gallery on the east side of the case (where the Bradford console is), or anywhere. The Bradford console has nice claviers, but the stops are controlled by large wooden discs that light and LED to show that they are on, the stops being identified by an LCD display. The first time I played it, these LCDS were not working - slightly scary - so I played the whole gig 'blind' on Pistons, a few generals, and the crescendo pedal. There are 5 instruments available on the Bradford: Salisbury Cathedral Willis A Cavaillé-Coll Pembroke Cambridge A Reipp organ Something else - a Schnitger?

I've played the Sheldonian Bradford a couple of times in the last week. The problems have continued: tonight there was even a 'cypher' of sorts playing a chord, but not on a specific stop, which even continued once all stops were off until I flicked the power switch. However, more interestingly, a fault with the lights last week produced a couple of maintenance men who went on a 'needle in a haystack' style hunt for the fusebox/consumer unit inside the Jackson organ case. This gave me the opportunity to have a quick look. Far from being empty, there seems to be a whole lot of pipe organ stuffed inside - winding system, soundboards, swell box, and pipework (I didn't see exactly how much was there). Some larger metal pipes and swell box shutters (both of which I presume had been moved to accommodate speakers) were carefully placed on top of one of the wind reservoirs. Furthermore, the blower remains in situ in a box alongside the case (and alongside a neighbouring box with the toaster's gubbins within). The hall staff seem to be grateful that I'm keeping them informed about the condition of the Bradford organ, and it there seems to be a willingness to get something done in the short term to rectify matters, as well as to explore a better long-term outcome, in the form of a pipe organ. May I encourage anyone else who has the misfortune of trying to make music on the current beast to likewise keep the staff informed of the shortcomings. They seem to have been uninformed over the years, and the recent (?) demise has taken them by surprise.

Agreed. Although the various groups who hire and use the venue as a concert hall might have other ideas!

The lovely TG Jackson case is in situ and remains part of the conservation plan http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/media/global/wwwadminoxacuk/localsites/estatesdirectorate/documents/conservation/Sheldonian_Theatre.pdf

The time of seeing an instrument fitting to its surroundings may be coming into view (I mention this here in the hope that someone with influence might be able to take up this cause.) The Bradford beast is not in tip-top condition, with a good handful of the stop buttons on the console broken, notes off on the Great, and G major producing distressed speaker buzzes. I discovered this today, in preparation for some upcoming carol gigs. I made this visit as the last time I played it, the LCD displays above each stop button were not working, so I had the testing experience of first of all playing 'blind' and then using every post it note within reach to manually label the stops to avoid serious disasters! In conversation with the staff, who were very helpful and receptive to my reports of defects, it emerged that there has been some conversation amongst/with them about the provision of a new pipe organ. In the meantime, they didn't know where to begin in terms of getting the toaster repaired. Does anyone know anything about this, and about the location/condition of the pipes of the former pipe organ? I understand that the mechanism at least was baked to death by the central heating.

It is exciting to see this long-awaited project formally announced by the organ builders: www.tickell-organs.co.uk/news.htm

The Manchester Cavaillé-Coll Organ Trust has been established by Richard Lowe "to protect, restore and promote this unique musical instrument which contains more Cavaillé-Coll pipework than any other organ in the UK" https://www.facebook.com/groups/656785384416876/

Whilst not having the ability of enabling an assistant to operate the swell shutters, some organ consoles have indicators for the degree to which a swell box is open - either by means of a digital bar graph (as at Wakefield Cathedral), or by means of an 'analogue' rolling indicator (as on the former organ in St Lawrence, Upminster). Crescendo pedals also frequently employ some sort if indicator too. I don't know if the Compton heritage of the instruments mentioned and their consoles has any significance here.

I haven't got the score in front of me, but from memory I think that it should be possible to swap the bottom note of the RH for the top note of the pedal in many cases, which would be a start. Otherwise, would it be worth seeing a doctor and/or physio about some gentle stretches to build up your hand span, and finding some piano technique exercises to do the same?

May I ask why? For aesthetic or practical reasons? If for practical reasons, please could you outline the shortcomings you observe?