GrossGeigen

The largest extant - and completely unaltered - Walcker instrument in the UK is now likely to be the 1904 example in St. Columba Gaelic Church of Scotland, Glasgow. The Solo & Choir specification is omitted from the NPOR entry, but is all there nonetheless. This instrument has been visited by the current generation of the Walcker family.

Galashiels Old & St. Paul's Parish Church. 1881 Willis (altered).

Not strictly an extension organ. The (two) manual ranks in this instrument are independent, as was the case with all JDP jobs.

Has anyone seen an obituary in the press?

I recall Robert Gower's memorable recording of this piece, from Lincoln Cathedral, as part of the regular (as it was in those days) Music for Organ series (on early Monday evenings) in 1987. I was very taken with the piece, performed so seamlessly on the organ (no general pistons at that time) alongside Philip Marshall's Three Pieces and Sidney Campbell's Pageantry as an opener.

There were two firms in Huddersfield, stemming from Peter's initial foray in 1854 (initially with another partner), however brother James duly became a partner. This partnership was dissolved about 1879/1880, with a court case "Conacher v Conacher" well-covered in Musical Opinion & Trade Review at that time. James set up on his own, and in 1881 dismantled an 1860's Father Willis in Newport's Albert Hall and re-erected in the newly-completed Huddersfield Town Hall - and therein may lie the basis of the split, as Peter Conacher was by this time a Town Councillor and could not tender for the Town Hall project (which would undoubtedly been a worthy project to have bagged). Herbert (son of James) worked with his Father before forming a partnership in the Birmingham area with P H Sheffield, sometime just before WWI I believe. In terms of the "average-to-bad" epitaph, I simply don't recognise this in the number of Victorian instruments which I have encountered and worked on (by both brothers) constructed as they are with uniformly excellent materials, and most of them working with admirable efficiency in circumstances where the custodianship has been frugal. I accept that certain tonal characteristics of these instruments may not appeal to all.....

It might just be the angle from which the computerised perspective has been created, but it's tempting to wonder if that is a full-length 8ft front in the proposed case-front.

It will probably be plastered over a future batch of organ periodicals, with DVD's pending...

Have a look on the NPOR at St. Mary the Virgin, North Leigh, Oxfordshire D05033. An 1861 Willis moved there by Bishop in the 1990's - there is a console photograph.

I ordered a few books last year via a telephone call to John Brennan - it's the number which I'm sure is quoted on the dormant website.

Three Quint ranks and no Great Open - wonder how that works when accompanying a big crowd... There appears to be a far more intriguing instrument in the village....

Thanks for finding this interesting document.

Anybody know what is happening here?

Studley Royal, and Skelton cum Newby, are worth a look on the NPOR.

The recently restored 1876 Willis in Glasgow's Cottier Theatre has a chorus of Harmonic Flutes on the Great, at 8, 4, & 2ft pitches - there are no problems of blend, even in less orthodox combinations. The wooden Claribel appears on the Choir, with matching open wood ranks at 4 & 2ft. Not a single unenclosed stopped flute.