Mark Harmer

Fantastic – thanks for letting us know. Will listen!

Ha! Didn’t know that! Maybe if you could increase the rake to 90 degrees you’d have instant en charade ranks!

Oh, Lovely!

I don’t know the Maltings stage, but from what you describe, that could be a brilliant solution.

Absolutely! Fingers crossed!

Oh golly. That’s sad news.

Lovely that Professor Evans is taking an interest and I can imagine it’s a bittersweet thing that the organ is going but lovely that it’s going to live again.

For what it’s worth, here is another one I found from I think 1979, of Hindemith Sonata 2, part of another lunchtime recital. Again rescued from a cassette recording of mine: Hindemith Sonata 2

Oh, this is fantastic - really enjoyed the recordings!

Hi Alastair, The photos are in reverse order but keep going and you see the organ being dismantled (or rather, ”mantled” as they are out of order)! I’d agree with DouglasCorr: a sad sight to see it being stripped and removed. Douglas, Thank you so much for starting this topic. I’m glad you did, because it’s been a fascinating if slightly upsetting journey.

Thank you, Colin! I was hesitant even to link to the recording, but it seemed such a shame not to have a recording of it available, because I’ve not found one anywhere else. I think the middle movement isn’t too bad. Electronics of that era could be very good, when they were good! My machine was a modified Phillips – one of those joystick things - very basic - but I took the batteries out and put a second board from another machine in the battery compartment, plus a stereo head. It was a bit of a job, but it did work very well, considering. I had some external batteries, of course, because the battery compartment was now full of electronics. The mics were just home-made electret capsules. And AJJ so extraordinary to read your post, and think that I might have met an audience member all these years later! Yes, we were lucky especially considering the alternatives available at that time. For those who want to see the photos of its demise, I got this link I think from another post in the same forum. They are in reverse order. Turner Sims organ being removed

As organist of a tiny village church (Sheet, Hampshire) one summer's day we had the outside choir vestry door open, and the inner one was also open so I could see the occupants of the vestry in the mirror. During a hymn, a movement caught my eye, and standing inside the vestry, looking into the church, was a horse. I had had a bit to drink the evening before, but I swear it was real.

Lovely to read about this instrument in the Turner Sims concert hall, as it brought back memories of studying music there in the late 1970s. I went to Piet Kee's inaugural recital. The thing that sticks in my mind was that at some point in what I think was an improvisation, he half-stood and slammed the brustwerk doors shut. Great to have others' recollections. As a student, I particularly liked to volunteer to "usher" at the concerts, which gave free access to some extraordinary music. I did a few lunchtime recitals on the organ and although I'm no great organist (to save anyone else having to point that out!!) I thought you might be interested to hear a recording of the instrument. I was always passionate about recording and built my own stereo cassette machine and put the microphones on the front row of seats. I recently found the tape and here it is in its original and vintage, cassette-y glory. Making allowances for a very old stereo recording done on home-made equipment, I think it gives you a good feel for the different sounds the organ made, and also the dry acoustic. Turner Sims organ - lunchtime organ recital Feb 3, 1978 Although I'm sad to read about what befell it, I do hope it lives again in its new home.