John Robinson

You're really on form MM!

Absolutely nowhere near 100% on topic, but would this solve the UK's littering problem?

Yes, Porthead, I too had forgotten about the RAH. How could I?! Back to Leeds TH. I'd heard that cast iron can develop surface rust, then deteriorate no further. I suppose it would depend on how thick these pipes are. Presumably they are painted on the outside only, and have a rusty coating on the inside! I must prefer the present/original colour, by the way; I understand that prior to that they were a horrible greenish colour (?)

8 - 10 inches.

(Sorry for snipping!) A very interesting question. I've a feeling that we'd be very lucky to find a 32' pipe in tin: it would cost a bomb. Pipe metal, perhaps? Another question. Were the Leeds cast iron pipes treated (galvanised? could they do that in the mid-19th century?) to prevent rust, or just painted?

I don't know how they can possibly miss them! In the north aisle are the 32' Open Woods, which are even bigger - wider, at least, if not as long. Perhaps not quite as big as those at Liverpool but, then, you can't actually see them. I always find it very impressive to stand right next to them and would probably find it even more so if they were being played at the time. Then again, due to the vagaries of acoustics, I may probably not even hear them that close!

I think it has been generally agreed that the only solution to this problem would be to build a nave division. Hill added one, of course (though I don't think that was playable with the main organ - it was an entirely separate instrument) but, for some reason, it was sold off to a church in Manchester I believe. I think the people at York would very much like a nave division (Robert Sharpe would know, of course), but money is in short supply at the moment!

To the best of my knowledge the 32' Open Diapason pipes were made in 1829 (some of the oldest pipes in the organ). I'm no engineer, but perhaps in those days it was not possible to produce plate metal above a certain size. Incidentally, does anyone know what metal these pipes are made of? I have a copy of the CD you refer to, and agree that the Tuba Mirabilis is most definitely toned down for the reasons you mention. Strangely, though, the new Bombarde - which faces East - seems much more prominent on the CD. Personally, whilst the resulting sounds are interesting in comparison, I much prefer the 'conventional' microphone positions: after all, the organ was presumably voiced to sound best to the East and West, rather than up the central tower!

I don't know whether anyone else noticed, but there is a small 'football' icon under the picture. I pressed it and found, to my disgust, what sounded like a 'vuvuzela' chorus playing over the music! I'll be so glad when this world cup nonsense is over for another four years!

I have a photo of each which I'd be pleased to post on here, but I don't know how. I could e-mail them to someone if they have the means.

I certainly think he ought to be. I think KBE or even GCBE would be appropriate. The cynic in me wonders whether he doesn't 'move in the right circles'!

Exactly what I found. My (long suffering) wife and I did, indeed, arrive at least an hour early to find the cathedral already quite full. By the time the recital was due to start, people were sitting in the aisles either on camper chairs they had brought or even on the floor! Why does this not happen here? Perhaps it is just a matter of a different culture - or a lack of it! 'Dumbing down'? What can we do about it? Education?

I can't be sure about this. According to the Priory News I received, "The package also includes a free CD of Dame Gillian playing some of the music from the organs recorded above, but in different performances". It does sound like the earlier CD from the BBC, but who can say?

It's in the Summer 2010 Priory News that came through my door yesterday.

It was in 1989, I believe, that Gillian Weir's TV series of the above name was broadcast. At that time I made a VHS recording of all six programmes which, although of deplorable quality, I enjoy watching from time to time. For over twenty years I have been hoping that the BBC would repeat-broadcast the programmes so that I could make a better quality DVD recording but, alas, they did as one would expect and never showed them again. Now, however, Priory have come to my rescue! They are to release a remastered DVD of the series (with 'free' CD) along the lines of, and at the same price as, their other organ DVDs, and due for release about the same time as the St Paul's DVD. Thanks, Priory for having the foresight the BBC lack!

I hope I haven't missed something here but, as you use a laptop, have you considered using the touch-pad (either hand)? Your hand/fingers would be in a different position to that when you are using a mouse.

I concur with what MM says about Leeds Town Hall organ. I used to attend every Tuesday lunchtime recital when I lived on the 'correct' side of the Pennines. At first sight, one might imagine the 'new' Positive organ would have some difficulty in emerging from the rather small grille behind which it hides, but in practice it speaks quite clearly and audibly and, as MM says, blends well with the other divisions. Whatever the provenance of the pipes, it sounded quite beautiful to me. The one reservation I have with this organ is that the 32' Open Metal (cast iron, I believe), which looks very imposing in the hall, seemed to be inaudible whenever I went to hear it, at least where I was sitting. Strangely, the 32' stopped Sub Bass sounded more effective.

Ah, but I believe the 'chameleon circuit' was probably working intermittently. It may have temporarily disguised itself as a pillar or, possibly, a double open wood!

But don't the upper ends of the reeds often consist of two or more ranks of flues, especially the 4 foots? This could add a few more to the total!

Finding pipes A very tenuous connection to the purpose of this thread, perhaps, but I found a pipe one day, quite a long time ago. Open wood, about a foot long in a very poor state of repair - obviously dumped by someone. It was lying at the edge of a car park behind the railings surrounding a telephone exchange, so I suspect it may have come from there. I thought nothing more of it at the time, but this thread reminded me of it. I'm trying to think of some reason why a telephone exchange would use an organ pipe. To generate a steady tone for some reason?

I have, somewhere, a small booklet published round about the time that the Leeds Town Hall organ was rebuilt. I seem to remember reading in it that the new 32' reed was indeed sourced from St Mary's. It also states that the previous 32' reed was replaced due to its being an ineffective free reed.

Thanks!

(1) That's a piano. (2) That's an electronic substitute! Seriously, though, I have a Clavinova that has a midi interface, but I have never understood how to connect it to my computer. Now you've mentioned it, I must try to find time to discover how to do this.

In my opinion, toasters are ideal for home practice for two reasons: they are small and can be easily moved; and headphones can be used to avoid waking the neighbours (or wife!). I would never advocate the installation of electrophones in churches or concert halls. If I go to an organ recital, it is to hear an organ. If people go to listen to a symphony orchestra, do they expect to hear electronically amplified violins, or a piano recital on a Clavinova?

You connect your piano to your computer?!