Jonathan Thorne
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Posts posted by Jonathan Thorne
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As a previous organ scholar at Shymphony Hall in Birmingham I have fond memories of lugging that piece of kit around. It was made at the same time as the organ (by Klais) and it has been used for educational purposes. Its a great toy, but I had to be careful not to run over any members of the pulic (as it´s on weels) - let alone members of this disussion board (cough cough!!).
Greetings from Austria
Jonathan Thorne
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Interesting topic. Having just started working at Rieger Orgelbau I was amazed at how nice and comfortable their consoles are and also complete with Rieger,s own solid state system. Becuase of Riegers huge output every year (3-4 new organs) they do follow their in house style but good nevertheless.
I.ve too found Harrison consoles nice. Have had lesson at St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol I remember how easy it was to play.
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This is an interesting topic. It's a shame it's happening so much in the UK. I've had an experience in the past year when I small 1970's church phoned me up one day and said that the organ was making strange sounds. I knew the organ wasn't that good anyway but there was obviously a problem. On inspection I noticed un disturbed dust on the sound board only resulting into what I could have only thought of as being a leaking roof. Having told the Minister he later confirmed that some of the lead had been stolen from the roof and which also explained for some of the buckets around the church. I'm afraid to say that with the insurance money (not Heritage Lottery) the church has decided to spend more money on an electronic rather than paying a fraction of the amount in having the soundboard out and re-flooding. Welcome to the Church of England!
JT
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I haven't had chance to get over to Liverpool just recently, but has anyone heard the new nave section of the organ?
I understand that the Nave section is very good fills the space very well.
JT
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Do they have chromatic soundboard layouts, like a Kirtland and Jardine, or is it just the one at Christ Church, Stone (extended by Laycock and Bannister in the 1960's, not used regularly)?
Firstly many thanks for all the info about N&L so far! Yes Nicholson & Lord organs have chromatic soundboard layouts, but also in sides as well. (The 1890's organ I tune at Ironbridge (the one with a Clarion 4' on the swell and the Gamba on the Great that goes down to bottom C) has the Great in chromatic form and in sides for the Swell.) There are 10 on the sharp side if being of chromatic layout.
Another feature of Nicholson & Lord organs is the impost level profile.
All best
JT
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The ones I've played by them were Madeley (gone?), Ironbridge, Ketley, St John Wolverhampton. I wouldn't have rated them as premier league builders, but its 100 years since I played one, might think different now?
R.
We look after the ones at Ironbridge, Ketley (Ketley being a church who have not included the organ is the scheme of thigns to come) and the reeds are very good. I find them more interesting insturments than the other builders I have mentioned save Willis.
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I tune at least three N&L organs around Shropshire (two not in original state) and I know they were a Walsall based firm, is there anyone out there that might have more information? They were at the time as good as Harrison, Willis and Walker - it's a shame they died out when they did.
Any input would be great.
Thanks
JT
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Ear wax?
No it wasn't Ear wax - there's something not right about the organ. The Grand Chorus isn't on it's 10 ranks anymore and the Tuba Magna is not on 50 and their resonaters have been cut down and tongues moved a few notes.
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Sorry to be an organ buff but to my ears the organ at Liverpool Cathedral (C of E) has lost a lot of power as I heard it the other week both up and downstairs. I know the Tuba Magna has been revoiced many times, but there's something about it which isn't the same.
Any thoughts?........
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I would try this one:
http://www.orgelakademie.de/Dispos.Buxtehude.pdf
A northern german romantic organ with roots in the Schnitger
tradition.
Note the fully develloped choruses.
Pierre
Thanks for the link - the organ looks very intersting.
JT
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I'm just enjoying my Vol. 2 of the Rheinberger organ sonatas on the Naxos label, which are played on the organ at Fulda Cathedral.
Does anyone know what the ideal organ for Rheinberger's organ music would be?
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It's good that the Town Hall organ is now back in use. I was unable to attend the concert - sold out! - but I have played it since it was cleaned after the Hall had it's make-over. The T T Cd is now on sale and it's good that Regent Records have done it.
I was disappointed however on the Mander website (one of the best of it's type on the UK) that is never advertised any concerts about the Town Hall and the portfolio shows what the previous interior looked like in the Town Hall. I would have thought that along with the Albert Hall at St. Paul's London, Birmingham Town Hall would be high on the list - maybe I'm wrong.
Nevertheless Manders have done a really good job and I look forward to hearing the organ in the building - rather than at the console!
JT
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Thanks for your reply. I found the harmonies very nice and tender. Which h-book is it in? I only had a photocopy which was in old old print!
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Hi Folks - I've played one of the most tuneful hymns ever at a family funeral. I was not known at all, so I'd thought I'd ask the discussion board if they have....
JT
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How is doing the work on this organ?
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I remember playing in part of a composite recital a few or more years back on this instrument. I enjoyed playing it very much and I remember the piston setting to be of the ON NEUTRAL and OFF position, in a cupboard by the stage. I can't remember the overall sound of the instrument only that a friend of mine looks after the organ. I suppose it's a Harrison of it's time going by Mr. Balls observations. St Mary Red is a different organ. Still prefer Coventry Cathedral Organ though! p.s. Isn't the C-Hall going to go under major restoration at some point? p.p.s Birmingham Town Hall opens in October!
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This is a topic that I came across in my studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire. I believe if anyone is going to perform a piece of music then one should have at least read about the composer and the meaning behind the music. This should then influence the way in which the music is performed, rather than seeing the music as blobs on page which some musicians do.
In the organ world the same thing applies and I hear so many people interpret JS Bach in the way they think it should be played because their teacher telling them to do so and the pupil failing to as WHY? I know that Bach is a big subject in itself because there is a lot we don't know about how his music was performed. As for scholars, they can be very good but it can detract from the musical wizardry that is about music. After all music is a form of communication and is not something that is written about totally.
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Dear folks
Was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction on order to find some original scores of the organ workd by A. Guilmant?
Jon Thorne
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Try reading the book by Fenner Douglas on the French Clissical organ. It will solve a lot of problems and give some proper insight.
JT
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Could I make a fresh (and polite) plea for a little more effort in keeping to the subject of individual threads? All too often these become a veritable ragbag of topics as people start to go off at a tangent with new ideas after only a handful of postings.
All too often an interesting thread becomes lost. For example, I've just discovered - quite by chance - a very worthwhile recent debate on Mendelssohn being conducted in two places.
We're all busy people, I know, with little time for such tidy-mindedness. The answer surely is to start a new topic - preferably with some sort of cross-reference - if you want to introduce new material in the course of a reply to an existing topic.
End of homily ....
JS
Just to say that I totally agree with the above comment. It's sometimes frustrating when one is trying to find some information and only to find the topic talking about something completely different within the first few responses and often by the same people. It's guess it's always a risk in having a board like this as it is open to jo public.
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In answer to who is looking after the Bristol Cathedral organ as far as I know the work of tuning and regulation was entrusted to Tony Cawston who also looks after the Symphony hall Organ and the Organ at St Chad's Cathedral Birmingham. I don't know if it was Mander's who recently altered the piston combinations and provided more memories. If there are serious problems with the up keep and maintenance of the Organ then surely it's the responsibility of the Cathedral Organist and Advisors to address these problems you say are current. I have not played the Organ for a few years so I can't comment on recent developments.
Sorry just to put the record straight. Tony Cawston is not longer looking after St. Chad's or Symphony Hall. I look after St. Chad's now!
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Is there a recording available? - I've heard such good things about the instrument but not actually ever heard it.
AJJ
Yes there is! I made an improvisation disc. Let me know if you are interested in a copy.
All best
JT
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Just picked up on this topic.
Here is my spec.
PEDAL
Open Diapason 16
Subbass 16
Octave 8
Bass Flute 8
Superoctave 4
Mixture IV
Ophicleide 16
Trumpet 8
POSITIVE
Stopped Diapason 8
Principal 4
Flute 4
Nazard 2 2/3
Fifteenth 2
Flageolet 2
Tierce 1 3/5
Larigot 1 1/3
Sharp Mixture IV
Cremona 8
Tremulant
GREAT
Bourdon 16
Open Diapason 8
Open Flute 8
Gamba 8
Octave 4
Harmonic Flute 4
Superoctave 2
Grave Mixture II
Mixture IV
Cornet V
Trumpet 8
SWELL
Chimney Flute 8
Salicional 8
Voix Celeste 8
Principal 4
Tapered Flute 4
Gemshorn 2
Mixture IV
Bassoon 16
Trumpet 8
Oboe 8
Clarion 4
Tremulant
What do people think?
J
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Coventry Cathedral organ is probably one of the most exciting Harrison organ's I've ever come across. I sang in the choir there in 2001 and I always loved the various tones it made both load and soft. I've certainly not come across any Harrison organ like it. As far as I know some work was done on the big trumpets after the smoke damage in 2001. Lets hope the organ is kept in proper maintenance under it's currents organ tuners!
JT
Widor Editions
in The Organ
Posted
There is another cheap edition like Dover which does have versions usually played or should I say the last revision. You can get them from Allegro music and the publisher I think is either Warner of Belwin Mills.