General Discussion

[Colin Richell]

Having heard the Central Hall, Westminster organ on "The Organist entertains" can anyone advise me of the history and specification of this organ, whether regular recitals are held, and which respected organ builder maintains the organ ?

Thanks

Colin Richell,

[AJJ]

Having heard the Central Hall, Westminster organ on "The Organist entertains" can anyone advise me of the history and specification of this organ, whether regular recitals are held, and which respected organ builder maintains the organ ?

Thanks

Colin Richell,

 

Here is the spec. though recently I read somewhere that things were going on necessitating an electronic and temporary move to a smaller room for services etc. I heard the organ years ago when Dr William Lloyd Webber was still organist - all I can remember is the slightly odd Choir organ layout with a single unenclosed Stopped 8' that he liked to fade the rest (enclosed) up and down behind to obtain all kinds of subtle effects. I seem to remember that the R & D scheme was very much to his personal taste and for his style of playing. The Solo organ was also capable of some exotic sounds though it seems that the 1-1/7 has been changed to a 1-1/3 since those days.

 

AJJ

[Guest Patrick Coleman]

Having heard the Central Hall, Westminster organ on "The Organist entertains" can anyone advise me of the history and specification of this organ, whether regular recitals are held, and which respected organ builder maintains the organ ?

Thanks

Colin Richell,

 

This question also appears - verbatim - in the 'and we're back' thread!

 

I asked there about the difference between the Quint and Minor Quint that both appear in the NPOR spec. Any suggestions? Large and small? Some more musical difference?

[AJJ]

This question also appears - verbatim - in the 'and we're back' thread!

 

I asked there about the difference between the Quint and Minor Quint that both appear in the NPOR spec. Any suggestions? Large and small? Some more musical difference?

 

I thought I'd read this before - 'thought it was my brain - maybe one derived from an open and the other from a stopped. The organ in Christ Church , City, Bristol (I seem to remember) has an Acoustic 32 (actually called SuB Bass 32') that works like that. Whatever 16' stop is drawn with it is the source of the 10-2/3' Quint. Maybe of some use for large and small 32' effects.

 

AJJ

[John Sheppard]

Getting back to part of Colin's original question. Does anybody know who looks after the instument these days.

 

J.S.

[GrossGeigen]

Getting back to part of Colin's original question. Does anybody know who looks after the instument these days.

 

J.S.

Harrison & Harrison look after it. There was an interesting write-up of this instrument in "The Organ", probably by Gilbert Benham in the late 1930's. There's a good photo of the then Hill console with a small keyboard below the bass stop-jamb for the carillon. I believe it was a fairly modest four-decker to begin with, despite the the CCCC 32-ft front. There was a subsequent write-up in "The Organ" after the R&D work.

[Colin Richell]

Thanks to all for your help and assistance.

I hope that someone can advise of any concerts, because I have never heard the organ live.

sincerely

Colin Richell.

[martinstanley]

I attended a service at Central Hall Westminster in the 60's. I don't remember the effect of the organ but my abiding memory was of the percussive effect of 300+ tip-up seats during the playover of each hymn!

[MusingMuso]

At risk of diverting the subject, does anyone know of the current status of the organ at The City Temple?

 

This is another large London instrument of which one hears very little.

 

MM

[mgp]

I don't know what state the organ is currently in, although as another contributor has mentioned, decorating work in the Great Hall a few years ago necessitated the use of a Copeman Hart in another part of the building.

 

Graham

The building work was to reconfigure the front stage etc - nothing to do with the organ.

 

The organ is showing its age and Andrew Scott is struggling to keep all of it in good working order. I'm playing it Mon-Thurs next week so will report back on exact condition. From memory the pedal is heavily extended and one 10 2/3 is from the open wood and the other from the bourdon.

[mgp]

At risk of diverting the subject, does anyone know of the current status of the organ at The City Temple?

 

This is another large London instrument of which one hears very little.

 

MM

I played it a coupke fo years ago and it seemed fine - if rather powerful.

[mgp]

The building work was to reconfigure the front stage etc - nothing to do with the organ.

 

The organ is showing its age and Andrew Scott is struggling to keep all of it in good working order. I'm playing it Mon-Thurs next week so will report back on exact condition. From memory the pedal is heavily extended and one 10 2/3 is from the open wood and the other from the bourdon.

Firstly there are two 10 2/3 on the pedal, one (quint) is from the bourdon and the other (minor quint) is from the solo gedeckt. Both were pretty well inaudible at the console due to the large amount of air escaping from various parts of the organ as is any combination below mp.

 

Secondly it is not in the best of health. H&H warned some time ago that it could all fail at any time. Today CCC, EE and GG on the Sw 16' reed unit were dead, as are a considerable number of notes on the upperwork and the Solo Orch Oboe is disconnected (a sticking slider and a shame as it was a nice sound). These are recurring faults and Andrew Scott and Laura Venning both report in the tuners book that some action parts are virtually inaccessible and there is little they can realistically do until major work is done.

 

The main Gt, Sw and Pedal choruses all function (which is what I needed) but with many slow or virtually inaudible notes in individual ranks (the 32 reed is particularly uneven ranging from fff to p in the bottom octave). There seem to have been quite a few faults in the Pedal and Solo caused by low humidity but that wasn't a problem today. It was in good tune and the French Horn was a delight!

 

A quick play round the mp-mf combinations found lots of colour but more issues with speech/uneveness of regulation due to wind differences.

 

In all pretty much what you'd expect after 37 years heavy usage in Central London.