Llandaff Cathedral

[pwhodges]

Well, almost a century ago - sometime between 1910 and 1922, in fact.

Not quite. Gray and Davison moved the organ to the west end in 1870, with the new choir case and the side extensions to the main case for the pedal. Father Willis rebuilt the organ in 1884/5, and (later, I think, but I'm relying on memory here) moved the choir case to the back of the organ to act as an echo. Willis II moved it back where it belonged in 1910/11 (my sources vary), but extended it forward to accommodate a larger choir with swell box.

 

Paul

[pcnd5584]

Not quite. Gray and Davison moved the organ to the west end in 1870, with the new choir case and the side extensions to the main case for the pedal. Father Willis rebuilt the organ in 1884/5, and (later, I think, but I'm relying on memory here) moved the choir case to the back of the organ to act as an echo. Willis II moved it back where it belonged in 1910/11 (my sources vary), but extended it forward to accommodate a larger choir with swell box.

 

Paul

 

I have a photograph taken around 1885; judging from this the Choir case had either been temporarily removed, or had already been moved to the west front of the case.

[Philip J Wells]

Was the case design, by any chance, done by Simon Platt? Judging from his work for Gerhard Grenzing -- Niigata centre, Brussels and Madrid cathedrals etc --, I'd say he likes to show a lot of wooden surfaces in his cases, and the decorative elements at Llandaff seem to match his overall style as well. In fact, I find his case designs quite attractive, if a bit heavy sometimes. Nicholson's site doesn't tell anything about it, or I did not find out where.

 

Best,

Friedrich

An article by Paul Hale in the Feb 2010 Organists' Review on the new Llandaff instrument does indeed state that "The cases were designed by Nicholsons and by Simon Platt, an architect specialising in organ cases and famed for such ingenious and beautiful creations as the nave organ cases in Brussels Cathedral".

 

PJW

[bombarde32]

In the interests of pedantry, I think that this instrument actually contains 3,585 pipes. Even allowing for the unlikely possibility that all the case pipes are non-speaking, this would then add a further sixty six pipes, making a total of 3,651 pipes.

 

Not sure about your maths, but here's mine ..........

 

Christ Church Oxford (from the Builders themselves)

 

Positif

 

8 Montre (61)

8 Bourdon (61)

4 Prestant (61)

4 Flute a Fuseau (61)

2 Cor de Chamois (61)

1-1/3 Larigot (61)

II Sesquialtera (12.17) (122)

IV Cymbale (22.26.29.33) (244)

8 Cromorne (61)

- Tremulant

- Swell to Positive 13 ranks of 61 pipes = 793 pipes

 

Grande Orgue

 

16 Bourdon (61)

8 Montre (61)

8 Flute a Cheminee (61)

4 Prestant (61)

4 Flute Conique (61)

2 Doublette (61)

V Cornet (Mid C) (185)

VI Fourniture (19.22.26.29.33.36) (366)

IV Cymbale (26.29.33.36) (244)

8 Trompette (61)

4 Clairon (61)

- Swell to Grande Orgue

- Positive to Grande Orgue

- Bombarde to Grande Orgue 18 ranks of 61 pipes = 1098 pipes + cornet (185 pipes) = 1283 pipes

 

Swell

 

8 Salicional (61)

8 Céleste (FF) (56)

8 Flute Bouchée (61)

4 Octave (61)

4 Flute (61)

2-2/3 Nasard (61)

2 Quarte de Nasard (61)

1-3/5 Tierce (61)

IV Plein Jeu (15.19.22.26) (244)

16 Cor Anglais (61)

8 Vox Humaine (61)

- Tremulant 13 ranks of 61 pipes = 793 pipes = Celeste(56 pipes) = 849 pipes

 

Bombarde

 

16 Bombarde (61)

8 Trompette (61)

4 Clairon (61) 3 ranks of 61 pipes = 183 pipes

 

Pedal

 

16 Montre (32)

16 Soubasse (32)

8 Flute de Pédale (32)

8 Bourdon (32)

4 Basse de Chorale (32)

V Fourniture (22.26.29.33.36) (160)

16 Basson (32)

8 Trompette (32)

4 Clairon (32)

- Positive to Pedal

- Grande Orgue to Pedal

- Swell to Pedal 13 ranks of 32 pipes = 416 pipes

 

 

 

This gives us a grand total of 3524 pipes, which is what I said earlier, not to be too pendantic or anything............

 

BTW almost all of the case pipes do speak anyway.

[John Robinson]

Not sure about your maths, but here's mine ..........

 

Christ Church Oxford (from the Builders themselves)

 

Positif

 

8 Montre (61)

8 Bourdon (61)

4 Prestant (61)

4 Flute a Fuseau (61)

2 Cor de Chamois (61)

1-1/3 Larigot (61)

II Sesquialtera (12.17) (122)

IV Cymbale (22.26.29.33) (244)

8 Cromorne (61)

- Tremulant

- Swell to Positive 13 ranks of 61 pipes = 793 pipes

 

Grande Orgue

 

16 Bourdon (61)

8 Montre (61)

8 Flute a Cheminee (61)

4 Prestant (61)

4 Flute Conique (61)

2 Doublette (61)

V Cornet (Mid C) (185)

VI Fourniture (19.22.26.29.33.36) (366)

IV Cymbale (26.29.33.36) (244)

8 Trompette (61)

4 Clairon (61)

- Swell to Grande Orgue

- Positive to Grande Orgue

- Bombarde to Grande Orgue 18 ranks of 61 pipes = 1098 pipes + cornet (185 pipes) = 1283 pipes

 

Swell

 

8 Salicional (61)

8 Céleste (FF) (56)

8 Flute Bouchée (61)

4 Octave (61)

4 Flute (61)

2-2/3 Nasard (61)

2 Quarte de Nasard (61)

1-3/5 Tierce (61)

IV Plein Jeu (15.19.22.26) (244)

16 Cor Anglais (61)

8 Vox Humaine (61)

- Tremulant 13 ranks of 61 pipes = 793 pipes = Celeste(56 pipes) = 849 pipes

 

Bombarde

 

16 Bombarde (61)

8 Trompette (61)

4 Clairon (61) 3 ranks of 61 pipes = 183 pipes

 

Pedal

 

16 Montre (32)

16 Soubasse (32)

8 Flute de Pédale (32)

8 Bourdon (32)

4 Basse de Chorale (32)

V Fourniture (22.26.29.33.36) (160)

16 Basson (32)

8 Trompette (32)

4 Clairon (32)

- Positive to Pedal

- Grande Orgue to Pedal

- Swell to Pedal 13 ranks of 32 pipes = 416 pipes

 

 

 

This gives us a grand total of 3524 pipes, which is what I said earlier, not to be too pendantic or anything............

 

BTW almost all of the case pipes do speak anyway.

 

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!

[bombarde32]

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!

 

I'll check next time I'm there, when my lad goes back to the cathedral choir after the Easter break.

[Murton]

Did anyone go to the opening concert on Saturday? I went with some friends (this was the first big opening recital I have attended since Simon Preston at Rochester...)and I thought it well worth the long drive. Thomas Trotter's playing was, as ever quite outstanding and though we were tucked in at the back of the south aisle, the sound of the new instrument came over very well and certainly filled the building - nothing seemed to be hidden away, and we felt that there certainly seemed to be enough weight on the pedals, even thought the spec was incomplete!

[Peter Clark]

Did anyone go to the opening concert on Saturday? I went with some friends (this was the first big opening recital I have attended since Simon Preston at Rochester...)and I thought it well worth the long drive. Thomas Trotter's playing was, as ever quite outstanding and though we were tucked in at the back of the south aisle, the sound of the new instrument came over very well and certainly filled the building - nothing seemed to be hidden away, and we felt that there certainly seemed to be enough weight on the pedals, even thought the spec was incomplete!

 

The Guardian gave it three out of five. The Bach was certainly well-received but the reviewer felt there was an overabundance of transcriptions, though that is certainly TT's normal style. I wasn't there but I was pleased to see he included the Wammes Miroir, a favourite of mine. The last time I heard him was at St John's in Cardiff where, given the location of the console, he was able to introduce each piece he played. Was he able to talk to the audience at Llandaff?

 

Peter

[Stephen Dutfield]

The Guardian gave it three out of five. The Bach was certainly well-received but the reviewer felt there was an overabundance of transcriptions, though that is certainly TT's normal style. I wasn't there but I was pleased to see he included the Wammes Miroir, a favourite of mine. The last time I heard him was at St John's in Cardiff where, given the location of the console, he was able to introduce each piece he played. Was he able to talk to the audience at Llandaff?

 

Peter

 

I would have given it at least 4 out of 5... but then I like transcriptions when they're performed with the accuracy and panache of Thomas Trotter!

 

He addressed the audience from the front of the nave at the beginning of the recital, but also introduced each item individually using a radio mic at the console, including his customary gems of information on the music and the composers. Everyone I know who was there was suitably impressed with the new organ, and afterwards I managed a quick chat with both Guy Russell and Andrew Moyes, as well as David Thomas (second assistant organist) and all were delighted with the result.

 

S