Methodist Central Hall Birmingham

[willy]

Does anyone know what has happened to the organ at the Methodist Central Hall in Birmingham? I believe the building has been convereted to flats and a nightclub....and there were plans to preserve the organ, but can't find anything to saqy what actually happened.

[basdav]

Does anyone know what has happened to the organ at the Methodist Central Hall in Birmingham?  I believe the building has been convereted to flats and a nightclub....and there were plans to preserve the organ, but can't find anything to saqy what actually happened.

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I last saw it 4 years ago, it was a sad sight pipes had been flattened by lighting crews when the building was used for boxing matches and the console had been vandalised.

[Guest Roffensis]

I last saw it 4 years ago, it was a sad sight pipes had been flattened by lighting crews when the building was used for boxing matches and the console had been vandalised.

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Probably much what happened to Kingsway Hall in London, which always struck me as a great waste with it's recording history for Decca and EMI. When you consider the people that passed through its doors......it was demolished a few years ago, and the organ I believe just broken up. What was in Birmingham Central Hall?

[Tony Newnham]

it was demolished a few years ago, and the organ I believe just broken up. What was in Birmingham Central Hall?

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There's a survey on NPOR. I heard the organ in the mid-1970's (I was accompanying (on piano) a choir from, I think, St. John's Harborne for some area event (can't remember the details now - it was a long time ago, and not desperately memorable! - just helping someone out).

 

I was suprised to see that it had been restored in the early '70's accoring to NPOR, as there were at least 2 cyphers that evening - one being the pedal reed, which "stuck" during the closing hymn, and refused to stop speaking until the wind was turned off and reservoir emptied! (I was glad I wasn't the organist!). Apart from that, I seem to remember quite a reasonable instrument on that brief encounter.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[Guest Roffensis]

There's a survey on NPOR.  I heard the organ in the mid-1970's (I was accompanying (on piano) a choir from, I think, St. John's Harborne for some area event (can't remember the details now - it was a long time ago, and not desperately memorable! - just helping someone out).

 

I was suprised to see that it had been restored in the early '70's accoring to NPOR, as there were at least 2 cyphers that evening - one being the pedal reed, which "stuck" during the closing hymn, and refused to stop speaking until the wind was turned off and reservoir emptied!  (I was glad I wasn't the organist!).  Apart from that, I seem to remember quite a reasonable instrument on that brief encounter.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

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The central Hall in Liverpool still exists as a matter of interest, 3 decker Norman and Beard of 1906, the building much like Kingsway, galleries and dome etc. The hall is in private hands now though. At least they have kept, and want, the organ.

[MusingMuso]

The central Hall in Liverpool still exists as a matter of interest, 3 decker Norman and Beard of 1906, the building much like Kingsway, galleries and dome etc. The hall is in private hands now though. At least they have kept, and want, the organ.

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There is a large, redundant organ in Manchester, above Weatherspoon's public-house, which used to be a chapel.

 

Perhaps the binge-drinking culture brings blessings as well as evils.

 

MM

[Guest Roffensis]

There's a survey on NPOR.  I heard the organ in the mid-1970's (I was accompanying (on piano) a choir from, I think, St. John's Harborne for some area event (can't remember the details now - it was a long time ago, and not desperately memorable! - just helping someone out).

 

I was suprised to see that it had been restored in the early '70's accoring to NPOR, as there were at least 2 cyphers that evening - one being the pedal reed, which "stuck" during the closing hymn, and refused to stop speaking until the wind was turned off and reservoir emptied!  (I was glad I wasn't the organist!).  Apart from that, I seem to remember quite a reasonable instrument on that brief encounter.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

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Hi Tony,

That reminds me an organ where I play funerals, if you draw the big 16 flue before turning the wind on, the stop comes on. If you draw the stop after wind is on, it wont work, and if you push it in ever , once the wind is on, it wont work at all for the rest of the day!!! It's a Willis rebuild of a Gray and Davison, with a nice Pitman action. Any explanations!?

Christ be beside you, (and me for that matter!.....)

Richard.

[Tony Newnham]

Hi Tony,

That reminds me an organ where I play funerals, if you draw the big 16 flue before turning the wind on, the stop comes on. If you draw the stop after wind is on, it wont work, and if you push it in ever , once the wind is on, it wont work at all for the rest of the day!!! It's a Willis rebuild of a Gray and Davison, with a nice Pitman action. Any explanations!?

Christ be beside you, (and me for that matter!.....)

Richard.

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Hi Richard

 

I don't know enough about pneumatic actions to comment - probably something out of adjustment, or a leak - althoguh why it should work with wind "off" initially is a bit of a puzzle.

 

Organs in poor condition can be a nightmare. Iplayed for a wedding last year at an Anglican church across the city. Binns organ moved to the church some 25 years ago, and has had some work since because of a water leak - but VERY rarely played these days. I actually went in with the tuner to check it out - a real nightmare. The swell was unusable from it's own manual - too many missing notes (I was able to leave it coupled to the choir, which, as it happened was just as well). We could hear water bubling in the pneumatic action tubes - and all the off-note chests on the Great basses (i.e. all except a rather quiet flute) were off. The builder managed to get the 2 Open Diaps back in commission. There were also a couple of intermittant cyphers - and the Great Trumpet was unusable. All went well until the first hymn, when I thought the organ was sounding a bit "weak" and lacking depth - I had lost the great Open Diap. basses again! O happy days!

 

With every blessing

 

Tony