JohnR Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Codsall High School (as it was known) in Staffordshire used to have a pipe organ in the main hall between about 1966 and 1983. I never knew the original builder but W. H. Laycock rebuilt it in about 1921. It came from Wombourne Methodist church and was moved and installed in the school in an understandably amateur fashion by the school. I was at the school while the organ was there and was later allowed to do some remedial repairs on it. The pedal bourdon didn't seem right when I first went to the school and I discovered the pipes had the pneumatic tubing connected in pipe position order, which because they were split semitonally created an interesting effect! Fortunately I found this easy to put right. The organ was removed and sadly detroyed after a possible plan to move it to a church didn't work out. John R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 some of us from the Boys' Grammar School went to "bump up" the girls' school choir The mind boggles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justadad Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 When I went to Emanuel Grammar School (Battersea Rise, near Clapham Junction) in the 70s it was a voluntary-aided, state boys' school with a chapel, chapel choir and organ. Christian Strover was DoM and Philip Weaver the organist for all the time I sang in the choir (as treble, alto and poor excuse for a tenor). I don't know anything about the organ except it always sounded good to me and I think had two manuals. I do remember Phil Weaver saying he could play anything Rick Wakeman played on my Six Wives album. I've had a look at the school's website and whilst the Chapel is mentioned I couldn't find any reference to the organ. The school is now an Independent Co-Ed. My son went to Hampton School which has an R&D two-manual organ in the gallery of the assembly hall. It was never a very pleasing instrument and died a couple of years ago during the playing of the National Anthem at the end of a Prize Day ceremony when it dulled to a poor imitation of a concertina, belched black smoke and gave up the ghost. Rumours that any staff from the music department grabbed the insurance policy and used it to fan the flames are utterly unfounded. Though an unloved and unlovely instrument, it begat three Oxbridge organ scholars (though in truth that probably had a lot more to do with the teacher, Julie Ainscough). They now have a three manual Makin, and a two manual Peter Collins which can be seen here http://freespace.virgin.net/michael.harrol...ges/organ_1.jpg Hampton was also a voluntary-aided boys' grammar school, and is now an Independent Boys' School. Best wishes J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Morley Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 When I went to Emanuel Grammar School (Battersea Rise, near Clapham Junction)...I've had a look at the school's website and whilst the Chapel is mentioned I couldn't find any reference to the organ... According to NPOR, the organ remains valued and in rude health. http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N17271 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basdav Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 It was still there about 15 years ago, complete with basketball ring on the case, if I remember correctly. Looked very un-used, the organ that is, not the basketball hoop! Now now Paul I cant see you playing basketball, I came across a tuners book yesterday with a very young PCs writing in !!!! Are we just covering state schools on this thread, the Royal School in Wolverhampton has a Walker in the Library and a 2 manual in the chapel but Im going back 25 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Kemp Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 A friend of mine teaches at Dover GS for boys and his father says they have a very good pipe organ. I hope to ifnd out more over the weekend. Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 My son went to Hampton School which has an R&D two-manual organ in the gallery of the assembly hall. Though an unloved and unlovely instrument, it begat three Oxbridge organ scholars (though in truth that probably had a lot more to do with the teacher, Julie Ainscough). Justadad will be interested to know that Hampton School's progeny of Oxbridge organ scholars is greater than he realises. From the 1970s was Andrew Prior, and from the early 90s, Jeremy Rouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Carr Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 ...I came across a tuners book yesterday with a very young PCs writing in !!!! Ooooo - where? (Sorry VERY off topic for a mo, unless it was in a school! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Hi Entering "School Horsham" finds it in one click! Also, if you're having trouble finding an NPOR entry, there is a "neighbourhood search" facility that allows you to enter a town name & a radius within which to search - that will usually find entries listed (correctly) under nearby villages, etc. Every Blessing Tony NPOR Editor Hi Tony, I wasn't searching for Forest School Horsham but found it by accident. I'm always using the neighbourhood search function, it is very useful. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsoff Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 My old grammar school, King Edward Sixth in Stratford-upon-Avon, is physically connected to the Guild Chapel of the Holy Cross and uses it for assembly. The school offers an organ scholarship these days so I suppose the organ could be considered as partially belonging to it. The organ is allegedly under reconstruction, although on the occasions I have dropped in for a look there has been no sign of anything happening. Here is the NPOR entry for the proposed scheme... http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=E01386 ...when I played it in the late 1960s, the 1955 specification was in use although for about 12 months in 1971 only the Swell organ was available because the roof leaked and made all the wood in the Great swell, if you see what I mean! It was lucky that another organist had left the swell box closed before the leak occurred or the whole lot would have been damaged. The new specification looks quite ambitious for a small chapel - I hope it is voiced on the quiet side or it may be overpowering. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Walton Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 My old grammar school, King Edward Sixth in Stratford-upon-Avon, is physically connected to the Guild Chapel of the Holy Cross and uses it for assembly. The school offers an organ scholarship these days so I suppose the organ could be considered as partially belonging to it. The organ is allegedly under reconstruction, although on the occasions I have dropped in for a look there has been no sign of anything happening. The Principal Pipe Organs organ will be totally new but I don't know when the installation will start. The haskelled bass of the bottom octave of the Ped Open 16' (added by Nicholsons in 1990) may be retained but that's it. The present organ is desperately inadequate for supporting congregational singing (or playing virtually any piece of organ music convincingly!) - I'm sure the new one will be suitably scaled for the building. Paul Walton (another old boy of KES) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsoff Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Thank you for that Paul. I'm fairly surprised that such a comprehensively good organ is being installed given that the chapel is relatively little used for public services or recitals. A local mixed choir leads an occasional choral evensong and one or two funerals of civic worthies take place there each year but that is about it, apart from the school's use. I vaguely remember that special permission has to be granted by the Church authorities for weddings there - I was told that Wayne Marshall was married there - not sure if that is correct though! Maybe the situation will change once the new instrument is up and running - I would certainly go along if it sounds as good as it looks on paper. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 My old grammar school, King Edward Sixth in Stratford-upon-Avon, is physically connected to the Guild Chapel of the Holy Cross and uses it for assembly. The school offers an organ scholarship these days so I suppose the organ could be considered as partially belonging to it. The organ is allegedly under reconstruction, although on the occasions I have dropped in for a look there has been no sign of anything happening. Here is the NPOR entry for the proposed scheme... http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=E01386 ...when I played it in the late 1960s, the 1955 specification was in use although for about 12 months in 1971 only the Swell organ was available because the roof leaked and made all the wood in the Great swell, if you see what I mean! It was lucky that another organist had left the swell box closed before the leak occurred or the whole lot would have been damaged. The new specification looks quite ambitious for a small chapel - I hope it is voiced on the quiet side or it may be overpowering. P The existing organ I found a pleasure to play, and so much easier to get the right effects out of than that down the road at Holy Trinity. It may be a little unusual in composition, but I think is beautifully balanced to the intimacy of the chapel. I do hope a good home is found for it, it would be a great shame to lose it completely. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Shuker Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 I have a leaflet from Nicholsons about an organ in Oldbury Grammar School, I dont know if it still exists as the school is now a sports college. Many thanks for this and the many other messages about organs in state schools. In many cases the appearance of an organ in a school was/is related to the enthusiasm of individual members of staff (not always music teachers!) - sadly, sometimes such instruments also disappear quickly once said person moves on. Regards, David Shuker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Lane Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Many thanks for this and the many other messages about organs in state schools. In many cases the appearance of an organ in a school was/is related to the enthusiasm of individual members of staff (not always music teachers!) - sadly, sometimes such instruments also disappear quickly once said person moves on. Regards, David Shuker Sadly, I think you're right, and is probably symptomatic of the position the organ holds in the cultural life of the country as much as anything. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunckx Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 When I attended the then Northampton Town & County Grammar School in Billing Road in the 1970s (now Northampton School for Boys http://www.nsb.northants.sch.uk/ ) there was a Conacher organ in the main assembly hall. No mention of it now on the school webpage and no signs I could see in NPOR. I think it was two manuals plus pedals and was originally a cinema organ, as it had such things as second touch and a grand piano hooked up to it by pneumatics which didn't work. Our music master was Stephen Cleobury who was also organist at St. Matthew's, Northampton before he moved on to greater things. One of our chemistry masters, Dr. Whiting, also played it on occasion, and I can remember one Saturday given over to a series of recitals by at least four invited organists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Many thanks for this and the many other messages about organs in state schools. In many cases the appearance of an organ in a school was/is related to the enthusiasm of individual members of staff (not always music teachers!) - sadly, sometimes such instruments also disappear quickly once said person moves on. That reminds me of the organ my old teacher, CD Atkinson of Ashbourne, installed in Derby School (by then a state grammar) in the 1970s. Jane Parker-Smith, or maybe Maureen McAllister, gave the opening recital. The instrument was a 3m that had been in a church in the North of England and the installation in the school was a project that involved many different departments of the school so a large number of pupils were involved and benefited from the experience. The modern school hall had virtually no reverberation so an electronic reverb system was fitted. I can't find this instrument on NPOR and don't have any details to provide the basis for an entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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