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Llandaff Cathedral


Guest Patrick Coleman

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The specification is up on NPOR if anyone wishes to peruse it. I gather no part of the new organ will be up on that arch, where NPOR says the old Positiv was located. What a strange arrangement that must have been!

 

It looks to being quite an instrument - does anyone know who was consultant?

 

A

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The specification is up on NPOR if anyone wishes to peruse it. I gather no part of the new organ will be up on that arch, where NPOR says the old Positiv was located. What a strange arrangement that must have been!

The NPOR specification doesnt reveal the amount of extension in the pedal organ. I assumed that the new West Great division would be going up on that arch, as you put it, if not, where is the West Great planned for?

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The NPOR specification doesnt reveal the amount of extension in the pedal organ. I assumed that the new West Great division would be going up on that arch, as you put it, if not, where is the West Great planned for?

 

 

I asked the same question about 3 months ago. The answer, as I recall, was that this division would be in the westernmost part of the case on the north side. I'm not sure how effective the Positif in the concrete drum on arch actually was in terms of tonal egress etc, but these days I imagine H&S restrictions over access for tuning etc might be a problem.

 

JS

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The NPOR specification doesnt reveal the amount of extension in the pedal organ. I assumed that the new West Great division would be going up on that arch, as you put it, if not, where is the West Great planned for?

 

 

I asked the same question about 3 months ago. The answer, as I recall, was that this division would be in the westernmost part of the case on the north side. I'm not sure how effective the Positif in the concrete drum on arch actually was in terms of tonal egress etc, but these days I imagine H&S restrictions over access for tuning etc might be a problem.

 

JS

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The NPOR specification doesnt reveal the amount of extension in the pedal organ. I assumed that the new West Great division would be going up on that arch, as you put it, if not, where is the West Great planned for?

 

Tucked away on the Cathedral website is the specification which reveals the extended ranks on the Pedal Organ as follows:

 

Open Wood 32,16,8

Bourdon 16,8

Principal 8,4

Trombone 32,16

Bombarde 16.8

 

No surprises there !

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  • 2 weeks later...
Is it common for the longest pipe of an open 32' to be 26' long as described in the news item?

 

Paul

 

I had a quick look in Llandaff last week on my way to Castel Coch. Scaffolding was up on the North side and they were working on the Nave casework. A lot of the larger pedal pipes seem to be in position to the East of the current structure for the Great, West Great and Solo. On the scaffolding there were some bits of pedal 32ft scale but much shorter. I wonder if 26ft was all that would fit in the shipping container so the larger pipes are in two bits for later assembly at Llandaff? The North side scaffolding will be coming down in July so they can start on the South side of the organ (and the console, I assume in a loft, to the east of that case). Good progress indeed.

 

PJW

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I had a quick look in Llandaff last week on my way to Castel Coch. Scaffolding was up on the North side and they were working on the Nave casework. A lot of the larger pedal pipes seem to be in position to the East of the current structure for the Great, West Great and Solo. On the scaffolding there were some bits of pedal 32ft scale but much shorter. I wonder if 26ft was all that would fit in the shipping container so the larger pipes are in two bits for later assembly at Llandaff? The North side scaffolding will be coming down in July so they can start on the South side of the organ (and the console, I assume in a loft, to the east of that case). Good progress indeed.

 

PJW

I guess that list-members will have seen this

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  • 2 weeks later...

In the Church Times 10 July 2009 page 16 is a short article on the new organ in Llandaff "From Pencil to Monster". This again repeats the fact that the largest pipe is 26 feet long by two feet wide. However, in a classic misprint THE WHOLE ORGAN WILL BE MADE UP OF 4870 STOPS. I wonder if Llandaff know that their Cathedral is about to become a giant organ chamber housing the largest organ in the world!!!!!!!!!

 

PJW

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In the Church Times 10 July 2009 page 16 is a short article on the new organ in Llandaff "From Pencil to Monster". This again repeats the fact that the largest pipe is 26 feet long by two feet wide. However, in a classic misprint THE WHOLE ORGAN WILL BE MADE UP OF 4870 STOPS. I wonder if Llandaff know that their Cathedral is about to become a giant organ chamber housing the largest organ in the world!!!!!!!!!

 

PJW

 

Maybe the 26 feet is also merely a misprint that's just got repeated?

 

R

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Guest Cynic
Maybe the 26 feet is also merely a misprint that's just got repeated?

 

R

 

 

There is always the possibility that this stop will have open pipes down to F or G, say, and that those below this pitch will be stopped pipes, or a quint arrangement. If either were the case, then the newspaper report would be correct. In any case, a 32' pipe doesn't have to be exactly 32' long - a wider scale would actually need a shorter pipe - but agreed, not as short as 26'!

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  • 3 months later...

Could someone remind me when the Solo Organ is due to be installed at Llandaff, please?

 

I recall that there was talk of a delay (for financial reasons?) and had thought that I would find the information on this thread. However, I am unable to locate it and would be grateful if anyone who knows the answer could post it on this thread.

 

Thank you.

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Unfortunately, the rumour is true. The Organ Appeal website confirms this.

The problem of raising the necessary money in these difficult financial times means that the completion date for the full replacement organ has been extended beyond Easter 2010. However, the organ that will be in place at Easter next year will be uncompromised in quality with preparations in place for the installation of the Solo Organ when funds are in place.

It's good to see that several fund-raising events are scheduled. Let's hope they are successful and the delay will not be over-long.

 

Regards

 

Oscar

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...thought that I would find the information on this thread. However, I am unable to locate it and would be grateful if anyone who knows the answer could post it on this thread.

 

Thank you.

 

General Discussion : New Organs - Excitement : posts #17-19

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Is it common for the longest pipe of an open 32' to be 26' long as described in the news item?

 

Paul

 

I have just had another look at the page of photographs and I think that the lowest pipes of this stop are mitred. Look about halfway down the page, to the photograph on the right, of Richard Moorhouse standing between the choirstalls. there are three pipes lying on their sides, but behind them are the tops of several other pipes. Either these are the mitred tops of the tallest pipes - or they are the largest-scaled Octave Wood ever constructed - by comparison, the 16ft. Flute* at Gloucester would appear to be positively svelte.

 

Out of interest, I wonder why anyone would specify an octave extension of the Open Wood....

 

<_<

 

 

 

 

* Due to the monster scale of these old Bishop pipes, thirteen feet is the actual length of the tallest.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi all,

 

On work today I took a break (tiredness from driving: it was 9:45am but I had been up since 5:30am although not driving for all that time) and popped into Llandaff Cathedral which just happened - because of where I was coming from - to be just off the route I was taking. So I took the oportunity to go and have a look at the organ.

 

The appearence of the instrument certainly, IMO, enhances the appearence of the building and looks better than the somewhat ugly (IMO) grille that stood there before. There will, I reckon, be some who think that the best way to enhance the interior of the building would be to get rid of that arch. However I was informed that the organ pipes which were inside the top of that archway during the life of the last pipe organ are simply being left there as it was too complicated (and expensive?) to get them out.

 

I got my camera out and, after assertaining that I did not need to purchase a photograph permit (as you do at Wells for £2 IIRC), I managed to get these snaps. They aren't perfect but I hope they aren't too bad either, and provide a slightly more recent update than the photos of August 2009 on the Cathedral's website:

 

View from behind the high altar:

lc-organ1.jpg

 

View from the South side of the Chancel:

lc-organ2.jpg

 

View from the North side of the Chancel. The console can just be seen behind the Bishop's throne.

lc-organ3.jpg

 

View from the Northwest side of the Chancel showing the South case:

lc-organ4.jpg

 

In respect of photo 4, the case, with the exception of that small Positive, reminds me of the Klais organ (1998) at Cologne Cathedral, Germany.

 

The same member of staff who informed me about the organ pipes in the arch being retained said that the building work on the organ is finished but it is not yet connected up.

 

Hopr this is of interest. I look forward to the opening of the organ which is, I believe, scheduled for Easter 2010.

 

Dave

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