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Small Mander available — demolition soon


Paul Inwood

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If anyone is interested in the small 1973 Mander organ in St Margaret Clitherow Church, Bracknell, please would they contact me a.s.a.p. Pipework and action are all currently available at no cost. The church is due to be demolished in less than 5 week's time, so speed is of the essence.

 

The organ can be found on NPOR at http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi...ec_index=T01001. Please note that much of the specification was prepared for but never installed.

 

Many thanks,

 

Paul Inwood

Diocesan Organ Advisor, RC Diocese of Portsmouth

 

pinwood@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk

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Can you give any indications of dimensions, and more details of the extent of the 'prepared for' preparations please?

thanks

 

=======================

 

If you check the NPOR link, the organ seems to be a three rank extension instrument as it stands, with no Swell chest, box or pipes.

 

Ideal for a house organ presumably, with the addition of one or two other unit chests acting on what is currently designated as the Swell.

 

MM

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NPOR has surely left out a 4' Principal on the Great? The scheme might be partly straight, or all extended.

 

It could be a very nice organ. I remember being tremendously impressed with the 3 rank+tierce Mander organ which had started off in Coventry Cathedral Choir School and then stood in St Anne & St Agnes, Gresham Street, City of London (since gone to Bruern Abbey School, and then with the school to Chesterton Lodge, Oxfordshire). Good workmanship and voicing make a good unit organ - it's the cheap and nasty ones that give the breed a bad name.

 

There is/was a very nice Mander 'Denham' in Buxhall Church, Suffolk. Two ranks, well-finished, lovely little case - what more could one ask? (I don't see it in the recent pictures on www.suffolkchurches.co.uk but it could be hiding out of sight, obscured by the pillars of the chancel arch - it's a slim-line job).

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NPOR has surely left out a 4' Principal on the Great? The scheme might be partly straight, or all extended.

 

It could be a very nice organ. I remember being tremendously impressed with the 3 rank+tierce Mander organ which had started off in Coventry Cathedral Choir School and then stood in St Anne & St Agnes, Gresham Street, City of London (since gone to Bruern Abbey School, and then with the school to Chesterton Lodge, Oxfordshire). Good workmanship and voicing make a good unit organ - it's the cheap and nasty ones that give the breed a bad name.

 

There is/was a very nice Mander 'Denham' in Buxhall Church, Suffolk. Two ranks, well-finished, lovely little case - what more could one ask? (I don't see it in the recent pictures on www.suffolkchurches.co.uk but it could be hiding out of sight, obscured by the pillars of the chancel arch - it's a slim-line job).

 

Yes the Buxhall organ is still there and tends to be obscured by the chancel/nave wall as it's so slim. It's got two ranks and about eight stops. It fills the church with sound quite well and I feel it's better for service playing than many of the straight organs in that area. I find the tone to be rather thin but there's plenty of brightness.

 

I once played both the Buxhall organ and the Cousans 'Premier' organ at Worlington church also in Suffolk in the same weeked. It felt rather appropriate as both these models appear side by side in a pair of photos in Sumner's organ book!

 

John R

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