Guest Geoff McMahon Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Noel Mander, founder of Mander Organs and my father, would have been 100 years old today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveHarries Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I hope I won't be the only person to say this, but a posthumous Happy Birthday to him. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Robinson Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I'd like to echo that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bam Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Looking back, it is remarkable how many things we now take for granted that were pioneered by Noel Mander. Three that come to mind are..... - the sensitive but pragmatic approach to restoring old material, making sure that its re-use did not let down the final result - that modern, well-engineered tracker action is now the preferred choice for new organs of moderate size - the realisation that mechanical parts have a finite life and if worn out must be replaced. The mechanical reliability of the St Paul's Cathedral organ in the most trying climatic conditions is a great testament to his clear thinking in this area. His influence has changed a huge amount, for the better, and his legacy will be with us for many years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptindall Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 "Modern, well engineered tracker action is now the preferred choice for new organs of modest size." Boxmoor? Perhaps we dug our own grave on this one, because so many mechanical actions made between 1950 and now (not by Mander's), have been so extraordinarily bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bam Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I guess "preferred" does not mean "automatic". I don't know the reasons for the choice of action at Boxmoor but it would be a shame if the doings at Berkhamstead, just up the road, influenced the decision. Incidentally, it is good to see the old Jesus College instrument find a very appreciative new home at Truro School. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13544316 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprondel Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Incidentally, it is good to see the old Jesus College instrument find a very appreciative new home at Truro School. http://www.bbc.co.uk...rnwall-13544316 “The organ produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected by the keyboard” That’s the shortest definition yet, and a good one, in my opinion. All three constituents of the instrument in one sentence. The only point which is a little blurry is “at the keyboard” -- “console” or “playdesk” would have been more precise, but then, those terms are technical vocabulary already, as opposed to “keyboard”. So, this notwithstanding: Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptindall Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 "Incidentally, it is good to see the old Jesus College instrument find a very appreciative new home at Truro School" With new action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 "Incidentally, it is good to see the old Jesus College instrument find a very appreciative new home at Truro School" With new action. Presumably the original action had been worn out by a succession of organ scholars.... Was it replaced with a new mechanical action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgp Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Presumably the original action had been worn out by a succession of organ scholars.... Was it replaced with a new mechanical action? Yes - see p 29ff of OrganBuilding Vol 11. David Wood (who did the work) reports: "the action wasn't the lightest and the aluminium chassis and rollerboards rattled more than was acceptable" - "we have saved an important organ" - "there were examples of good work done [in the 1970s] and this is surely one of them". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newnham Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Hi I played the Jesus college organ briefly about 12 years ago, on a Cambridge Organists' Assoc visit. the aluminium action hadn't stood the test of time too well, and was pretty noisy then - everything else was still working well. I suppose that's the potential penalty for trying something that uses new materials for the application. I didn't notice the action being particularly heavy at that stage though. I'm a little sorry that the college didn't just have the action replaced - but they obviously had their reasons. Every Blessing Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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