Tewkesbury Abbey - Grove Organ

[Andrew Butler]

Apologies if this has been discussed recently, but if so I missed it...

 

Mention has been made in a private discussiob on Facebook, that the Grove organ is in "poor condition and looks unused" Can anyone comment please? There is no indication that I can see on the Abbey website that the organ is not in use...

[Colin Pykett]

With apologies, I can't answer this question, but there is a characteristically interesting take on the organs at Tewkesbury by Stephen Bicknell at:

 

http://www.stephenbicknell.org/3.5.3.php

 

CEP

[Christopher Allsop]

I don't know if Carleton Etherington is on this Forum to give a more fullsome update, but I did have a quick play on the Grove during the Summer. Although the instrument still sounds astonishing, it doesn't take long to discover quite a few notes off and wind escapes. Wonderful and unique to play and hear, but I wouldn't want to try and give a recital on it at the moment...

[David Drinkell]

Bishop & Son restored it in 1980/81, the only alteration being the addition of the bottom 5 32' pipes from Chirst Church, Oxford. After 35 years, it's quite likely that the action (if I remember rightly, it's a mixture of tubular, Barker and tracker) would need further overhaul.

[Andrew Butler]

Thanks for all the info. I've now forgotten who raised the matter, prompting my question in the first place!!