Concert Hall Organ, Space And Budget Limited

[AJJ]

Yes, they are - but they were voiced by Arthur Harrison, who did not use such extremely small scales as did some builders (H-J, Thynne, etc.) to achieve fairly good results.

 

Even so, there are a few examples, even by AH, in which possibly their only musical use is to illustrate verses of Psalms which talk of such things as the  poison of asps, etc!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Bristol - St Mary Redcliffe's Violes are rather fine (but on the Swell of course due to the odd geographical arrangements within the church) too as are the much later set at the Colston Hall - different uses perhaps but this organ is a superb mixture of styles but often overlooked (and fairly easy to get to play - just give them a ring).

 

AJJ

[Pierre Lauwers]

I should have explained by "Viole d'orchestre" I mean the A. Harrison version; this

is the one that should be revived and build again.

My regret is not having heard the Thynne at Tewkesbury.

 

Would anyone of you have the time to put some samples on the Internet?

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

[AJJ]

I should have explained by "Viole d'orchestre" I mean the A. Harrison version; this

is the one that should be revived and build again.

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St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol is Arthur Harrison - 1912.

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N03805

 

The present spec. is not a lot different even though there was a fire and the Swell rebuilt in 1947 (very much the same style/voicing) - there is a link at the end of the details.

 

The Colston Hall (also Bristol) is later Harrison (1956) but fantastic Solo strings all the same in the 'older' style.

 

http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch...ec_index=N03898

 

AJJ

[Pierre Lauwers]

In the St-Mary Redcliffe Specification, there is a mistake:

"Viole octaviante 8'" is probably actually 4'

 

Colston Hall has the complete scheme:

 

Contra Viola 16

83 Viole d'Orchestre 8

84 Viole Celeste 8 CC

85 Viole Sourdine 8

86 Viole Octaviante 4

87 Cornet Des Violes 3 ranks

 

Of course on the Solo.

 

And then Dulcianas at 16,8 and 4 only the 2 and Mixture are lacking,

on the Choir.

 

I have an LP of this one.

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

[AJJ]

In the St-Mary Redcliffe Specification, there is a mistake:

"Viole octaviante 8'" is probably actually 4'

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Oops - you are right - but they get it right on the current spec. I'll let them know or maybe the Rev. Tony will spot this! The Colston Hall is amazing in its concept when one considers the nearness to the Royal Festival Hall organ in it's time of construction and in that H & H built both so totally different from each other! I could spend (have spent) quite a number of hours on the Bristol organ.............

 

AJJ

[Colin Harvey]

Herewith my suggestion for a concert-hall organ. One difference: I would expect that it would be able to give a reasonable account of solo organ repertoire, in addition to being used as a vehicle on which to perform concerti or to bolster an orchestra.

 

PEDAL ORGAN

 

Contra Bourdon (Ext.) 32

Open Wood 16

Violone (M) 16

Bourdon 16

Principal (M) 8

Flute (Ext.) 8

Fifteenth 4

Bombarde 16

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Solo to Pedal

Solo Octave to Pedal

Pedal and Great Pistons Coupled

Generals on Swell Foot Pistons

 

GREAT ORGAN

 

Double Open Diapason 16

Open Diapason 8

Wald Flute 8

Gamba 8

Octave 4

Fifteenth 2

Mixture (19-22-26-29) IV

Posaune 8

Swell to Great

Solo to Great

 

SWELL ORGAN

 

Bourdon 16

Open Diapason 8

Stopped Diapason 8

Salicional 8

Vox Angelica (AA) 8

Principal 4

Fifteenth 2

Mixture (17-19-22) III

Hautboy 8

Tremulant

Contra Posaune 16

Cornopean 8

Clarion 4

Sub Octave

Unison Off

Octave

Solo to Swell

 

SOLO ORGAN

(Enclosed)

 

Viole de Gambe 8

Voix Célestes (CC) 8

Harmonic Flute 8

Flauto Traverso 4

Orchestral Bassoon (73 pipes) 16

Corno di Bassetto 8

Tremulant

(Unenclosed)

Tuba Magna 8

Sub Octave

Unison Off

Octave

 

Claviers 61 notes.

Pedals 32 notes.

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I like this scheme a lot - I was thinking myself that in a 3 manual scheme, why not have Great, Swell and Solo. I was thinking of putting one up myself but pcnd has beaten me to it. It was sometimes favoured by English builders - like St. Bees or the De Montfort hall - and I think the new Klais in Singapore also has this arrangement.

 

My only gripe with this scheme is that it's a bit thin on flutes and has no mutations, which may be a bit restrictive in quieter music and pre-romantic music. Perhaps it would be worth considering adding, say a 4' open flute to the great, a sesqiualtera (or quint and Tiece) to the great, say 4' & 2' (and maybe a 1 1/3) flutes to the swell and perhaps a wide scaled cornet to the solo, either decompose or under a compound stop.

 

I guess that if space allows, it may be worth considering extending the violone down to 32' pitch rather than the bourdon, which would not have the standing wave problems that 32' bourdons can sometimes exhibit to the same extent, especially in smaller spaces, like smaller concert halls.

[MusingMuso]

I like this scheme a lot - I  was thinking myself that in a 3 manual scheme, why not have Great, Swell and Solo.

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

 

What is it these days, with Cornopeans and big Tubas?

 

They didn't blend much the first time around, so why should they be any better now?

 

It'll be Pedal Ophicleides and French Horns next!

 

It really is a thousand miles from the REAL tradition of both classical and romantic organ-building in Europe, and soooooo parochial.

 

 

MM

[Pierre Lauwers]

"What is it these days, with Cornopeans and big Tubas?"

 

(Quote)

 

They come back because the "Reform" fashion is over.

 

As to blend, the Tuba is a soloist, while the Cornopean

just has to blend with the 16 and 4 reeds.

 

As I said on Plenum today, it is interesting to note the "Reform"

has had finally more impact on new organs and romantic ones

(which where spoiled) than on any true revival of the the ancient

organs!

How many Father Smith were put back to their original state?

Hum hum.....

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

[AJJ]

I like this scheme a lot - I  was thinking myself that in a 3 manual scheme, why not have Great, Swell and Solo.........like St. Bees or the De Montfort hall - and I think the new Klais in Singapore also has this arrangement.

 

My only gripe with this scheme is that it's a bit thin on flutes and has no mutations, which may be a bit restrictive in quieter music and pre-romantic music.......... and perhaps a wide scaled cornet to the solo, either decompose or under a compound stop.

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Klais and others in the USA are building harmonic mutations which sound very fine in schemes such as pcnd's above. The klais in Singapore has them on the Solo as does Bath Abbey. I have heard these used often and they work well in a Classical or Romantc context. At Bath they are paired with a Stopped 8' and a Flauto Traverso 4' along with a harmonic (I think) 2' - under expression - very versatile.

 

AJJ

[MusingMuso]

(Quote)

 

They come back because the "Reform" fashion is over.

 

As to blend, the Tuba is a soloist, while the Cornopean

just has to blend with the 16 and 4 reeds.

 

As I said on Plenum today, it is interesting to note the "Reform"

has had finally more impact on new organs and romantic ones

(which where spoiled) than on any true revival of the the ancient

organs!

How many Father Smith were put back to their original state?

Hum hum.....

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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

 

Well Pierre, dream on!

 

They aren't building many new organs in France or Belgium, but they are building new organs in Italy, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, Scandanavia and the Netherlands (among others).

 

I deliberately leave America out, because it has a strangely divided organ-scene between the arch-romanticists who follow the Skinner legacy (in very braod terms) and those who still revere the influence of E.Power-Biggs. Furthermore, although I am certainly aware of what is going on in America, others are able to speak of it better than I, and I'm sure they will respond.

 

Looking at the Netherlands especially, the "norm" is still very much "orgelbewebung" (I've been practising!). Mascioni in Italy have done work as far flung as Japan, and the organ of Tokyo Cathedral (a very exciting building architecturally) is as "werkprinzip" as they come. Zyke in Poland may appear to have a bit of a romantic slant, but in essence, they are very much classical-style instruments. In the Czech Republic, even the so-called romantic-organs are fairly classical in design and execution; albeit with a degree of musical concession to romantic sensibilities. The larger organs are rather good; especially in the concert halls, and they usually have the name Rieger-Kloss attached to them.

 

Only in Hungary, so far as I able to discern, is the French tradition maintained

with any degree of enthusiasm as a national style; possibly because of the Josef Angster legacy. Certainly, the organ at the Matthius Templon, Budapest, is about as French as they come; with chamades and pedal-reeds that bite.

 

The evidence is therefore stacked against your view Pierre, and whilst various attempts at mid-way romanticism have been made in the UK, the fact is, the organ at Worcester is now regarded as of only scrap-value. (OMG....I mention W. again)

 

Messrs.Mander have not only done splendid romantic restoration work at St.Paul's and the RAH, they have also been involved in pioneering work concerning the rer-creation of the Wm.Hill style. In Holland, v.d. Huevel are a certain leader in the French style, ad all strength to those organ builders who are brave enough to take on something new which isn't baroque by nature. Kenneth Jones has also done some interesting mid-way organs, and I would regard Great St.Mary, Cambridge (that's the one on the right at the front, Nick!) as a minor masterpiece.

 

I think if I were in America, I would certainly be interested in work done by Dobson organs, who seem to take as their starting-point the Lewis type of sound-quality.

 

What, we must ask ourselves, is the musical purpose behind a new type of anti-orgelbewebung, which takes as its' model a mish-mash of Walcker, Ledegast, Schulze, Anneessens, Cavaille-Coll and Arthur Harrison? It's as fraught with difficulty as that concerned with discovering the mythical "Bach organ" sound, and it would be a nonsense.

 

I am all for restoring and treasuring truly great romantic organs....Riga, Sydney, Liverpool, Antwerp, Paris (et al), but there is no earthly musical reason why organs should now be built in this way, unless it concerns Aglican accompaniment, which is very-much a threatened way of life, judging by the musical philistinism of the C of E and the rapidly declining finances of many a diocese.

 

As for the comment about a Cornopean having to only blend with 16ft and 4ft reeds, this demonstrtaes a certain ignorance of the English full Swell, which ALWAYS includes the 4ft Principal and Mixture. (The mini full-swell is 4ft Prinipal and Oboe...and yes....I know there are mini-minor full-swells, and midi-major full swells, if you happen to have a battery of orcehstral reeds, violes and octave couplers).

 

Cornopeans never blended, and never will, unless they are not cornopeans at all, but something else. The same is true of Trombas, Ophicleides and just about every Tuba ever voiced by W C Jones for H&H. If you want GOOD English reeds, look to Fr.Willis (the Tubas at St.Paul's are staggeringly good) and also to Norman & Beard and Hill, Norman & Beard. They had the Rundles as voicers (father & son), and reeds didn't come much better...even the Vox Humana registers are magic.

 

After all Pierre, when you've played Cocker, Purcell, Lang and Francis Jackson, the only thing left for a Tuba to do is BLEND with the chorus-work. If it don't, it's a duff one!

 

MM

[Pierre Lauwers]

" the only thing left for a Tuba to do is BLEND with the chorus-work. If it don't, it's a duff one!"

(Quote)

 

A Tuba within a chorus???

As for the Full-Swell, I have been told it was the Fiftheenth...

Mish-mash? But we never did anything else in Belgium. Antwerps

is actually mid-way between Walcker and Cavaillé-Coll, while

Annessens merged french, german and british styles.

So I am quite traditionnal...

You talk about "archeo-romanticism" in the US; so far, so good.

But one could see that from another viewpoint, as a trend opening

a new perspective.

Wait and see!

Nor Germany, nor the Netherlands, nor Japan, Singapore, Korea and

China will look for progressive organs now. The ones are too "Orgelbewegt"

still, while the others will want what already exists elsewhere.

The most progressive markets today are certainly the U.S., and then France

and Belgium.

This is blatant trought the Forums. Things that are not accepted here, for

example, met with great interest on the french forum.

But now you are 100% right saying Belgium and France are no true markets,

so bad goes the economy there. In my Province ("Province de Namur"), which is not the poorest, we just passed the 20% unemployment rate this month!

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

[MusingMuso]

A Tuba within a chorus???

As for the Full-Swell, I have been told it was the Fiftheenth...

Mish-mash? But we never did anything else in Belgium. Antwerps

is actually mid-way between Walcker and Cavaillé-Coll, while

Annessens merged french, german and british styles.

So I am quite traditionnal...

You talk about "archeo-romanticism" in the US; so far, so good.

But one could see that from another viewpoint, as a trend opening

a new perspective.

Wait and see!

Nor Germany, nor the Netherlands, nor Japan, Singapore, Korea and

China will look for progressive organs now. The ones are too "Orgelbewegt"

still, while the others will want what already exists elsewhere.

The most progressive markets today are certainly the U.S., and then France

and Belgium.

This is blatant trought the Forums. Things that are not accepted here, for

example, met with great interest on the french forum.

But now you are 100% right saying Belgium and France are no true markets,

so bad goes the economy there. In my Province ("Province de Namur"), which is not the poorest, we just passed the 20% unemployment rate this month!

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

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

 

Last things first Pierre. I don't think the "economy" has anything to do with it much. The Belgians are not a starving people, and neither are the French. I don't know about Belgium, but the problem in France is a total lack of support for religion. To "appeal to the people," it seems that the only way is via the medium of third-rate, imitative pop-music, and anything "traditional" or exclusively "sacred" has suffered as a result.

 

I know, or at least knew, organs by Anneessens, as you are aware, and yes, I quite liked the sound of them, even if I didn't enjoy crawling inside them much. They were usually a forest of drunken-trees held up with bits of string, and miles of leaking pneumatic tubing.

 

I think the same fusion of Cavaille-Coll and the German sound is also very evident at Haarlem, with the Adema organ at the RC Basilik. It's a good sound for Reger, and those pedal reeds are so much better than the coarse Cavaille-Coll versions IMHO.

 

As I stated, I will leave America to others. It's complex and a market which is "all things to all men" to a great extent.

 

I think you would like some of the Hungarian organs, which have much in common with the fusion of German/French sounds we find in Haarlem and Belgium, but with a bit more "attitude" and "strut." Some of them, such as Eger, Szeged and Budapest are VERY big organs by any standards. I think it is the organ at Eger Basilica which falls just short of Passau in size.

 

Finally, that misunderstood English species "the Tuba".

 

Gray & Davison were the first, I believe, with horizontal, lightly-blown reeds. Then came Hill, who injected them with about 10" wg wind, but not to the extent that they swamped the whole organ. (Listen to Sydney TH)

 

The came Fr Willis, who knew how to raise eyebrows and frighten the odd Monarch. (The Queen Mother once played a hymn at the RAH on the big one! She grinned saying, That's the one I like!")

 

A good Tuba sits atop a chorus. It doesn't strike it down dead!

 

I'm not sure which is the best Tuba in the UK, but it certainly isn't a H&H one.

 

But, as I've said before, it is MUSIC which will dictate the pace, or not, as the case may be. Without new music, there can be nothing but re-cycled history.

 

Maybe we need to encourage counterpoint in music once again, which is why I quite like a lot of modern Czech music......ooops! There I go again!

 

 

MM

[AJJ]

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

A good Tuba sits atop a chorus. It doesn't strike it down dead!

MM

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Hence - for special effects - the Great to Solo coupler at Lincoln Cathedral where the FW 8' and 4' Tubas can be used as a top to the full chorus (just!) to very good effect. I was also lead to believe that the Chancel 8 & 4s at St Pauls could function similarly - though have never tried the effect there.

 

AJJ

[pcnd5584]

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

 

 

Cornopeans never blended, and never will, unless they are not cornopeans at all, but something else. The same is true of Trombas, Ophicleides and just about every Tuba ever voiced by W C Jones for H&H.  If you want GOOD English reeds, look to Fr.Willis (the Tubas at St.Paul's are staggeringly good) and also to Norman & Beard and Hill, Norman & Beard.

MM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I am currently at school - so this will be a brief answer.

 

Ummmm.... MM, FHW often included a Cornopean as his 8p reed in the Swell - eg, St. Paul's, Truro, etc.

 

It is just a name - there is absolutely no reason why it should not make a good chorus (and solo) stop - unless it was voiced by H-J.

 

 

My own instrument has a Cornopean on the Swell which is a good, blending stop. N&B (and later HN& often used a horn - which is generally agreed to be broadly similar in timbre.

 

To relpy to Colin Harvey - thank you for your post. Due to the limitations of the size of the scheme, I decided to do without solo mutations or a sesquialtera, since I felt that these would be less useful than other ranks; unless, of course, one is only going to play cornet voluntaries, Marchand, de Grigny, Couperin, etc. As much as I like this type of repertoire, I felt that it was a secondary consideration.

 

The 32p - again, space and budget. I had assumed that the initial criterior implied a lack of room for a full-length 32p rank, much as I would have desired one.

[Tubular_pneumatic]

Greetings,

 

Mr. Skinner sometimes liked to base a Swell reed chorus on the 8' Cornopean and then include an 8' French Trumpet for added brilliance. Examples of this can be found at Woolsey Hall, St. Paul's Winston-Salem, among others...

 

Over here Cornopean seems to be a generic term for any close-toned Trumpet, from a puny 3 5/8" scale all the way up to huge 7" or 8" monsters.

 

Best,

 

Nathan

[Vox Humana]

Mr. Skinner sometimes liked to base a Swell reed chorus on the 8' Cornopean and then include an 8' French Trumpet for added brilliance.  Examples of this can be found at Woolsey Hall, St. Paul's Winston-Salem, among others...

I've played the Winston-Salem organ and a very fine machine it is too. Not over-large by American standards (or even English ones), but one with great quality and integrity. The Sw. French Trumpet did puzzle me not a little. It was so big compared to the rest of the division that I wondered why it hadn't been placed on the Solo: I did think it just a little out of proportion as a chorus reed. But of course, this Skinner essentially a "foundational" organ, e.g. no Great Mixture and no Ch. 2ft (though there is a Nazard - a feature I also found at Portland Cathedral). I guess it's one of those cases where you really have to spend time getting to know the organ inside out in order to understand the thinking underlying it.

[Pierre Lauwers]

"you really have to spend time getting to know the organ inside out in order to understand the thinking underlying it"

(Quote)

 

Well, this should be the case with every organ!

(Lawrence Phelps did think differently, yes.)

Pierre

[pcnd5584]

"you really have to spend time getting to know the organ inside out in order to understand the thinking underlying it"

(Quote)

 

Well, this should be the case with every organ!

(Lawrence Phelps did think differently, yes.)

Pierre

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

A good point, Pierre - a paper specification can only give some idea - even if one is familiar with a particular builder's 'house style'.

 

I suppose that you do not happen to know what Lawrence Phelps was planning to do at Christ Church, Oxford, before he had to withdraw?

[pcnd5584]

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

I think the same fusion of Cavaille-Coll and the German sound is also very evident at Haarlem, with the Adema organ at the RC Basilik. It's a good sound for Reger, and those pedal reeds are so much better than the coarse Cavaille-Coll versions IMHO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Each to his own - personally, I think that C-C reeds are the most exciting things in the world (apart, that is, from being privy to Anna Kournikova's mobile 'phone number). Having said that, I was also greatly impressed by the sound of the reeds (and the flues) at Sint Bavo.

 

 

Finally, that misunderstood English species "the Tuba".

 

Gray & Davison were the first, I believe, with horizontal, lightly-blown reeds. Then came Hill, who injected them with about 10" wg wind, but not to the extent that they swamped the whole organ. (Listen to Sydney TH)

 

The came Fr Willis, who knew how to raise eyebrows and frighten the odd Monarch. (The Queen Mother once played a hymn at the RAH on the big one!  She grinned saying, That's the one I like!")

 

A good Tuba sits atop a chorus. It doesn't strike it down dead!

 

I'm not sure which is the best Tuba in the UK, but it certainly isn't a H&H one.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Apparently, many people hold the Chancel tubas at St. Paul's and the Solo tubas at Salisbury in high regard. Those at Salisbury I have heard many times (and used when I cannot avoid doing so) - they still honk, to my ears.

 

I would never wish to add a tuba 'atop a chorus'! I would have thought that this was the very last intention of those who voice such stops.

 

I was interested to hear about the Queen Mother - yet another closet organist from the Royal Family.

 

Next you will be telling me that some of them can speak Russian, too....

[Pierre Lauwers]

From Mr Phelps I know this:

 

http://www.lawrencephelps.com/Documents/Ar...naldesign.shtml

 

That deserves to be read toroughly.

 

Cavaillé-Coll reeds are splendid achievements, no doubt. But for you guys who complaint about many a romantic stop being "of limited musical use", here are some!

Save for "BAM BAM!", ACC's reeds are a bit fiery.

 

While in UK I was often told the Tuba belongs to the Solo because it is a solo stop, to be pitted against the Full organ, never within it.

Of course, as this stop has several different versions, there may have been other uses I do not know of.

In the recordings I have from Howell's "Six pieces for organ" for instance, the Tuba is used in the Full organ once, and just for a final chord...

 

Best wishes,

Pierre

[MusingMuso]

Each to his own - personally, I think that C-C reeds are the most exciting things in the world (apart, that is, from being privy to Anna Kournikova's mobile 'phone number). Having said that, I was also greatly impressed by the sound of the reeds (and the flues) at Sint Bavo.

Apparently, many people hold the Chancel tubas at St. Paul's and the Solo tubas at Salisbury in high regard. Those at Salisbury I have heard many times (and used when I cannot avoid doing so) - they still honk, to my ears.

 

I would never wish to add a tuba 'atop a chorus'! I would have thought that this was the very last intention of those who voice such stops.

 

I was interested to hear about the Queen Mother - yet another closet organist from the Royal Family.

 

Next you will be telling me that some of them can speak Russian, too....

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

 

 

I think the chancel Tubas at St.Paul's are what I would expect from Fr.Willis. Am I incorrect in thinking that they were restored this way when Mander did the re-build, or are they original?

 

They "just" blend with the chorus-work, IMHO very successfully, as climax registers.

 

The Gray & Davison nomenclature was not "Tuba" at Leeds Town Hall, but rather, "Ophicleide," which is the name still used. I don't know what pressure it is voiced on, but 7"wg sounds about right....don't quote me on this.

 

The problem with Tubas, like that of the ubiquitous "Cornopean", is that they tend to be all things to all men. I have heard some disgusting Cornopeans, and as 'pcnd' points out, Fr.Willis versions are not as super-smooth as some tend to be and blend accordingly.

 

Some Tubas are so extreme, as in the case of a Wurlitzer Tuba, the only thing they will actually blend with is a Tibia, which on such an instrument is a very atractive sound as a solo voice....like a loud French Horn.

 

I also find Cavaille-Coll chamades very exciting, but of course, ALL the major reeds tend to be something of a walk on the wild-side.

 

I still find far greater admiration for the Hill company, at all stages of their development and, to a lesser extent, Norman & Beard before they amalgamated with Hill. I've never much liked the organ at Bradford Cathedral, possibly due to the acoustic in the nave and the North Chancel position of the organ, but the Trumpet Major and Clarion (now sadly throttled back a bit) were stupendous reeds which also blended. Using the Open 1 and the big Trumpet together, you had a "virtual Tuba" to fulfil all ecclesiatical needs, such as frightening the clergy and silencing the apre-communion chatter.

 

There are some absolutely scorching H.N & B reeds around, and none better than on the organ of the Dome Pavilion, Brighton.

 

Lastly, the story of the Queen Mum was related to me by William Davies, when the noble lady asked to see the organ and Bill drew some stops so that she could play something. She grinned wickedly, pushed them in and drew the big Tuba!

 

Who recalls that priceless photograph, when Pavarotti kissed her hand, then her wrist and, posing for the cameras, her forearm? The expression on the Queen Mother's face is, for me, one of the finest photographic-images ever captured in the 20th century.

 

MM

[Vox Humana]

"you really have to spend time getting to know the organ inside out in order to understand the thinking underlying it"

(Quote)

 

Well, this should be the case with every organ!

(Lawrence Phelps did think differently, yes.)

Pierre

Obviously. But when I was at Winston-Salem the circumstances were such that I didn't have the opportunity.

[pcnd5584]

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

 

Who recalls that priceless photograph, when Pavarotti kissed her hand, then her wrist and, posing for the cameras, her forearm? The expression on the Queen Mother's face is, for me, one of the finest photographic-images ever captured in the 20th century.

 

MM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have not seen the picture; please could you enlighten me - what is her expression?!

[MusingMuso]

I have not seen the picture; please could you enlighten me - what is her expression?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

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

 

The "actual" photograph eludes me for the moment. It was an off-the-record shot taken after the following:-

 

http://galleries.news24.com/Deaths/Queenmum/pages/10.htm

 

Basically, he slid his lips up the royal arm and turned his head with a wicked twinkle, and the Queen Mum started to grin like a Cheshire cat.

 

If I DO come across it, I will send details privately. It's a priceless photograph!

 

MM

[Tubular_pneumatic]

Greetings,

 

The Winston-Salem instrument is a bit of an oddball in that it has a monster Swell that gets right out into the chancel, whereas the rest of the organ is shoehorned into the second chamber. Our suspicion is that the 32' Bombarde was added to the spec after the organ was in the works, which required the chromatic Great Chest to be placed curiously sideways as it is. Climbing up the case to tune the Bourdon-in-the-air is most exciting.

 

- Nathan