Does anyone want reed organ bits and pieces nowadays?

[Colin Pykett]

This is merely to enquire whether there's a market for reed organ bits and pieces.  I don't know the answer since my interests lie with pipe organs rather than reed organs.  However they sometimes become an email topic, and it seems a shame that virtually unobtainable items like reed sets, keyboards, vox humana motors, 16 foot reed units and all the rest are mostly sent to landfill (not by me I hasten to add but by their owners, who usually give me little time to reply before the organs are scrapped).  I'm speaking mainly of instruments which are in such poor condition that the amount of work involved in restoring them would not seem to be worthwhile, owing to things like major vermin and worm damage, wood rot, etc.  I've looked at the Cambridge Reed Organs site but couldn't see any contact info given there, and other avenues such as the Fluke's museum at Saltaire are now sadly gone.  Of course, those I come across are mostly run of the mill suction instruments and probably of little value even as a going concern, but as I said, maybe the components would be welcomed by somebody.

 

I guess the obvious answer is ebay but thought other forum members might know of other options.

 

[Sanderman26]

At this very moment there's a recording session going of the choral music by Alice Mary Smith, written in the early 1860s for St Andrews, Wells Street, London - now being recorded with accompaniment of a real Mustel, provided by the Flukes 😊

 

[Phoneuma]

That looks like the inside of St Saviour’s, Richmond Hill, Leeds - beautiful church interior and it should sound excellent in there.

[Tony Newnham]

Very pleased to see a Mustel being used.

As to Colin's original post, Cambridge Reed Organs when I last heard were concentrating on hire work, as is Phil Fluke, but as Phil still retains a large collection, it would be worth asking him about surplus parts (https://harmoniumhire.co.uk/).  Karl Heslop who has recently started out on his own account as an organ builder (and is currently restoring a small reed organ for me) might just be interested (https://www.facebook.com/carl.heslop).  I also noticed recently that David Shuker at Sign of the Pipe is advertising reed organ restoration (http://www.signofthepipe.com/index.html).  I think there's also another set-up in the UK hiring & restoring reed organs, but I've not heard of them recently and don't have contact with them.  There are a few enthusiasts around too, some of whom do their own repairs & restorations (and some are members of the Reed Organ Society).  Their council member for the UK (currently me, but not for much longer) has an e-mail list, so anything particularly interesting can be circulated - but rehoming reed organs is difficult because of a lack of appreciation in general for their musical qualities, plus the issue of restoring something that will be between c.50 & c.150 years old!  Much the same problems as pipe organs really!

Every Blessing

Tony

[Sanderman26]

9 hours ago, Phoneuma said:

That looks like the inside of St Saviour’s, Richmond Hill, Leeds - beautiful church interior and it should sound excellent in there.

Correct!

[Colin Pykett]

@Tony Newnham:

Many thanks indeed Tony.  This is most helpful.  I thought you might be able to illuminate the darkness!

Colin