Well-known English organ for sale

[DHM]

This is being offered by the German firm of Ladach who specialise in re-homing unwanted organs...
https://www.gebrauchtorgel.eu/de/pfeifenorgeln/Mander-22-III-P

[Martin Cooke]

1 hour ago, DHM said:

This is being offered by the German firm of Ladach who specialise in re-homing unwanted organs...
https://www.gebrauchtorgel.eu/de/pfeifenorgeln/Mander-22-III-P

That's a bit of a shock! What's the plan for Magdelen?

[Rowland Wateridge]

I recall reading something about a new organ being proposed for Magdalen College, but can’t place a finger on it.

I think John Mander wrote about the difficulty of constructing an organ in the existing (uniquely?) stone case.  The German advertisement offers the organ entire, including the main case, for €30,000 - surely a bargain - but if I have translated correctly, the stone ‘Positive’ case (containing parts of the Great) will remain in the Chapel.  As a structurally integral part of the screen, it has to.

[DHM]

Indeed he did. See here: https://mander-organs.com/magdalen-college-oxford/.
Also, It's £30k +VAT +transport (plus cost of re-installing wherever it ends up).

[Rowland Wateridge]

Agreed the additional costs are likely to be substantial, but surely still a bargain.   One possible snag which I didn’t foresee is that the stone ‘Positive’ case apparently houses the whole of the Great, the ‘main’ case, which goes with the organ, containing the Swell and Pedal.  So there will have to be some re-arranging to re-house the Great wherever it ends up.

[Choir Man]

Does anyone know who is building the replacement?

Apparently the previous organ was free to anyone who could come to collect it: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17418488.remember-magdalen-college-gave-organ-away-free/

 

[Martin Cooke]

44 minutes ago, Choir Man said:

Does anyone know who is building the replacement?

Apparently the previous organ was free to anyone who could come to collect it: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17418488.remember-magdalen-college-gave-organ-away-free/

 

There is talk of a company called Eule doing it - see the British Pipe Organs Facebook site where a fair bit has been written on the topic. As someone else has commented there, I don't see why they allow the stone screen to be such an impediment to having a decent organ. It seems absurd for the pipework to have to be constrained by one person's 19th century concept of what an organ screen should be like. Can't they be allowed to remove the parts of the screen that purport to be organ casework? Surely worse things have happened. Is this such an important construction that it must be preserved at all costs?