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Small house chamber organ looking for home - 1860 Henry Willis

Started by David Pinnegar, February 07, 2014, 12:51:38 PM

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David Pinnegar

The organ is inscribed "Henry Willis Nov 8th 1860.  Width 5'5", height: 8'11",depth 2'2".  Probably one of the earliest to survive in its original condition.
Deal case, simple Gothic form with three panels of  display pipes and a dentate pediment, the four and a half octave keyboard C to g3 with ivory naturals and ebony accidentals, two octave pulldown pedal board, four stops comprising Flute Harmonic 4', Dulciana 8', Open Diapason 8' and Stop Bass (twelve pipes) 8' with electric pump, the original hand pump lever to the right of the keyboard.

diapason



David Drinkell

Not so much a chamber organ, although it may be in use as one, but a Scudamore Organ, inspired by the original at Upton Scudamore in Wiltshire (not there any more).  The local builder, Nelson Hall, built several examples but larger builders also took up the idea of a minimal, low-priced pipe organ, and Willis built a lot of them.  An unaltered example is a valuable instrument.

It's odd how it seemed to be aceptable to have a 4' Flute as the upperwork over an Open and a Dulciana.  It doesn't really fit properly with either, but there are a lot of similar examples around.

David Pinnegar

Hi!

It's at East Grinstead in Sussex

I went to see it and played it today. The Diapason is bright and stringy. The Dulciana is a very very beautiful sound. The Harmonic flute goes well with the Dulciana and adds a harmonic to the Diapason - and as a solo sounds very orchestral.

The pipework has clearly not been tuned for a time and some of the bass pipes need attention but it plays and the soundnboard is in good condition.

Being cruel the instrument was really built for accompanying hymn singing, which it would do well . . . or make a compact choir organ.

I suspect that part of the interest of these organs was provided from not being in equal temperament so that the key would provide some tonality.

As a one manual and pedal instrument it does provide keyboard and pedals for home practice and the sound is pleasant and well scaled. A blower has been added to the side with a pipe going to a regulator box at the back. This puts 6 inches on the depth of the instrument and were an alternate route for wind to be found it could go properly back against a wall projecting only 2ft into the space.

It's certainly not overpowering to the eye and nor to the ear.

Best wishes

David P

Peter Gawol

Is this one still available?
Who are we supposed to contact?
What is the asking price?

Greetings

Peter Gawol

David Pinnegar

Dear Peter

Please email me on antespam@gmail.com and I will put you in contact.

What is your budget? It's owned by a widow to whom it represents value but importantly wants it to go to a good home so a donation is appreciated.

Best wishes

David P

Bourdon


David Wyld

The instrument has been presented to a Public School by an obviously generous AND informed donor.  Three of our staff have been moving it into the school this week, during 'Half-Term'.

The organ has been moved, without alteration and the School is contemplating/anticipating the building of a new Music School into which it will be moved in the future.

David Wyld
HENRY WILLIS & SONS LTD.

David Pinnegar

This is wonderful news.

When trying the instrument with reference to my comments above, it's certainly within that period when an unequal temperament would have been common and I wonder whether this would have added significantly to the interest of music played on this simple specification . . . .

Might this be something being considered in its rebuild upon the move?

From my own long experience of Kellner on pianos, the move from purity and sweetness in home keys to the effect of reaching the exotic in the remote keys makes a great deal of musical sense, giving one tonal bearings in the course of playing which bring musical structure much more into the open. I haven't experienced Kellner as a permanent organ tuning but the tunings of old French organs, such as Villefranche Sur Mer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwoglLif3ps don't depart from the spirit of such tuning and achieve a very pleasant result which is more interesting and, I'd say more musical, at the time.

It's interesting to note that Wesley specified Meantone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George's_Hall,_Liverpool in 1855 for a Willis instrument. I recall an anecdote relating to a competition between three organ builders during this period and an ensuing argument about the merits of their respective tunings - but certainly at the date of this instrument the cause of equal temperament had not been particularly prominent.

As an educational resource I'm very keen that musicians should hear music in the colours which have been lost to them for the past century and a half. . . .

Best wishes

David P