East Sussex National Golf Course

[ruth alexandra]

East Sussex National Hotel proudly present:

The opening concert on their Wurlitzer Organ with
Richard Hills & Michael Wooldridge
Saturday 21st April 2012 at 7pm (doors open at 6.30pm)

£8.50
per person

How to book
Please call reception on 01825 880088 or email reception@eastsussexnational.co.uk

East Sussex National
Little Horsted
Uckfield
East Sussex
TN22 5ES

[AnOrganCornucopia]

I was clambering all over this beast on Friday, helping Peter Hammond iron out the last teething troubles... it's quite impressive, if not as compelling as one of the big Comptons (Southampton, Hammersmith) or as I expect the Troxy Wurlitzer to be... and I think I'm right in saying it's the only place in the UK where you can hear 32ft Diaphones (other than the odd Compton). It's a big thing - 32 ranks, which I think makes it the biggest in Europe. Lots of nice strings (from mild Salicionals through to very bright, powerful narrow-scale Violes d'Orchestre), predictably fiery chorus reeds, six flute ranks (one Tibia Clausa 16ft-2ft in one chamber, another 16ft-1ft in the other, plus 8-4-2 2/3-2 Lieblich and Concert Flutes, plus Quintadena 8'/4' and a Quintadena Celeste - oh, and there's a Pedal 16' Bourdon [extended off the Lieblich?] and Acoustic Bass 32')... add the flutes (including Tibia-derived 2fts and mutations - the 1ft wasn't working as the circuit card thing was kaput) to the 8/4 Diapason rank and the Great octave coupler and you've got a surprisingly convincing Baroque chorus. Add in the Tibia-derived Tierces 3 1/5 and 1 3/5 and you've got the basis of your Cornets, so, with the fiery reeds, it's unbelievably good at making French Classical sounds.

Alas, the acoustic is really rather dry, and the organ too big for the room. Half of this organ's 32 ranks would have been quite enough. Nevertheless, the opportunity to hear Richard Hills (I know little of Wooldridge) making use of this instrument's diverse resources is too good to miss. I urge you all to come along and support it - even if, as with me, you would normally never be seen dead going near a golf course!