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early Fr. Willis organs...

Started by flared_ophicleide, March 04, 2013, 03:32:50 AM

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flared_ophicleide

I may not be in the correct sub-forum, but here goes.

My trip to the UK is now less than 4 weeks away, and I'm wondering what of the earliest of Fr. Willis' might still exist in original form?  I know the one, from 1865, at St. George's, Preston, is one, but are there any even earlier than that left?

revtonynewnham

Hi

NPOR lists 129 organs either by or worked on by Wllis pre. 1865.  Go to NPOR and click on Builder search.  Enter "Willis%"  (see the instructions for "%" symbol.  Set the relevant dates (in your case, leave the earliest at 1000 and enter 1865 in the latest.  You should be able to refine the search to at least a specific county if that helps.

You will need to look at individual surveys to check exactly what the Willis involvement was - and also to see (where we have the info) if the organ is still there!  Beware of older survey dates - the info may not be up to date!

Every Blessing

Tony

Terz

There is an early 3 stop Father Willis of 1860 (which is unfortunately now almost unplayable) in Hampshire, Old Burghclere, All Saints, now redundant [NPOR ref D05792].  Eight pictures and further details are in the NPOR system awaiting uploading.

flared_ophicleide

NPOR shows 8' Open Diapason, 8' Dulciana, 4' Principal on single manual, with pedal pull-downs.  Could be a stock model.

I googled this church and clicked "images". I found a couple snaps with the organ's facade in them. An A-pipe fence (from the Diapason), stenciled.  I also saw the tops of Pedal Bourdon pipes behind one end of the facade (unrecorded later addition(?) ).

revtonynewnham

Hi

Could well be a stock model organ of the Scudamore type.  Most organ builders in the period built these instruments for small country (mainly) churches - the most basic being about 4 octaves of Open Diapason 8ft.

Every Blessing

Tony

Terz

#5
Re Old Burghclere; there are no pedal pipes.  The soundboard runs at right angles to the console whch is at the RHS.  The wooden pipes are the 4ft long wooden stopped basses to the 8 ft stops grouped on one end of the soundboard.

The name of Willis is of course associated with the Rev John Baron's Scudamore organs as is Nelson Hall the local organ builder.  However, as was pointed out at the BIOS research conference last Saturday the early career of Willis could benefit from study- did Hall work under the technical supervision of Willis initially as there is a newspaper record of Willis at Upton Scudamore, Wilts.