Brindley & Foster book

[David Wyld]

The Editor of 'The Organ' and 'Musical Opinion' has drawn to my attention a forthcoming book on the history of the Brindley firm, from 1854 - 1939 by Bryan Hughes (author of 'The Schulze Dynasty): the manuscript is edited and awaiting publication for which advance subscriptions are being sought to assist with the considerable costs of publication.

The finished book will amount to some 200 pages, containing over 150 photographs and will be available to subscribers at the cost of £25 per copy.

 Those interested should contact:

Robert Matthew-Walker,
1, Exford Road,
London SE12  9HD

Tel:  0208 857 1582       email:  theorgan@hotmail.co.uk

I have subscribed to four copies and hope that others might also see this as an interesting addition to their libraries!

David Wyld

HENRY WILLIS & SONS LTD.

[David Wyld]

A further note on this:

This morning it has been confirmed that a "Subscribers List" will be included in the tome - as it was with Hopkins & Rimbault and the Hill casework books.  These subscribers lists, over a century on, make exceptionally interesting reading, even as a social record of the type of people interested at that time

An opportunity to have ones name recorded for posterity, for £25!

I do hope that the take-up for this is sufficient to ensure that the same publisher will consider further organ-related books in the future - all too often the enormous amount of work required is rewarded by a pathetically-low sales record which does not encourage publishers to put their funds into such enterprises.

David Wyld
Henry Willis & Sons Ltd.

 

[David Wyld]

 
Members might remember the above posting some time ago and wondered why nothing more has been heard - I have now received the following from Robert Matthew-Walker, which tells all!

 

Dear David:

Long time no contact!  You may remember our connections about three years ago concerning the publication of a book on the Brindley company organs by Bryan Hughes.

Through your excellent suggestion and your assistance through the Mander Forum we announced a Subscribers' Page and we obtained a goodly number of subscribers - but......!

I don't know if you are aware that in March 2015 we were the subject of a horrendous cyber attack on our computers and computerised records which obliterated all information stored on them: the corrected text of the book, all illustrations and original photographs - and the names and addresses of about 40 of the earlier subscribers at the time were lost.  All attempts at restoration of these files were not wholly successful, but it has proved possible to restore the original text and, by some additional miracles, the illustrations - but not the subscribers!

Through renewed appeals, we believe we have identified as many as humanly possible, given the circumstances, but as many of the original names and details of the first subscribers came through your kind offer to help publicise the book on the Mander Forum before the cyber attack, I am wondering if you would be so kind as to make a renewed appeal on our behalf, in order that those organ-lovers who readily responded to the original appeal and whose details are now lost in cyberspace might be able to let us have their details.

After very many trials and tribulations, the book is now in the final stages of preparation before printing: it will amount to around 370 pages, with very many illustrations published for the first time. It will be softback, of a size between A5 and A4.  The published price is £40, but for pre-publication subscribers it will be £25 including postage - a considerable bargain, as I hope you will agree.

Thanks for your kind co=operation.