ebay organs

[David Pinnegar]

There are some interesting instruments on ebay at the moment
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Two-Manual-Chamber-Church-Pipe-Organ/151595972159 This is a two rank plus pedals unit instrument by Gilks of Peterborough. I visited a similar instrument by Mander at Broadbridge Heath near Horsham recently and it was very effective.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chapel-Country-House-Church-Pipe-Organ/161613589012 is a Positive Organ Company

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Single-manual-church-country-house-chamber-pipe-organ-Bishop-amp-Son-c-1830-/271788376534 is an 1830 Bishop chamber or house instrument, maintained by Mander.

Best wishes

David P

[David Drinkell]

The Gilks and Mander instruments are not on the same  system.  The Mander is a conventional extension organ, but Gilks used a different method that was, as far as I know, unique to him.  The pipework stands on a slider soundboard, and there are draw-stops for each rank of pipes.  The pitch is controlled by stop-keys.  Thus, either rank of pipes will sound at all pitches  selected on the stop-keys.  The great disadvantage of this is that you can't have one rank sounding at one pitch and another at a different pitch, e.g. you can't draw gedackt 8' and principal 4'.  I've seen two such Gilks organs, one in All Saints, Hereford and the other in St. David's Cathedral, both many years ago and both single-manual instruments without pedals.  This is the first time I've heard of one with two manuals.  It could make a neat and pleasant instrument for someone, the advantage being that the mechanism is relatively simple when compared to an orthodox extension job.

The Casson looks like a handsome little job with a useful selection of sounds.  They can make very nice little church organs and there are lots around the place (probably a hundred in East Anglia alone).  This one looks as if the case may have been bespoke - the firm offered a number of case designs (an example of one of the more popular ones, installed at Thompson, Norfolk, near West Tofts, caused Pevsner to hazard a guess at it being by Pugin) but I don't recall having seen this one before.

[revtonynewnham]

Hi

I've seen info on 2 of the small Gilks organs - are the others on NPOR David?  If not, maybe you could send the details.

Every Blessing

Tony

[Bryan Moseley]

I played the Gilks at Winchester House School, Brackley (NPOR N12916) in the early eighties and it was a good practice organ and plenty big enough for the (small) school chapel.  Not being able to use the diapason and flute separately on the two manuals was frustrating, but it was certainly nicer than the electronic substitutes then available.

I wondered if the one on ebay could be the same instrument as it's at Towcester, not so far from Brackley, but I don't remember the WHS one having reversed key colours - but it was a long time ago......

[David Pinnegar]

There's another one, I presume 2 manual and at least 12 stops on
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/church-pipe-organ-/331510231385

Best wishes

David P

[Barrie Davis]

I wonder which church in Coventry.