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St. Bartholomew's Church, Crewkerne, Somerset

Started by KB7DQH, September 24, 2010, 05:58:53 AM

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will o the wind

I was making a general point for all organs but you may be able to get some contact info from the St Barts website. However, from what I understand they may be a bit reluctant!

will o the wind

organforumadmin

Quote from: will o the wind on May 19, 2011, 09:13:44 PM
I think we need a chairman to keep this on track; I being one of the 'guilty'.

A couple of points please:
1) I have found it  very unreliable to judge an organ by its paper specification;
   go and hear it!  There are many organs with their creators' original spec. which are tonally
   indifferent and very restrictive.

2) As I see it this all started with a report  concerned solely with the reliability of the
   St Barts. organ action. From what I see there have been no reports of  inadequacy
  of the tonal quality over the years and, from John's previous post, a rebuild seems
  not necessary so why is the stop list now on the agenda?



Hi!


Yes - point taken - the stoplist has been posted by a member whose knowledge of organs comes from paper and stoplist dreams rather than playing experience and who's more likely to post a stoplist and muck around with it just for the sake of romanticisation rather than any particular purpose in mind.


You raise an important point - it may be quite politically dangerous to insert a stoplist into the equation raising all sorts of unnecessary ideas. If you feel that certain posts are dangerous in such a way, please use the report button to send them for moderation and possible deletion.


It is important to keep things on track especially where there is a particular reason for publicising the fate of an organ here.


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Barry Williams

#82
IMPORTANT NOTICE

I have just spoken to The Reverend Tony Newnham. 

We have decided, for several reasons, to close this topic.  Pending the formal action, please do not post any further comments.

Thank you.

Barry Williams

organforumadmin

#83
Dear Friends,

There is another thread here about censorship. This forum is free of censorship and of commercial interests (although Google ads might possibly appear to help fund the server  . . . ) but sometimes it's a good idea to take account of wise counsel so I hope that we can all live with the decision of two of our moderators.

One can beat a subject to death and, if the thread is to have its impact in the decision making process - after all, what else is a forum championing the Organ for - it does not need to be diluted. If action is to be achieved, it doesn't happen by simply burying the kernel in a mere talking-shop.

Anyone can do anything and get anywhere they like, given enough time, by taking steps which however small, all lead in the same direction. That direction has been reached here and there's no point in walking backwards nor around in a circle.

The thread therefore is truncated here, not in any way a matter of censorship, but in achievement of purpose.

It is, however, left open for contribution from anyone seeking guidance from amongst those within the Crewkerne decision making process (ie the PCC or Diocese) should they consider that it would be appropriate or helpful in achieving the right decision. The topic has been technically "unlocked" for this specific purpose so request _existing_ members not to post here whilst awaiting any responses from any such PCC member or Dioscesan officer who might like to join and contribute.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

organforumadmin

Hi!


I have received a personal communication about this instrument from someone who knows the instrument of which it seems relevant to quote just a little:


QuoteThere is some nonsense about authenticity being banded about and taking centre stage . . .
[/size]
[/size][/size]The organ is not defunct but needs some TLC all round.


[/size]W[/size]ith all its history, it produces a decent sound and I frankly prefer it to the Willis in St Mary Mag. Taunton


[/size][/size]They are now faced with a minor maintenance task NOT a rebuild . . .


This puts the matter in perspective here from a very well informed and balanced perspective and I hope that it's helpful to quote it here.


The writer tells me:
QuoteI[/size] could not get the registration to work when I registered earlier and wonder if that is why the Church  haven't posted.


I'm aware there there is a file on the server which the forum is complaining is Read Only and this might possibly be causing a problem. It's hoped to sort this out in the next day or so - so please be patient and try again . . . and report any difficulty to antespam@gmail.com


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Barrie Davis


organforumadmin

Hi!

We are picking up from forum statistics that the subject matter of this thread is causing some degree of distress to persons unknown, and known only to us through anonymous stats.

As a team, although we are aware that issues where there is some degree of controversy are bound to be touching some raw nerves, none of us are aware of any aspect of discussion on this thread which crosses any bounds beyond fair comment and what appears to be a usefully broad consideration of circumstances.

We hope that it is useful and helpful for the existence of a forum such as this where issues and options can be explored and openly discussed and we are happy to provide that service.

It's easy to join this forum - there are two questions to deter spammers to which the answers are (from memory) "air" and "Widor" - may be case sensitive - so that it's easy to make public comment and or to raise any private issue with the forum administration team.

We like discussions to be objective and intellectually explorative and do not wish anything to offend anyone. Differences of viewpoint, perspective and opinion should be capable of being respected and hopefully accommodated.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

raywillis

As the DOA concerned with the organ at St Bartholomew's Crewkerne, it is time, I feel, for me to put the actual present situation on record regarding this fine instrument. First of all though, may I say how good it is to find so many people out there who care sufficiently about this, and many other organ matters, to put pen to paper with their views and support.

When I was consulted regarding the installation of the Trompette en Chemade at Crewkerne, I expressed serious concerns regarding the action of the main organ which, in my view, needed attention quite urgently. This is now beginning to show me right, although I think it unlikely that the organ will become completely unuseable. When I was consulted more recently, following a request for "preliminary informal advice", I said that if, and when ,the organ became unplayable I would support the temporary installation  (I would suggest no more than five years) of a digital instrument on condition that the Rothwell pipe organ must be put into good order. I also suggested that a fund should be set up to fund a restoration of  the Rothwell organ as soon as possible. I have asked to see proposals and quotations from several organ builders and these have so far not materialised. It is also worth mentioning here that the blower is very noisy and I am concerned that it will need attention before long.

I visited the church on Wednesday 22nd June and can assure everyone that there is no evidence of a digital instrument in the building. The Bath and Wells DAC have only had the above request for "preliminary informal advice", There has been no application received or granted for a faculty concerning this matter. The Archdeacon of Taunton has asked me to include that the track record of the PCC is one of honest observance of process and law.  As St Bartholomew's have very considerable financial commitments to fulfil concerning the roof of the church, I do not anticipate any further action regarding the organ for quite some time unless something catastrophic occurs.


Ray Willis,  A.R.C.M, A.R.C.O.    Organ Adviser to the Bath & Wells Diocese

revtonynewnham

#88
Thanks to Ray Willis for that authoritative statement of the position at Crewekerne.

This topic is now CLOSED.

Moderators




Addendum: THANKS to Forum Moderators for their considerable work and to Ray Willis and we hope that he will ask for the topic to be unlocked in due course to update the forum with news of any formal developments. In the meantime, however, we hope that the forum for discussion will have enabled a wider perspective on the course of action to be taken and resulting in a better outcome than might have occurred without it.


This thread is of wider general importance than merely to Crewkerne as in the development of changes to an organ over a long period of time and in the issues faced, it is the story akin to so many instruments and churches.


We hope that others will draw attention to other such instances in due course.


Forum Admin