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Bad News in the West Midlands

Started by Barrie Davis, October 28, 2010, 02:40:37 PM

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Barrie Davis

I have recently been informed about some organs under threat in the West Midlands.

St Michaels and All Angels Langley.

3 manual Nicholson, tracker action, with some electrification to give the Oboe at 16 and 8. The church was made redundant 2 years ago and closed, the organ remained in situ a few weeks ago the church was vandalised, luckily they only had time to remove the Choir pipework. The Great and Swell has now been safely saved and stored.

Christchurch Summerfield Birmingham.

3 manual Nicholson, tracker action. The organ is now mothballed pending replacement with a digital with midi facilities. The cost of restoring this instrument being far too expensive for the parish.

St Lukes Cradley Heath

3 manual Compton extension organ. The wiring has perished being cotton covered making the organ basically unplayable. Again the parish cannot afford to have any work carried out and have bought a Yamaha keyboard.

Holy Trinity Old Hill

3 manual Brindley and Foster/Nelson/Lloyd. Tonally this organ is superb but very badly restored in the 80s. The action is diabolical and the soundboards are in poor condition. The church is starting a reordering scheme and it is highly unlikely that the organ will remain.

Im getting depressed so will not add more, I may do later.

Barrie

David Pinnegar

Quote from: Barrie Davis on October 28, 2010, 02:40:37 PM
Im getting depressed so will not add more, I may do later.

Dear Barrie

Please can you keep going? Maybe depression may lead to anger and anger may lead to ACTION by the many people who have found what organ music can inspire in life. We live on the edge of the precipice of irredeemable cultural loss - and that is why I started this forum to stoke the fires of enthusiasm.

There are many guests daily visiting this forum and I do hope that they will join-up and join in.

It would be great to get those responsible for music in primary and prep schools interested in involving children in organ events .  .  .

That's one of the reasons for Jeremy Filsell's inspiring concert on 7th November and giving free places to children. But will anyone come? No - it's a niche market - "never heard the organ - that's not for me". We can but try so please keep going!

Best wishes

David P

revtonynewnham

Hi

Very sad.  I was organist at Christchurch, Summerfield for a year or so in the mid 1970's.  Although not the world's best organ, it had some very nice pipework.  It would have been better if a previous organist hadn't tried to electrify the Swell and add octave and sub-octave couplers - the response lag had to be heard to be believed!  (The other departments are all tracker).

Still, it's a solidly-built Nicholson, so should be restorable if funds become available in the future.

The parish was far from wealthy when I was there, and knowing the area, I doubt that the financial position is any better now.  At least the organ is being mothballed, and not scrapped - and given the well-hidden acces to the organ loft, it should be reasonably safe, as long as it's not damaged/destroyed by the electronic installers trying to hide their speaker cabinets in the chamber.

Every Blessing

Tony

Barrie Davis

Yet another one this time in Shropshire, St Michaels Madeley, 2 manual Nicholson and Lord rebuilt by Fisk, it was situated in a Gallery over the south choir stalls. The pneumatics on the pedal organ became unreliable and they also needed the console to be nearer to other musicians. They obtained the advice of Dr Massey and obtained a faculty for a digital instrument but it was clearly stated that the pipeorgan should remain intact and not be removed. Needless to say 10 years on the organ has disappeared. Do legalities in the C of E not count it seems not.
I was organist of this church in the 1960s and followed by the late Ron Poole, who was a member of this board. It was quite a pleasing 2 manual very typical of N & L.

Barrie

Barrie Davis

Some more for the "pot".

Akerill Methodist Smethwick

2 manual Bishop rebuilt Sheffield. Church closed fate of the organ unknown.

St Matthews Smethwick

2 manual Nicholson and Lord rebuilt Sheffield, bad water damage from a leaking roof the insurance company will not fund the organs repair. The cost being way beyond the parish.

Central Methodist West Bromwich

3 manual Sheffield again water damage, console and pipework removed replaced by a Rodgers.

Barrie

GloriaK

''I love life because what more is there.''

JontyTrain

Dear All

This is indeed depressing stuff so I thought you may like to know that the Bevington in Quarry Bank Congregational (between Cradley Heath and Merry Hill) despite having the blower motor pack up and being silent for about a year and under the threat of removal is now back up and running again and loved.
I do have to say that I let my feelings be known on it's behalf.

Cheers

Jonty Train

diapason

Good news about the Bevington, but terribly depressing about the others.  Locally, can I give a heads up for a one-manual 20-note pedal by Speechley in Over Stowey Parish Church, Somerset.  Quite a useful little instrument, but the organist wants a two-manual toaster.  It's on the IBO redundant list.  I rang the church for more information, but they've not got back to me (I did try to talk them out of removing it, so maybe they've reconsidered).
N

Barrie Davis

Im pleased to learn about the Bevington at Quarry Bank, the Nelson at Christchurch QB has been condemed by the DOA, it still plays but I hate to think of whats going to happen in the future. I came upon a little organ in a Baptist Church in Rowley Regis, the Pastor tells me it used to be a house organ, its in the West Gallery and has no builders name plate, unplayable but the pipes that sound are very sweet. The Church is being brought back into use as an exhibition place for Bibles and the present Pastor would like the organ playing again, but funds........... many pipes have been vandalised, some bent double. I have asked one of the board members to have a look and give me his opinion. The basic spec is manuals tracker ped t/p Ped 16 Gt 88 Swell 884 sw to gt gt to ped.

Best wishes

Barrie