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Single Manual plus Pedal Wadsworth 1926

Started by Janner, July 24, 2011, 03:42:52 PM

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Janner

Wadsworth 1926.     NPOR G01373

Dimensions
Width (including pipe array)     2.3 metres
Width (console panel)    1.4 metres
Depth (not incl. pedals)   1.4 metres
Height                 c. 4 metres

To be removed in the Autumn.

I have contact details if required. (PM).

revtonynewnham

Hi

The Wadsworth is one of literally hundreds (thousands?) of similar small organs - sometimes refered to as "Chancel Organs" in the 19th Century that were built for small churches.  In the right situation, they are more than adequate for the needs of such churches - especially where there is(or more likely, was) a good choir to lead the singing.

I could envisage something like this being used as a practice organ - and it far outlive any electronic - or maybe as an "Ogue de Chouer" in a large church with only a West-End instrument.

It's easy to be dismissive of small organs - but they can continue to do the job they were intended for.  There are far too many organs around - especially in churches - that are far larger than needed, and often these days, because of their size (and sometimes the type of action) too expensive for a modern congregation to contemplate restoring (at least 4, maybe more within 4 miles of here - and that's not counting the dozen or so closed churches within that radius and the, often large, organs they contained.

Sometimes realism has to take the front seat to what the organist might like.

Every Blessing

Tony

Jonathan Lane

Quote from: Voix Cynique on July 24, 2011, 05:12:50 PM
Yet another tiny organ of limited usefulness... BUT would make an excellent donor of pipework, keys, windchests and other bits and pieces for an enlargement project (whether merging two into a 2m or adding a 3rd division to a 2m instrument). Wadsworths were noted for the high quality of their workmanship and voicing - a large, untouched Wadsworth truly is a gem.

Anyone feel like rescuing THIS:
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N02080
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=62579

and maybe using this 1m for an Echo organ?

I could just see the big 3m at the West end in the Brompton Oratory...

Like many of these organs, it could produce the basis for a practice organ, with new action, soundboards, etc.  Often the voicing of these instruments is eminently suitable for a house practice organ, and the lack of squeaky pipework, so often a fondness in some organs for practice, would ensure a useful instrument.

As Tony says, they would last much longer than any electronic organ.

Jonathan

revtonynewnham

Hi

Given the space, I'd probably keep the action and soundboard as-is - just refurbish it.  They are usually well built (but not always!  The organ attributed to Bishop that I acquired turned out to be, I suspect, a botch job of possibly a Bishop soundboard and pipework, using the case as the "building frame".

Buyer beware (not that I paid anything for it, and I still have the pipework for a possible future project).

Every Blessing

Tony

Janner

Quote from: Jonathan Lane on July 24, 2011, 10:56:09 PM
..............................
Like many of these organs, it could produce the basis for a practice organ, with new action, soundboards, etc.  Often the voicing of these instruments is eminently suitable for a house practice organ, and the lack of squeaky pipework, so often a fondness in some organs for practice, would ensure a useful instrument.

As Tony says, they would last much longer than any electronic organ.

Jonathan

It was partly for this reason that I brought it to the attention of the board in the first place.

I do realise that organs like this have their limitations, although I wouldn't presume to be so dismissive as the earlier poster, but I also suspect that we have some very knowledgeable and resourceful members on here, and who knows what ideas they might come up with for an instrument like that. Hence I felt that there was no harm in posting it.

diapason

This looks like an absolute gem and I dearly wish that I knew a church who could use it.  It's perfect for what it was designed for - service accompaniment in a small parish church.  I hope that it finds a sympathetic new home where it will sound infinitely better and far outlast any toaster.

Nigel

wjoefox

This would be quite a good house organ project.
For me, I would have to have a second manual, and since it has been hinted that this isn't an instrument which must be kept in its original state, how would you go about adding a second manual to it?

Barry Williams

Adding a second manual would be very expensive and, if matching pipes were unavailable, possibly tonally disappointing.

One way of dealing with the matter is to put all the pipes on direct electric action, retaining the original tip and rack boards, but grooving the magnets to avoid 'plop'.  Then build a two manual and pedal console and have all the stops available on both manuals.  No couplers would be needed.  Willis III, one of the cleverest of organ designers, did this with one of the small organs in a lodge in Great Queen Street, London.

The advantage of electric action is that one easily can re-configure the location of the soundboard. With tracker action the mechanism needs to be reconstructed.  Height is also a problem in an ordinary house.

There so many small two manual and pedal instruments available nowadays that it is probably worth waiting until something suitable comes up.

I thoroughly recommend a pipe organ in the house.  Even a few ranks will give much pleasure, but the pipes do need to be suitable and of high quality.  My wife and I are always happy to show our House Organ to visitors, to explain the considerations involved and how we addressed the problems.

Barry Williams