Organ matters - Organs matter!

I'm probably going to have to move house soon into a smaller modern house.  Sadly, there probably won't be room for my wonderful and cherished house organ, so I'm reluctantly advertising it for sale.

It's based on a 1920's Aeolian - 5-ranks, 2-manual & pedal.  Console if a standard size and the pipework is around 7' wide, 4 deep and 7' high.

I'm in West Somerset.  Please contact me for more information.

Sounds lovely - sadly no room for a second house organ.

Often stuff on Ebay and Gumtree.
N

Thanks, Tony,
We appreciate all that yourself and the other volunteer editors do to keep NPOR running.
Nigel

I'm glad that the backlog seems to be clearing - my house organ is still not logged and I submitted the details more than a year ago now.

Very depressing.  The dust on the bench tells a sad story too.  Sadly, he'd be very lucky to sell it for £500 - and as for the keyboard, I'd be robbed if I offered him half-a-crown.

We recently had our 1894 3-manual tracker Hill restored by TW Fearn & Co of Honiton.  The parish raised over £100K, much of it from grants.  You might find it useful to talk to Andrew Fearn about the work they did for us, restoring the organ to the specification and condition that Hill left it in 1994.  Good luck with your project.
Nigel

I've signed the petition and written a letter.  I know that both the IAO and ISM have written to the Dean & Chapter.  Sadly, there does not appear to have been any response, and I suspect that they will simply ignore all protestations and go ahead with the cuts.  Future generations will be the poorer for their senseless, luddite actions.

Not an organ, but the choir and choral tradition of Llandaff cathedral are at risk as the Chapter propose to sack the Assistant Organist and Lay Clerks to save money.  This, just after the new organ has finally been completed.  I've met Sachin Gunga, the Assistant Organist and he's a thoroughly nice chap as well, of course, as being a superlative musician.  Llandaff are the only professional choir in Wales.  Please look at the attached link to the ISM petition and consider signing it.  Mush is at stake here - not least our own parish church choirs and organs. 
http://savellandaffchoir.weebly.com/about-save-llandaff-cathedral-choir.html
Nigel

Congratulations on a superb job!

BTW, whilst I'm still happily in the C of E in a very Anglo-Catholic parish, I have strong affection for the Ordinariate in that Mgr Keith Newton was my Parish Priest in Bristol some years ago and many of my Anglo-Catholic friends have now crossed the Tiber.

Keep up the good work!

Nigel

A nice story from across the pond:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/10/27/how-jewish-neighbor-saved-century-organ-charlestown-catholic-church/4tHGuZiNa6vnPa25AC2NYN/story.html

N

Is it worth contacting someone like South Island Organ Co?  Also, Martin Setchell seems to have many contacts with organbuilders.  I guess that there are a number of organs being scrapped after the awful earthquakes.
N

May I please give a link to an electronic organ which I'm listing on Ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181240925962?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Please fee free to make me an offer.

Nigel

Many thanks, Chris.  I'll pass this on to Andrew Fearn who did the rebuild.  He can speak to Gary and make sure that it's suitable.  I'll go up and collect it if it's ok.  This forum is, as always, very helpful.
Nigel

The question is really one of originality.  Having spent a lot of money restoring everything to the 1896 specification - and getting grants to do this - we don't want to now fit a stop which will detract from that originality.  If we could find some Hill pipework of the correct vintage, it would really finish the job off properly.  If we can't ........ ?  Our organbuilder has got a later Walker Clarion with a harmonic treble, but we're not sure at the moment.
N

We have recently restored our 1898 Hill to its original specification and condition.  We have a spare slide on the Swell which originally held a 4' Clarion and are looking to replace it.  Our organ builder is trying to source a suitable rank, but it's maybe worth asking on here as well.  William Hill 4' Clarion of around 1900, without a harmonic top half.  Does anyone now of anything suitable for sale please?

Quote from: Janner on October 13, 2013, 06:25:19 AM

Quote from: David Drinkell on October 12, 2013, 03:31:19 PM
.......................
I wonder what will occupy the space gained as a consequence?  :-\

Jimmy Shand and his band perhaps?

I saw that, and dread to think what a 'compact electronic' might be .....  a Hammond?

There was (last time I was there - about 2 years ago) a Casson in the little church at Countisbury on Exmoor.  It looked complete but was unplayable and had been replaced by a one-manual electrone.  The church were keen to sell it, but I don't know how much they were asking.  The pipework looked very nice - I wouldn't have minded it for my house organ at the time.

Good news indeed!