Organ matters - Organs matter!

The point about the Ripieno is that it's a buildup of octaves and fifths. So 8ft and 4ft Principal, then Nazard, Fifteenth, Larigot, 1ft, fifth above that and the octave above that. Of course they break back to the lower octaves at the upper end of the keyboards.

But perhaps people are familiar with the mock 32ft effect by playing fifths on the pedalboard. A fifth produces a beat note an octave below the lower note of the fifth. So as one starts to add octaves and fifths their beats add notes below them, and if these beats are strong enough, they will add octaves lower still. It's for this reason that the Ripieno adds gravitas whilst apparently going higher.

Best wishes

David P

It's quite well documented in the video. The buildup of sound with the harmonics was surprising and extraordinary. Not piercing and certainly added gravitas. Rather the effect of the French Plein Jeu, but more focussed.

Best wishes

David P

It was a great pleasure a few weeks ago to be the guest of Robert Buhagiar, the organ builder on Malta and Gozo. I'd imagine that few can have curatorship of more historic instruments than he and the two islands are a gem in the organ world.

On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD3oPDpTFWA I recorded the sound of one of the ancient instruments of 1769, at Hal Ghaxaq.

We went to see another instrument at Qrendi and this was extraordinary, the sound becoming more grand and more profound as more of the upper Ripieno was added. I imagine that the Ripieno harmonics produce beat frequencies as sub-harmonics, creating a very grand sound.

Best wishes

David P

It's worth keeping an eye on http://www.pipeorgans.eu/

Best wishes

David P

Hi!

Thanks to GCHQ wanting to Big Brother everyone it's been impossible to log into an email SMTP server to send out emails easily from IP numbers that change every day. So one's forced into using an NSA monitored email account . . . leaving old email addresses to fester :-(

Just so that it's easiest for the NSA to know all about me I use Gmail with the username antespam.

Forum members can actually message through this forum also . . .

Best wishes

David P

How fascinating? Thanks so much.

Does this instrument possess the record for the greatest proportion of remaining 17th century pipework?

Best wishes

David P

THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this most interesting and detailed perspective. It's a fascinating story and really intriguing. If anyone can start a similar thread about any other builders the collection of such threads here will be so much more interesting and enthusiasm raising than any facebook group can be.

Best wishes

Harem

Most interesting, adventurous and enterprising.

I'd be minded to put Salicional and Viol de Gamba together and with your 4ft String stop with possibly one detuned for Voix Celeste. One would normally put these in an enclosed division . . . wouldn't one?

I don't know the difference between a Clarabella and a Rohr Flute but wonder if your Great has a bit of duplication with stops which might possibly be enclosed and whether possibly one might think of Tierce or Larigot, or possibly a flute based 2ft?

No doubt you're limited by preconditions imposed by existing soundboards . . .

It would be interesting to hear more expert opinion, David Wilde perhaps or PCND?

Best wishes

David P

It's amazing how in England the pipe organ seems to be losing relevance whilst in France there are mouth-watering instruments from top to bottom of the country.

In Cannes
http://www.orgues-cannes.org/?page_id=42

Notre Dame de Bon-Voyage


and up north http://www.festivalrivegauche.bzh/les-orgues
Dinard

and nearby a Cavaillé Coll


an English instrument by Alfred Oldknow


At Pleurtuit


and a Nicholson and Lord at St Briac


What do we need to breathe such life into organs in England?

Best wishes

David P

One problem is the ageing of expertise and the reluctance of some of the older generation to engage with the internet. . . .

Best wishes

David P

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

But perhaps it wasn't quite a valid heartbeat monitor as I'm not at all sure that I could tell you what that difference is that one might expect between the Swell Oboe and an Orchestral Oboe :-)

Most instruments one meets in everyday life don't have the two . . .

Any other ideas?

Best wishes

David P

Is there any point in the existence of this forum?

ORGAN FOR POSSIBLE RE-LOCATION

M0296


Forster & Andrews, Hull (1877)
Re-built by Hill & Sons, London (1906)
Hailsham Parish Church (St Mary's)
Hailsham
East Sussex
BN27 1BL

NPOR N15407
Three manual and pedals
30 speaking stops
Action: Tubular pneumatic throughout

Dimensions
En-fenêtre front: Width (overall) 14'7"
Height (top of pipes) 19'8"
The organ now has no side casework as it is built
into the base of the tower. It occupies a floor area
approximately 12'9" wide x 14'9" deep.

Originally with tracker action, it was built in 1877
for the concert hall at the Royal Normal College for
the Blind at Upper Norwood in South London. In
1906 it was completely rebuilt by Hill & Sons and
converted to tubular pneumatic action. At this time
the console was replaced. It was extensively
refurbished again by Hill & Sons in 1921.

The college was evacuated soon after the outbreak
of war, and sometime between 1939 and 1944 the
organ was placed into storage by Willis & Sons. It
was installed at Hailsham in 1955 by Hill, Norman
and Beard of Lewes. This installation necessitated
major alterations, and the side casework shown in
early photographs is no longer in existence.

The organ retains its original stencilled display
pipes, and some other original Forster & Andrews
ranks. Other ranks are by Hill & Sons.

The Swell and Great are in reasonable playing order
and the organ is regularly used. Some minor repairs
have been carried out recently, although the last
major overhaul took place in 1981.

Organ for Possible Relocation

Department and Stop List

Pedal Key action TP Stop action TP Compass-low C Compass-high f1 Keys 30
1 Open Diapason 16
2 Bourdon 16
3 Quint 12
4 Flute 8
5 Trombone 16

Great Key action TP Stop action TP Compass-low C Compass-high a3 Keys 58
6 Contra Geigen 16
7 Open Diapason 8
8 Hohl Flute 8
9 Gamba 8
10 Harmonic Flute 4
11 Principal 4
12 Fifteenth 2
13 Mixture
14 Harmonic Tromba 8

Swell Key action TP Stop action TP Compass-low C Compass-high a3 Keys 58
24 Violoncello 8
25 Dulciana 8
26 Lieblich Gedeckt 8
27 Flauto Traverso 4
28 Flautina 2
29 Orchestral Oboe 8
30 Harmonic Tromba (from Great) 8
31 Corno di Bassetto 8

Choir Key action TP Stop action TP Compass-low C Compass-high a3 Keys 58
Enclosed
15 Bourdon 16
16 Open Diapason 8
17 Rohr Flute 8
18 Salicional 8
19 Voix Celeste 8
20 Principal 4
21 Harmonic Piccolo 2
22 Horn 8
23 Oboe 8
Tremulant

Other details
Console
Console type: En-fenêtre
Stop type: Drawstop
Pedalboard: Concave Radiating

Couplers
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell to Choir
Swell octave
Choir to Great
Choir to Pedal
Choir suboctave
Great to Pedal
Accessories
Balanced swell pedal for Swell
Balance swell pedal for Choir
4 thumb pistons to Great (also on toe studs)
4 thumb pistons to Swell (also on toe studs)
4 thumb pistons to Choir

Other
Blowing: Electric (3-phase)

Location and access
The organ is located at ground level at the
base of the tower immediately behind the
west doors as shown in the photograph.

There is therefore good level access directly
from the outside of the building, although
the space within the tower is very cramped.

The alterations made to the organ when it
was installed included mounting some of
the ranks and some larger isolated pipes
directly onto the walls of the tower.

The blower is located within the bellringing
chamber directly above the organ,
and suitable lifting equipment will be
required to remove it.
Background and timescales

In its current location, in the base of the tower, the organ prevents the historic west doors and
foyer (prior to 1955, a main entrance to the church) from being used. Consequently, the south
door, which is accessed via steps and is therefore far from satisfactory, has to be used as the
main entrance. Furthermore, the west doors, which are on the main approach path and are visible
from the High Street, present a gaunt and unwelcoming prospect, giving the appearance that
church itself may be redundant.

The Parochial Church Council is in discussion with the Chichester Diocesan Advisory
Committee about reordering works that would bring the west doors back into use as the main
entrance, and which due to levels, can provide full access for disabled people. The relocation of
the organ to a new home will be a necessary consequence if approval is granted for these works.

Expressions of interest will therefore be welcome, although the organ's availability is subject to
faculty permission being obtained from the Chancellor of the Diocese. An application is
currently being prepared.

Please contact us for more information about the organ and its fascinating history, including its
early years at the Royal Normal College for the Blind. Proposals to re-use the remaining
substantial "en fenêtre" casework may also be considered.

While no charge will be made for the organ, the recipient will be responsible for all costs
involved in dismantling and removal.

Enquiries please to:
Ken Thomas
Telephone: 01323 849699 / 07817 560077
Email: ken@thomasco.plus.com

Is it the Organ as an instrument, Churches in which organs are kept or this forum which is dead?

Slow death is painful.

Best wishes

David P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzqicyUCXI might be one of the most extraordinary creations in the organ world.

Best wishes

David P

If you're within striking distance of the south east I was given two electronic analogue instruments with such pedalboards and which I need to eject from my barn as rapidly as possible

Best wishes

David P

Hi Piperdane!

WELCOME!

Please feel free to give links to your Danish forums - all things musical are welcome here.

Best wishes

David P

The local Association sent around an appeal for a midnight organist. I don't know if the church found one but I wonder how many churches missed having the organ as part of Christmas?

Best wishes

David P

That's actually what I used to do with visiting performers encouraging people to try things out - some of my recordings quoted on http://temper.braybaroque.ie/recordings.html

Best wishes

David P

Very much WELCOME! Not an interloper at all. This forum's about all organs and importantly many modern organs share keyboard and stop control techniques common both to pipes and electronic sound generation. So pipe people can hardly avoid electronics and electronic people often have a deep love for pipes.

For me the electronic provides a degree of sound laboratory facility that can be helpful to design and understanding of the tonality of pipe instruments and their registration.

Best wishes

David P