Hi
Whilst I agree that the Dome Willis looked to be a good instrument - and there's a mystery over its fate - it seems to just disappear when the HNB/Christie hybrid was put it, I wouldn't be so harsh about the HNB job. Certainly, in the right hands it was (& is) an effective instrument. The onlt big issue I would have is the mixing of classical & theatre organ stops within each department. I would have thought that a dual console arrangement like the Southampton Guildhall Compton would have been a better choice - or at least having the more TPO stops in a separate block on each manual, but then, I've never played it (but have heard it several times in the late 1950's/1960's).
It's an organ designed and built to do a particular job, and does it pretty well. I doubt that the Willis would have coped adequately with the lighter repertoire that it's called on to play. Maybe another option would have been to restore the Willis and put in a seperate "entertainment" organ - but it's too late now.
Every Blessing
Tony
Whilst I agree that the Dome Willis looked to be a good instrument - and there's a mystery over its fate - it seems to just disappear when the HNB/Christie hybrid was put it, I wouldn't be so harsh about the HNB job. Certainly, in the right hands it was (& is) an effective instrument. The onlt big issue I would have is the mixing of classical & theatre organ stops within each department. I would have thought that a dual console arrangement like the Southampton Guildhall Compton would have been a better choice - or at least having the more TPO stops in a separate block on each manual, but then, I've never played it (but have heard it several times in the late 1950's/1960's).
It's an organ designed and built to do a particular job, and does it pretty well. I doubt that the Willis would have coped adequately with the lighter repertoire that it's called on to play. Maybe another option would have been to restore the Willis and put in a seperate "entertainment" organ - but it's too late now.
Every Blessing
Tony