Heathfield School, Ascot

[jcrouch55]

The organ in the Chapel is being offered on the IBO Redundant Organs list and I have contacted the School Bursar but he says there is no one at the school with any knowledge of organs so he can't give me any more information.  The listing says that it is by Lewis and Co which I gather was taken over by Willis in 1919 but the instrument looks much more modern from the photographs.  It also says that the instrument is used for five services a week and yet is available for scrap purposes only.  I can't find a listing for it on the NPOR.  Does anyone know anything about this organ?

As this is my first post, I should explain that I am the organist at a small village church in Northamptonshire and we are looking for a two manual instrument for the church to replace a one manual Walker which is inadequate.

[Jonathan Lane]

I suspect they have been quoted too much money to rebuild the organ or restore it, although I don't know.  The other option is that the current music staff are not organists and have been told an electronic is easier to play!

It looks that there would need to be money spent on it, apart from moving it, but I cannot tell from the listings, however, we would be happy to take a look.  If you wish to ring me, we can arrange something.  07836 299025

Jonathan
www.organ-builder.co.uk

[jcrouch55]

Thanks Jonathan - have sent you an email.

[dragonser]

Hi,
well other people may disagree but I think BOTH Pipe Organs and Electronic Organs are difficult to play !
regards Peter B

The other option is that the current music staff are not organists and have been told an electronic is easier to play!

Jonathan

[Barry Williams]

"I think BOTH Pipe Organs and Electronic Organs are difficult to play !"

I agree.

There is disagreement as to whether one can practise properly on an electronic instrument.  There are even people who say that one can only practise properly on a tracker action pipe organ.

Electronic instruments have several distinct advantages.  They are cheaper than pipe organs in the short term of an owner's life.  They have headphones.  They occupy little space - usually about 5' x 5'.  They have more or less standard consoles and one can take ABRSM examinations on them.  An electronic instrument in the house has the huge advantage in that one is independent of any church.  (The issue is often that of sheer hassle, rather than just cold churches.)

A number of people have reported that it is more satisfying to play germanium diode analogue organs than digital instruments.  Certainly, that is the case in respect of Allens and Copeman Hart/Bradford, both of which I know from my own experience.  My experience of 'Bradford' instruments is that they sound 'flat' compared to sound-sampled  instruments.  That, I have been assured by one of the suppliers of these machines, is the reason for the built-in de-tuning.

I feel that there is a market for a small, discreet but well built house organ, designed to serve those who prefer not to practise in cold churches.



Barry Williams

[Jonathan Lane]

I feel that there is a market for a small, discreet but well built house organ, designed to serve those who prefer not to practise in cold churches.

You would say that Barry, you have a very nice practice instrument at home!  I agree there are often times that an electronic organ at home can be the only and best option, we have plans though to build a pipe organ at home too!  But some say I would do wouldn't I!

Jonathan

[Barry Williams]

"You would say that Barry, you have a very nice practice instrument at home!  I agree there are often times that an electronic organ at home can be the only and best option, we have plans though to build a pipe organ at home too!  But some say I would do wouldn't I!"


The failure of many pipe organs for the home is that they have too many high pitched stops.  The Victorians knew about these things, yet current pipe organ builders ignore basic facts of physics and acoustics.

BF, BM & L and I know of several instances where an organist has designed something on the lines of :

I  8' 4' 22/3 2' 1/1/3  II 8' 4' 2' 1/35 and wondered why they only use the eight feet stops for their practice.

Home pipe organs are a completely untapped market.  The wisdom of the past is ignored by current pipe organ builders.

Barry Williams

[revtonynewnham]

Hi

The lack of NPOR listing can be rectified if someone has the relevant info to send to the NPOR office (NOT to me please - although I'm one of the editors, if it comes my way it will be a very long time before it reaches the top of my "pending" pile!)

Every Blessing

Tony

[Jonathan Lane]

Barry is absolutely right, if I were designing a house organ, well perhaps I should say, when I have designed house organs, I don't like anything over two foot and these not too loud, a bright but gentle flute is better than a stonger Fifteenth.  I take the point however that the lack of space for eight foot stops.  Perhaps though this can be avoided by the use of borrowing in the bass octave, stopped basses and tenor octave stops.  Don't forget an open 8' is only 4' at tenor C and a stopped one only 2'.

Jonathan

[David Pinnegar]

The failure of many pipe organs for the home is that they have too many high pitched stops.  The Victorians knew about these things, yet current pipe organ builders ignore basic facts of physics and acoustics.

BF, BM & L and I know of several instances where an organist has designed something on the lines of :

I  8' 4' 22/3 2' 1/1/3  II 8' 4' 2' 1/35 and wondered why they only use the eight feet stops for their practice.

Hi!

Yes

There is a very nice 8 rank instrument in the local church which is not too big with nothing above 4ft yet brightly voiced it produces great variety.

The other evening I was invited to a party by an international player. He showed me his instrument which is electronic and complained that half the stops don't work "but it doesn't matter", he said, "I only use 8fts for practice"

:-)

Best wishes

David P