Organ matters - Organs matter!

Hi,
I saw this note on another forum and just thought that people here might want to make a comment, after all they are asking for people's comments and there is a Pipe Organ located there.

regards Peter B

"Alexandra Palace has recently launched its Regeneration Master Plan for the next few years - and is currently seeking public responses via a survey, which can be completed at the palace, by post or online.

Here's the link:

http://www.alexandrapalace.com/about-us/regeneration/have-your-say/

The plans and other information can be accessed by clicking the dark green buttons on the above webpage. There is also an optional pdf to download for more detail.

Do have a look at the plans and complete the survey before it closes at the end of June.

Based on the public response to the consultation, the Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust will be able to assess the support and demand for its ideas, which include plans to preserve and open up some of the former BBC areas.

So, the more responses they get, the better!
"

Hi,
just to let you know that today on Antiques road trip, BBC 2 TV 7-00 to 8-00 pm they visited the Harmonium museum.
also yesterday on Coast they had mention of a Pipe Organ that was powered by the sea.
Coast 9-00 10-00 pm again BBC 2 Sun 10th June 2012
regards Peter B

Hi,
pleased as well it is good news.any more info would be great.

regards Peter B

Hi,
sorry if this is off topic.
just to let you know that there has been published a new book on the history of Wharfedale.
<www.apairofwharfedales.com >
A Pair of Wharfedales
The Story of Gilbert Briggs and his Loudspeakers
regards Peter B
P.S. I don't have nay connection to the publisher

Hi,
it does look like an interesting conference, but the cost of attending might limit the number of people who would be interested.
regards Peter B

Hi,
just to let you know that Flog it today [ bbc2 ] had a short section about the Bate collection in Oxford.
"Season 9
Oxford 29 Experts Charlie Ross and Tracy Martin visit Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre to examine a selection of antiques, including a Chinese snuff bottle and a miniature grandfather clock. Meanwhile, presenter Paul Martin heads for the university's faculty of music to examine the instruments in the Bate Collection"
they had a demonstration of a Harpsichord with a venetian Swell !
available on iplayer

regards Peter B

Hi,
I guess for me certainly Carlo Curley and Virgil Fox would be included. if we are including electronic instruments and non classical style then Barbara Dennerlain and Joey DeFrancesco as well.
but of course this list is subject to change ! 

regards Peter B

Hi,
if you mean a service manual, then National are I think the same company as Technics ?
( was the company called National Panasonic at one time ? )
I haven't got that schematic unfortunately.
is it just one note that isn't working or is it all the G# notes ?
regards Peter

Hi,
a previous poster mentioned an advert that said "You'll be impressed by the unbelievable sounds from this instrument, which is a "digital carbon copy" of a magnificent 18th century organ in Freiburg (Saxony)"
I guess how good a reproduction it is depends on not only how good the samples are, BUT also what speaker system is being used to reproduce them. If the Samples have got the existing Reverb in the Church on them then [ this is only my own opinion ] they won't work well in a space that has a strong Reverb of its own.
regards Peter B

p.s I would rather have Believable sounds rather than unbelivable sounds !

Hi,
well it seems that now Councils and other Organisations may be able to  use prayers if they want to.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17082136>

"Communities secretary Eric Pickles says he is "effectively reversing" the High Court's "illiberal ruling" that a Devon council's prayers were unlawful.

He says part of the Localism Act that aims to give councils greater powers and freedom will be brought in early."

regards Peter B
 

Hi,
I think that <http://www.londonorgan.co.uk/> has a list of some of the Organ concerts that are on in London.
I was going to suggest a visit to the Handel House Museum but all their musical evenings are sold out. of course that might not be appropriate if you don't like Harpsichords.
Might be worth a visit if you were going to be in London anyway ?
Also the Museum at the Royal College of Music  might be interesting.
<http://www.rcm.ac.uk/visit/museum/>

regards Peter B

Hi,
just a quick question or two. I've been working on the specification of an analogue instrument I'm building, and wondered what Couplers you would suggest as being the most useful ?
a few brief details, 2 manual instrument with Pedals, classical voicing. intended as a practice organ.
for example would a swell to pedal coupler be more useful than a swell to great coupler ?
or is it a more complex question that depends on the stops and voicing of a particular instrument and what Music was going to be played ?
of course if I was designing a Digital / software  instrument it is easier to add as many couplers as are needed and also add in octave and sub octave couplers.

regards Peter B

Hi,
I'm pleased to know that the Fairfield Hall Organ is playable.
But I'm not sure about the idea of it being moved to the Parish church ! I feel it is nice to have Pipe Organs in Secular locations as well as Sacred.

regards Peter B

Quote from: AnOrganCornucopia on January 31, 2012, 12:57:17 AM
It's still there and still playable. It's quite good, actually, a sort of mini-Coventry, but in a dreadful acoustic. What would be best would be if it was moved to the Parish Church a few streets away, erected (in a new case) at the West end, allowing the 1969 H&H rebuild of the 4m Hill there to be reversed in its entirety (which it badly needs to be!).

Hi,
this thread makes me remember that when I was taken to the Fairfields Halls in Croydon, many,many years ago, there was a Pipe organ there.
[ this was probably at a concert for children .... ].
I remember being interested but not being able to see the console.....
so couldn't see the person playing it.
from looking online it seems to be a Harrison and Harrison from 1964.

regards  Peter B

Hi,
for those interested there is more info at
<http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/youtube/thread?tid=00b9a7f269a6a61d&hl=en>

on a not related note ( or two  ! )
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJN4gCD1F34>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWdxOOllesw>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRm1Dx5rDI>

regards Peter B

Hi,
there was a previous EOCS visit there, but it was one I didn't manage to get along to.
I hope that anyone that can get along lets us know that they thought.
from an online article "utilises four Artisan Sound Engines to digitally produce the 162 stops ('colours') spread over the 4-manual and pedal ('keyboard') console which has been re-fitted with a modern Artisan MicroMIDI control system. "

regards Peter B

Hi,
I just wondered if you had looked at the range of stop tabs that Kimber Allen make ?
they are located in Swanley Kent.
they do have an engraving service, and might be able to re engrave older tabs.
of course precisely matching the existing tabs may not be straightforward....

regards Peter B

Hi,
also remember that the recording devices, and youtube does have some effect on the sound and video quality due to various factors including the data compression that may be used.
I hope at a later date to be able to provide some examples of this.
regards Peter B

Quote from: organforumadmin on January 16, 2012, 11:52:37 AM
It just goes to show how easy it is for people to get the wrong end of the stick. Nothing replaces actual experience of the physical reality . . .

Hi,
it was an interesting meeting, and one of the most well attended that I have managed to get to.
John Watkinson gave the talk and also demoed some new speakers.
to my ears they sounded very nice,  and he used some Organ Music to demonstrate the good bass response......
a link to a pdf by John Watkinson.
http://www.audiophilerecordingstrust.org.uk/articles/speaker_science.pdf
He also mentioned that he writes for resolution magazine, which I hadn't heard of before.
http://www.resolutionmag.com/content/slaying-dragons

regards Peter B

Hi, well I got my copy just before the new year.
But I think the post may still be influenced by the Christmas Festivities.

regards Peter B