Organ matters - Organs matter!

Thanks Tony. Yes, I have all his e-mails and I don't remember seeing it, but he is a very obliging gentleman and I'm sure he will help if he can.

Matt, thanks for you PM. I have sent a reply.

Regards,

J.

Quote from: matt h on January 26, 2012, 04:07:53 PM

............. I know of a lovely old Binns organ sitting in the chapel where I used to play in North Yorkshire which is sitting redundant (NPOR GO1206, which incidentally is not a Laycock and Bannister) and which I would love to re-home.............

Matt

Dear Matt,

The NPOR for this one doesn't list any useful details. Do you know if it's on any of the redundant lists? If not, could you give us any of the basics, e.g. number of manuals? Approx. physical dimensions? Anything at all?

A PM would be fine if you prefer.

Thanks,

J.

The listing states "United Reformed Church, based in Shipley." The NPOR does not specify a URC, but does list a couple of possibilities:

Bethel Primitive Methodist Church , Windhill (Primitive Methodist Church) and
Hall Royd Methodist Church , Bingley Road, (formerly Wesleyan) (Methodist Church).

Perhaps I have missed an important clue somewhere, but I can't see anything more specific. Can anyone narrow it down please? Is the organ on the NPOR?

Quote from: pcnd5584 on December 12, 2011, 10:02:30 PM
............................

As the writer of the article above states, there is something about air moving through physical pipes. One of the main differences which I have noticed on electronic substitutes, is that they do not (and cannot) 'move the air' in the way that a pipe organ does. On the instrument which I played last night, full organ was a loud, but quite 'dead' sound - in short, lifeless.
...........................

I hope that the authorities (and the wider church community) in Boston will have the foresight to re-consider and instead make a real effort to find ways of raising the necessary funds to restore their pipe organ - with emphasis on the word 'restore'. As Tony has implied, it is likely............
..................to give far greater aural satisfaction to anyone with ears to hear.[/font]

There are two churches near me with toasters, one which I have attended regularly for many years, and one which I have had occasion to attend two or three times quite recently.

In the first one, the organ is around twenty years old. True it was not 'designed' for this or any other church, in the way that some claim to be now, but it has an underlying something which I find very wearing on my ears.

I find it difficult to define this effect. It is not a matter of the obvious comparisons of the sounds with those from real pipes; that doesn't bear thinking about. It's an ever present, low level, low pitch roar. (Is a low volume roar a contradiction in terms?) I can never decide whether the frequency varies with the notes being played; it's too low in both pitch and volume for that. What I do know is that, to my ears at least, it is a sound which resonates in a particularly unpleasant way. By the end of the service my ears, and head, have both had enough, which is a shame, because the church is lovely, and in every other way the services are excellent.

I have always put this effect down to the technology of the era when the instrument was made. But in the second church, the organ is of relatively recent vintage. I don't know if it's 'sound sample' or digital technology, or just late analogue, but there is at least twenty years between the two instruments.

I was quite dismayed therefore, when attending a full evensong there recently, to find exactly the same effect. Not immediately obvious at first, but it grows until eventually I can't ignore it.

Is it, I wonder, something to do with the relatively large spaces these organs are in? Both of them are models designed, I would think, primarily for the domestic market, although I daresay the makers would claim they are suitable for churches. But is the size of the space allowing the build-up of underlying sounds which would be attenuated in, for example, an average living room?

Just a thought.

Not sure which section this should be posted under, but there is a Conn 643 for sale on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Conn-643-Theatre-Organ-Conn-pipes-/230707447009?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item35b73c44e1

May be of interest to someone.

"The Board" seems to be playing lentissimo (and some) this morning. Server or site maintenance? Other problems?

Not a complaint, just curious.

J.

Dear David,

Quite by chance this morning I happened to listen to Prayer for Today, and it brought me back immediately to this discussion.

It suggests quite a different view of Halloween and may still (31/10/11) be heard on listen again at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b016kkb8

I do not put it forward in order to advance any personal views on the debate, but simply as something which may be of interest to yourself and the other contributors.

Best regards,

J.

Could you say what size organ you are looking for? For example, how many manuals? How many speaking stops? What physical size (width, depth and height)?

Yes, hoping you will be able to give us all the details in due course, but in the meantime a few hints might be of use to those of us who are on the lookout. Just the number of manuals could be of some help.

Best regards,

J.

Quote from: grinder12 on September 04, 2011, 01:00:58 PM
We have an historic Renn and Boston organ dating from 1840 ...............

Thanks for your post. I have sent a PM.

J.

Thank you David.

Graham Jones is the Methodist Church Organs Advisor to whom I was referring in my original post. My understanding is that he covers the whole of England in that capacity, or at least he has details of organs all over the country. True, I have also seen references to other Methodist Organ Advisors; perhaps they operate on a more local or regional basis.

I am on Graham's mailing list and have found him to be very approachable and helpful. He regularly sends me information and updates.

Quote from: David Pinnegar on August 16, 2011, 11:06:45 AM

................
However, it's important to be conscious of records of specifications not reflecting what's on the ground...........

David P

Yes, we have found that to be the case sometimes. We have made a point of going to look at any instrument, within reason, which appears to come near to the requirements. Several hundred miles have been covered so far, and it has been an interesting experience.

Thank you for your interest.

J.

Redundant pipe organ wanted for an Anglican church:

Two manual plus pedal with around 12 or 13 speaking stops. Tracker / mechanical throughout if possible.

Approximate maximum overall dimensions: W 9' x D 8' x H 15' (excluding the normal 2' x 2' blower box, which could be accommodated alongside). Much depends on the appearance, shape and design.

Electric blower, but a working hand pump would also be an advantage.

The instrument will have to stand against a wall but will be on view from the front and both sides.

Finding a redundant pipe organ is easy, there are many of them, (too many), and some would appear to be very good instruments. But finding the right one to fit a particular situation is proving to be rather more difficult. The obvious sources, IBO Redundant List etc., are being monitored and enquiries have been made in several places.

If anyone knows of a redundant instrument which might fit the bill and is not currently listed on the IBO Redundant Organs website, or with the Methodist Church Organs Advisor, I would be grateful if they could send me a PM.

Many thanks,

J.

With the prospect of being involved in a similar project , hopefully in the not too distant future, I for one look forward to reading about progress, the difficulties you encounter, and how you overcome them.

Good luck and very best wishes for your project.

According to an entry on Facebook, the threat to the church building is that the insurers will withdraw cover unless certain urgent repairs to the South Porch are carried out. The cost would appear to be £40,000, on top of the annual running costs of £44,000.

More details can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124062044924

Quote from: Jonathan Lane on July 24, 2011, 10:56:09 PM
..............................
Like many of these organs, it could produce the basis for a practice organ, with new action, soundboards, etc.  Often the voicing of these instruments is eminently suitable for a house practice organ, and the lack of squeaky pipework, so often a fondness in some organs for practice, would ensure a useful instrument.

As Tony says, they would last much longer than any electronic organ.

Jonathan

It was partly for this reason that I brought it to the attention of the board in the first place.

I do realise that organs like this have their limitations, although I wouldn't presume to be so dismissive as the earlier poster, but I also suspect that we have some very knowledgeable and resourceful members on here, and who knows what ideas they might come up with for an instrument like that. Hence I felt that there was no harm in posting it.

Wadsworth 1926.     NPOR G01373

Dimensions
Width (including pipe array)     2.3 metres
Width (console panel)    1.4 metres
Depth (not incl. pedals)   1.4 metres
Height                 c. 4 metres

To be removed in the Autumn.

I have contact details if required. (PM).

26 stop 3 manual:

http://npor.rcm.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=G00056

Church closed. Once again I have details. Please send me a PM if you would like them.

This sale has now ended on eBay. No replies to enquiries were ever received.

The highest offer appears to have been £1,500, marked expired on 6th. July. The last offer was £500 made, and expired, yesterday, so not sure which, if any, gets the organ.

Both bidders have feedback in German, so appear to be from a German speaking area. There was one other, lower, offer. (English).

I have just heard that this organ is to be removed during September as part of a re-ordering project:

http://npor.rcm.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=R01057

Dimensions: Width 2.26m,   Depth 1.16m plus 0.4m overhang,   Height 4.07m [from floor-level to top of pipework]

Stop List:

Bourdon      16
Open Diapason   8
Clarabella      8
Gamba              8
Flute         4

I have the details, including photographs, and a contact number. If anyone would like them please send me a PM.

The picture on the NPOR site makes the organ look much larger than the pictures I have been sent. All a matter of perspective I suppose.

Has anyone found out or heard anything more about this one yet? It's still on ebay.

The wording of the information suggests it was written by someone with some knowledge of organs in general and this instrument in particular, yet basic facts like the overall dimensions, essential for anyone looking for an organ, have not been given.

So far, e-mails requesting the basics have not been answered. Offers appear to have been made by two different people but all are marked expired.

Strange.