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Messages - revtonynewnham

#1021
Hi

In the main, it seems that women organists tend to keep a low profile - and that seems to have been the case  throughout recent history at least.  (Obviously, there are notable exceptions).  Maybe the ladies just get on with playing rather than thinking about the more technical aspects of our favourite instrument.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1022
Harpsichords / Re: I want one
April 25, 2010, 04:56:57 PM
Hi

I find the same problem with digital pianos - and many electronic organs, especially when using larger combinations.  There's a long way to go before electronics really comes close to acoiustic instruments.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1023
Harpsichords / Re: I want one
April 24, 2010, 07:55:20 PM
Hi

Try finding replacement reeds for certain reed organs!  Anything that is available will come from a dismantled organ - or at best be "new old stock".

Every Blessing

Tony
#1024
Hi

Cone tuning was the only method of adjusting pitch on most metal flue pipes prior to the intrpoduction of tuning slides.  In principle, the pipe is cut to near exact lenght, and the top adjusted with a metal cone - these have a pointed end to open out the top of the pipe and a hollow end to close the top in.  Cone tuning developed a bad name in the earlier part of this century because heavy-handed use of the cones can (and does) damage the pipe foot.  I'm told by an organ builder friend that if a cone tuned pipe goes off pitch, it's normally due to dust in the windway - and the appliation of a small brush is often all that is needed.

I doubt that aluminium tube is available in the range of sizes needed to produce a properly scaled rank of organ pipes.  Maybe an aproach to a pipe maker would be an idea if this potential project is to become a reality.  The issues of voicing and tuning are vital to the success of any pipe organ!

I know who built Rick Wakeman's travelling organ - but I gather that they don't mention the instrument these days.  The only details I have is a couple of pictures of the exterior and console, and the stop list.

Maybe the Moeller company's archives will have detail of the Foorte touring organ - that is a fair sized beast (and still exists, although it hasn't been in "touring" guise for 70 years or so,

Every Blessing

Tony
#1025
Hi

I would consider Compton style polyphones for the flue basses - much smaller than genuine pipes - or possibly digital equivalents (although then there's the problem of reproducing such low frequencies at adequate power.

The two problems that I see are:-
1) weight - normal flue pipes are a tin/lead mix - and we all know how heavy lead is!  Pipes have been made of other materials - but voicing can then be an issue.  Terry Shires (organ pipemaker of Leeds, UK) has experimentally made an aluminium pipe (as a precaution should the EU ban on lead was applied to new pipe organs).  I've seen one, but he says that costs are higher (you can't solder aluminium in the same way as pipe metal) - and his estimated costs were higher than for conventional pipework.

2) keeping pipes located properly.  I don't know about making pipes as blocks - the length variation and need for tuning adjustment might be poblematic (although Cone tunes organ pipes will stand in tune for years on end, so maybe that's the way to go).  Otherwise, the organ will need tuning before every concert - no small job!  Maybe some investigation into the construction of "box organs" would help with this design aspect.


No doubt other ideas will surface - it's certainly an interesting topic.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1026
Hi

NPOR (www.npor.org.uk) is the place to start looking for UK organs.  I'm one of the volunteer editors.  We currently list somewhere around 80,000 pipe organs that are or have been installed in UK buildings.

Every Blessing

Tony

P.S.  A link to NPOR from this site would be appreciated.
#1027
Hi

Try and get hold of the 3 volumes of "the Classical Organ in Britain"  (Positif Press) - they are full of stop lists of small tracker organs.

The stop list really depends on what you want to play.  The minimum is 1 stop -  Open Diapason 8ft (or a Stopped Diapason of Stopped Flute)!

Every Blessing

Tony
#1028
Miscellaneous & Suggestions / Re: Stumbled onto...
April 18, 2010, 09:05:50 AM
Hi

There have been transportable pipe organs of various sizes - Reginald Foort's Moller (later BBC Theatre organ no.2 and now in the USA via Hilversum) springs to mind, as does Conel Bathurst's efforts of a few decades earlier.  In both cases, I suspect transport logistics put paid to  the viability of the project.

Rick Wakeman had a small (2 rank 2 manual extension) organ built by a major UK firm and toured for a while as part of his keyboard rig.  these days he uses samples for ease of transport and tuning.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1029
Organs wanted / Re: Small 1m + P or 2m + P wanted
April 17, 2010, 11:18:37 AM
Hi

Take a look at the IBO web site - there's a list of redundant organs there.  Also, organ builders often have, or know the whereabouts, of redundant organs.

every Blessing

Tony
#1030
Hi

I'd second that - I am a member of EOCS, and recently I've used the free version of Hauptwerk (the full versions is too expensive!)  I also use Miditzer.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1031
Hi

I have played this organ many times back in the 1970's & 80's and can vouch for its tonal quality.  It's not as limiting as it might look from the stop list - it copes adequately with congregational accompaniment in the church - and I've also played it for a male voice choir of about 30.

It was originally a house organ - so just the job for a compact home practice instrument.  If only I had space!!!!

Every Blessing

Tony
#1032
Hi

Keyboard player Rick Wakeman is another example of the use of organ in more contemporary "popular" music.  Right from his first solo album (The 6 Wives of Henry VIII) which features a track mainly on pipe organ through to more recent work (solo piano albums excepted - obviously).  About 3 or 4 years ago he recorded a CD of improvisations on the organ of Lincoln Cathedral - an interesting listen.  He also had a small transportable pipe organ built to use on tour.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1033
Hi

Wurlitzer did indeed make a few roll-playing instruments.  David Junchen's book "Wurlitzer" is a pretty comprehensive acocunt of the company's organ-related activities.  The book is published by ATOS, and is well worth tracking down if you have any interest in the Wurlitzer comapny and their organs.  There's even chapters about the "band organs", and, at the other end of the time line, the (in)famous Wurlitzer reed/electronic hybrids.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1034
Reed organs and harmoniums / A Unique Museum
April 07, 2010, 09:40:38 AM
Hi

Since I asked the moderator for this section, here's a post to get it off the ground!

The reed organ in its various guises is often the Cinderella of the organ world - but in fact it's a fascinating and very expressive instrument with a repertoire of its own - particularly the French-style Harmonium, with pieces by Cesar Frank, Guilmant, Karg-Elart, etc.

The "Victorian Reed Organ Museum" in Saltaire, near Bradford is the UK's only specialized museum of these organs, and is well worth a visit.  The museum is run privately by my good friends Phil & Pam Fluke and represents a lifetime of collecting and cataloging ( Apart from several reed organs of various types, they also have a large collection of music for reed organ).

Since Phil has another job, and is also busy with hirings of one of his Mustels (to the BBC or major orchestras quite often) it's best to ring first - 07976 535980 will get Phil.

If you do visit, let me know and if I can I'll meet you there - it's only a couple of miles down the road.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1035
Hi

I've just joined.  I'm 58, a Baptist minister in Bradford (and an organist).  I'm currently President of the Bradford Organists' Association, and one of the editors on the National pipe Organ Register.  Formerly an A/V technician and radio producer.

I'm interested in anything that has a keyboard!  I enjoy most organ music, but have a fondness for the early English repertoire (Stanley, etc) - and conveniently, my current church has a c.1820 chamber organ with the GG compass called for in a lot of this music.  I also play Harmonium seriously, and have a c.1870 Alexandre at home as a practice instrument, along with a Hauptwerk/Free/My organ/Miditzer rig which will appear in the Electronic Organ Constructors' Society magazine as soon as I get round to writing it up.  Other instruments are a 1970's "Combo" organ and a few electronic keyboards of various types.  My home pipe organ project is currently on hold - the windchest proved to have serious problems, which I have neither time nor workshop space to sort out.

I'm currently working on restoring and re-mastering the Electronic Organ Constructor's Society tape library.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1036
Quote from: NonPlayingAnorak on March 26, 2010, 11:03:27 PM
Mine has to be a big Walker I know - it's in a church in Wimbledon.


Hi

That's a difficult one - I've come across so many poorly maintained organs.  One example would be the Morgan & Smith formerly in Rye Baptist Church - somewhat "Got at" in the 1960's with additional baroque stops that didn't really match anything else, and the most stupid swell combination settings imaginable.

More recently, I'd plump for a Brindley & Foster in an Anglican church here in Bradford, which I had the misfortune to play for a wedding a couple of years ago (weddings & funerals being about all it was used for).  When playing, water could be heard bubbling in the pneumatic action, the swell had many missing notes from it's own manual (but strangely, played OK via the Swell to Choir coupler) - and half way through the first hymn, the bottom couple of octaves of both Gt 8ft diapasons stopped working, leaving a lone 8ft Flute as the sole 8ft.

Every Blessing

Tony
#1037
Quote from: organforumadmin on March 30, 2010, 10:31:08 PM
Hi!


I'm under attack!  :-[  I should have expected it of course . . .  ;)  Being really flamed . . .


One question. Why are the cinema organs grouped with fair organs? They are serious instruments in there own right, and tbh, they should be in there own catagory.


Well actually sometimes tonally there are similarities, strong trems too, and the most complicated 110 key Gaviolis are complex in their own right
Forum Admin

Hi

Also, let's not forget that Wurlitzer also made mechanical organs (Band Organs in U.S. terminology) before they got into the theatre organ world.  (They also built a fair number of church organs as well).

I'd like to see a section dedicated to the Reed Organ.  Any chance David?

Every Blessing

Tony
#1038
Harpsichords / Re: I want one
April 05, 2010, 10:18:10 AM
Quote from: Crosivda101 on March 27, 2010, 09:30:49 PM
I've recently taken a deep interest in period performance. I even procured a copy of CPE Bach's "Essay on the true art of playing keyboard instruments". At the moment I'm trying to get my hands on a one manual Harpsichord in a local church, as in borrowing it since it's being stored there by the original owner who lacks space for it. But there's no solid guarantee that I'll get it and for how long. What I need is a good Rucker's styled harpsichord, two manuals with some nice stops preferably. But the only setback is I have very little money to spend on such luxuries. If anyone ever hears something about someone wanting to 'do away' with any harpsichord, please do drop a note by here.

Cheers.

Hi

If you find 2 - let me know!

Realistically, I don't have space or cash.  It might be worth keeping an eye on the stock at the early Music Shop here in Bradford (the organizers of the Greenwich Festival mentioned in another post).  They often have s/h examples for sale.  Not cheap though.  They run a mailing list - a couple of times a year - which lists many s/h instruments for early music (I'm also interested in recorders).

They also have a shop in London - but I've never been there since I live a couple of miles from their main operation in Saltaire (nr. Bradford).

Every Blessing

Tony