http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ainscough-Pipe-Organ-/252400300066
Quote
PIPE ORGAN
Made by Ainscough in preston prior to 1950.
a truly magnificent pipe organ
Measurements aprox 5 metrs long x aprox 6 meters wide
aprox 7 meters high seat & pedal board.
the organ dose work but would need a overhaul. Currently in a Church
in lytham . Please contact me i would perfer you looked and before purchasing.07768314151
cash if possible
(http://www.organmatters.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2081.0;attach=44;image)
(http://www.organmatters.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2081.0;attach=46;image)
Stop list?
Hi
I looked on NPOR - there are no less than 4 3 manual organs in Lytham built by Ainscough - most have had subsequent work (and there was also one in a Roman Catholic church that has been removed already). The picture indicates most likely a free church, but there are still more than one possibility.
A builder search for "Ainscough" limited to Lytham on NPOR will bring up the list.
Every Blessing
Tony
It's not either of the free churches listed in NPOR - their organs are listed as having thumb pistons and this one doesn't. Douglas Carrington (who used to edit "The Organ") would probably know. He lives in Lytham.
Hi
I didn't check the survey dates on NPOR - it's possible that the listed organs have had thumb pistons retro-fitted at a rebuild/overhaul. However, as David says, it could also be another building altogether. I think there's a Baptist church in Lytham - it wouldn't surprise me if it's there - but that is just a guess.
Every Blessing
Tony
It seems to me that, since the instrument illustrated doesn't have thumb pistons, it can't be either of the organs in NPOR because the pictures are presumably recent. Lytham is listed in Wiki as having a population of just under 50,000, so there would be a good many churches - the same article does indeed list various congregations in Lytham, St. Anne's, Fairhaven and Ansdell, including at least one that took over a former Baptist chapel, so my money is on it being one of those.
Excuse the straying from topic, but when looking in NPOR I tried "Anne's" and found this rather remarkable residence organ in Queen Anne's Mansions, St. James, London:
http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N17974
Four manuals, 61 speaking stops, no mixtures but Pedal chorus to 2' and oddities including a Musette 2' on the Solo. Built by Wedlake - it must have been his magnum opus. Charles Pierce, the organ writer, scholar and composer was quite keen on him and his organ at St. Clement's, Eastcheap was rebuilt by the firm.
That St James instrument is fascinating. Huge! In its 16 8 4 2 specification without mutations it's clearly equal temperament and with Keraulophon significantly typical of the time.
Best wishes
David P
What happened to it?
The Lytham organ is in the Methodist Church, Park Street, Lytham.
This link is at the bottom of the listing - presumably added after the above postings!
http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=S00009
Thanks - I discounted that one because NPOR lists thumb pistons and the organ in the pictures has none. Maybe they're older photographs, although they don't look to be so.....
Hi
NPOR survey date is 1975 - but it's always possible that the surveryore didn't mention thumb pistons. It's not unknown!
Every Blessing
Tony
That's my point really - it's listed as having thumb pistons in the survey (1975) but the pictures on ebay don't show any.
Quote from: David Drinkell on May 27, 2016, 09:47:10 PM
Excuse the straying from topic, but when looking in NPOR I tried "Anne's" and found this rather remarkable residence organ in Queen Anne's Mansions, St. James, London:
http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N17974
Four manuals, 61 speaking stops, no mixtures but Pedal chorus to 2' and oddities including a Musette 2' on the Solo. Built by Wedlake - it must have been his magnum opus. Charles Pierce, the organ writer, scholar and composer was quite keen on him and his organ at St. Clement's, Eastcheap was rebuilt by the firm.
Thank you for including this one, David - it's most interesting. In fact, I don't think that I have ever seen anything on paper remotely like this. It would have been informative to hear how it sounded in this building. For this date, aside from the lack of compound stops and mutations, it is a very comprehensive tonal scheme, although I note that there is no undulating rank, either.
Presumably the couplers and accessories date from a later rebuilding (i.e.: later than 1875). This would be not only extremely unusual for this date, but also somewhat costly, at that time.
Quote from: David Drinkell on June 02, 2016, 06:57:20 AM
That's my point really - it's listed as having thumb pistons in the survey (1975) but the pictures on ebay don't show any.
It occurs to me that there is a further possibility: dare I suggest that the good people at the NPOR may have mixed the main stop-list and the couplers and accessories. Is it conceivable that the latter belong to a different instrument?
Again referring to the off-topic St. Anne's Mansions organ, some of the accessories (e.g. stop-keys?) would suggest alterations much later than either of the dates given. Also, I suspect (after perusing the stop-list once more) that the given pitches may in some cases be incorrect. The Pedal Octave might be at 8' and the Super Octave at 4', thus making a chorus based on the Grand Unison 16 (and possibly extensions of it). The Solo Octave Clarionet should surely be at 4' pitch and the Musette might also be 4' as an octave to the Orchestral Oboe. Apparently, both the Swell and Choir had 4' flutes but no 8' flute. The Great Doublette, given as 2' as it would be on a French organ, could conceivably be of two ranks 15.22 as in early Hill practice, or even 19.22.
From Graham Jones' newsletter:
Redundant Pipe Organ M0286
Henry Ainscough 1904
United Reformed Church
Bannister Street, Lytham Lancs FY8 5HP
NPOR Survey D03434
3mp / 58
21 speaking stops
Tracker manual action
TP pedal action
Mechanical Drawstops
Dimensions (approx.)
Width c.15ft
Depth c. 15ft (incl. bench and pedalboard)
Height c. 18ft
The organ is sited in an apsidal chamber at gallery level at the east end of the church.
Henry Ainscough built the instrument in 1904 and it appears to be unaltered.
It has slider chests, tracker to the manuals and TP to the pedals (disconnected).
The Choir is unenclosed, its stops mounted on the Great chest.
It has a single, large reservoir.
The original feeder bellows drive wheels - originally motor driven - remain in place.
In spite of its tracker key action the organ has a very light touch.
Although now needing attention, including the disconnected pedal department, the instrument gives a very fine account of itself. Its Great chorus is bright and clear, the Swell reeds rich and full with the Mixture acting as an excellent bridge.
It has a most useful range of quiet stops, especially the Orchestral Gamba; they are clear, restrained and elegant. The Great Flute has unforced sonority, the Choir Flute is light. Nothing is overbearing; a satisfying blend.
This is altogether a splendid instrument.
Department and Stop list
Pedal
Key action Tr Stop action Me Compass-low C Compass-high 30 Keys 58
Console
Console type En fenêtre Stop type Drawstop Label type Ivory inserts Label font Sans serif caps Pedalboard Straight flat
Couplers
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell to Choir
Choir to Great
Choir to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Details
Blowing Electric Bellows Original feeder mechanism in place
Accessories
3 composition pedals to Swell
2 composition pedals to Great
Central balanced Swell pedal
The organ is playable.
The church has closed and the organ is redundant. It is offered in whole; the seller would very much like it to continue as a musical instrument.
Please note that the organ is listed on Ebay (Item 252400300066) closing on 22nd June 22-06. The listed starting price is £2,995 (Buy it now or Best Offer).
Contact:
Matthew Chadwick
Tel. 07798 616 954
Email: mchadwick@hotmail.com