Organ matters - Organs matter!

Miscellaneous & Suggestions => Miscellaneous & Suggestions => Topic started by: Barrie Davis on October 18, 2010, 01:08:59 AM

Title: A green idea
Post by: Barrie Davis on October 18, 2010, 01:08:59 AM
Many years ago I was travelling from Ludlow to Richards Castle and visited the church. The organ was then situated at the West End, the organist was there and demonstrated the instrument for me. I then noticed a large handle in the floor close to the console. The organist explained that the organ could be water blown and the mechanism still worked, he demonstrated this. It was a lot quieter and cheaper than the electric blower, but the down side was in the summer months the water supply dwindled and there was not enough to turn the wheel generating the wind. This is a good idea, but not very practical.
Barrie
Title: Re: A green idea
Post by: KB7DQH on October 18, 2010, 04:18:14 AM
Not sure about the impracticality of water power, I guess it depends on the water source reliability...
I have heard of windmill-powered bellows, believe it or not ;)

Several years ago a friend of mine (now deceased) and I were discussing pipe organs, he mentioned the one at the church he attended in his youth in downtown Seattle had water-powered bellows--
"There's a reason Spring Street is called Spring Street--"  Enough water flowing through pipework from the spring past the church to keep the instrument well-fed with air...

Eric
KB7DQH
Title: Re: A green idea
Post by: revtonynewnham on October 18, 2010, 03:03:59 PM
Hi

Water-blown organs were pretty common in the later Victorian period and into the 20th century.  A number of churches around here had them - including the previous building here.  The problems are two fold, firstly the unreliability of the supply pressure, especially as populations have grown; and secondly, it's hardly "green" to use (relatively) expensive drinking-quality water as a power source!

One organ at least (Bolton Abbey) draw the water supply from the nearby river Warfe - that seems a "greener" possibility where there's a reliable river or stream close by.  Very few water blowers are still in use - electricity is now widely available  :D.

Laurence Elvin's book on the history of organ blowing makes interesting reading (sadly, I don't have a copy - I read it many years ago, borrowed from a library).

Every Blessing

Tony
Title: Re: A green idea
Post by: Barrie Davis on October 19, 2010, 03:37:06 PM
Hi
I regret  that many of Elvins books are now only available at very high prices, I have always wanted a copy of the Harrison Story and the history of organ blowing, but finances wont run to obtaining copies.

Barrie
Title: Re: A green idea
Post by: revtonynewnham on October 19, 2010, 11:33:56 PM
Hi

Keep a look out in charity shops and secondhand bookshops - and hope that they don't charge exhorbitant prices!  I don't have either of those titles, but I do have the 2nd of his books on Forster & Andrews (bought cheaply in a secondhand bookshop IIRC) and the 3 more recent tiles - one a gift from the widow of a friend, and the other 2 bought from Elvin's widow when she was obviously clearing stocks, and the prices were reasonable - in fact, I saw one in a s/h bookshop at around that time priced at double what I had paid!

Every Blessing

Tony