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Messages - Northern Friend

#1
Visited Manchester and the cathedral last week and saw the new organ mid-construction. Beginning to look magnificent! A huge undertaking as confirmed by the guys there from Tickell's. Essentially a 5 manual on 4.
Hybrid mechanical and electric actions.
Evidence of superb casework and saw some of the east display pipes being gilded. Whilst a good deal of scaffolding blocks the full view - found some good photos on the Manchester Cathedral Face Book page and on the FB page of Shires Organ Pipes Ltd who seemed to have made the majority of the pipes.
Already looking forward to another visit a bit further down the line.
#2
That's interesting - re the chorus to mixture and big tuba on the screen. I think that the plan in the 70s must have been to reinstate this in some way. I vaguely recall that the plan was to have a screen Great and no doubt retain the existing screen Tuba.
Re the previous post - I was a chorister at the time the Tuba was on the screen. I recall a small soundboard with the hooded pipes of the Tuba on the floor of the screen however any of the pipes over 3 foot tall must have been horizontal - I can't remember any pipes as tall as a smallish choirboy!!
I take your point about shortage of materials - I guess certainly tin or tin alloy pipes would have been rare at that time.
Despite all this it is of credit that the current Harrison probably made to a budget has been effective and supported high quality music and musicians for around 60 years. 
#3
I feel the choir organs being meant to accompany the church choir went largely with the demise of church choirs. The soft flutes, gambas, gemshorns are not really accompanimental any more. A nice clarinet is often good.
If the wind pressures are increased on your proposed scheme - will the existing pipework take it or will they need to be re-voiced. If the current pressure is the original pressure I assume they were voiced to that on an organ builders voicing machine. It's whether the cut-up of the top lip on the flue pipes and the tongues of any reeds will take it, without over-blowing.
#4
Miscellaneous & Suggestions / Re: Information please!!!
January 15, 2015, 05:20:14 PM
I don't know the organ at all - only that during my earlier life as an organ builder - I visited a few places with a detached console attributed to Cowan although they were existing organs which had been electrified by him. The original organ may be older than that. Maybe it was played from the gallery or moved from somewhere else.
Sorry probably not a lot of help.   
#5
Hi David
Yes I remember the "Tuba Magna" as a boy chorister there in the 60s and 70s. There were originally two consoles - one in the quire and another in the nave. Harrisons did some work on the action electrics and cleaned it in the 70s. The Nave console was removed and the Quire console was placed on the screen. As the central screen was where the Tuba Magna was situated - it was removed for the console to go in its place. I wonder whether Harrisons still have this pipework after all this time.
Talking of Norman Cocker - it does take me back to the then organist Derrick Cantrell who occasionally played Cocker's Tuba Tune and used the very same tuba during the piece. 
#6
Yes this finally appears to be going ahead. A possible new organ built on the medieval screen was first proposed about 30 years ago. The current 4 manual Harrison was installed after the previous Wm. Hill organ on the screen was destroyed. The current organ enclosed in boxes down the north and south quire aisles is rather 'Harrison-esque' - a lot of organ fitted in a small space. Someone once referred to it as 'a buried giant'. I don't think it's been one of Harrison's better ones. Most of the metal pipes are heavy plain metal - the best and brighter of them and in terms of sound are the Solo strings and reeds.
This new proposal and stops spec. looks really good and exciting to me. The pipework being kept I consider is of the best that exists. the 16' Viole from the Solo with the 2 heavy pressure reeds, French Horn and Tuba - nice round orchestral stops. Both enclosed on big pressure - around 500mm or 20 inches. The Pedal 32s very Harrison big round scale - full length and in a side chapel where in the main body of the nave it's not too obvious where the sound is emerging from. The Ophicleides are big - again like seems to be on other Harrisons i.e. Durham Cath. with the pedal reeds are as big as the Tuba. These pedal reeds at Manchester are on around 460mm or 18 inches.
Anyway a new bright sounding organ with mechanical action as well as electric and electric detached console - Great Stuff!!