Organ matters - Organs matter!

Hi

If you're in the Rugby area on Saturday (6th August 2022) you may like to make your way to St Peter John (sic) church in Clifton Road, where I and a couple of other local organists are giving a short recital.  The recital starts at 1 o-clock and refreshments are available from 12:00.

The recital is free (retiring collection).  I'm playing 2 pieces, a rare hymn setting by George Shearing, and Geoffrey Burgon's "Brideshead Suite" in an organ transcription.  I'm not totally sure what my colleagues aree playing, but I hear rumours of Buxtehude, Lloyd-Weber and possibly Durufle.  One of our junior members, who recently attended our "Organ for Pianists" event is also playing - so come and support the younger generation.  See you there.

Every Blessing

Tony

Another recording of this instrument, Robin Wells playing the Guilmant Organ Symphony, is on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaKX1Tpr9-o

Best wishes

David P

https://youtu.be/PyTWvXKUrII
https://youtu.be/Kbvdd1t0d2k
https://youtu.be/56iadfadpEY
https://youtu.be/AWkUhnqxaDE
demonstrate well what this instrument is all about.

As for the instrument being too loud . . . it can't compete with 700 young people and full orchestra. These sounds must be of the most magnificent of any.

It is of an enormous loss to the organ and musical world, and a loss to our British musical heritage.

It exemplifies why there should be a conservation Code of Conduct for organ builders to ensure that organs are not wilfully destroyed and people be encouraged to keep such instruments in place. The organ conservation world lags behind almost every other area of conservation and ICOMOS specifically values nowadays what is known as "intangible" heritage - which includes the sound of a place. This organ is intrinsic to the sound of its place.

Best wishes

David P

I have had a significant amount of interest in my Electronic Stop Labelling (ESL) Project, some from this forum, as well as from elsewhere, and so I trust that the moderators will not object to me offering this item of news via this group, as it answers questions which have been raised to me by a number of group members.

Many people have contacted me about the Electronic Stop Labelling Project (ESL) and the associated kit of principal parts. It is one of those features that so many players of Hauptwerk consoles who happen to have a significant number of installed organs would love to have on their own consoles.

A goodly number of people have bought the Core Kit Construction Manual, and some have been brave enough to seek some of the core kit parts. But I am the first to accept that it is a daunting prospect for anyone except those accustomed to building this kind of electronic project. On top of that, the LCD Labelling dialogue (although we use OLEDs rather than LCDs) in Hauptwerk is also quite daunting, and rather fussy, especially for a 100+ stop instrument. Fortunately the ESL project includes quite a lot of advice on that part of the system so that it may be used a little more ergonomically.

So I set about building a pair of stop plates, exactly as per the Core Kit Construction Manual – that is, in addition to those that are already in my own console, and which have been in use for almost two years now.
Having completed that build, I am announcing the availability of the pair of ready built stop plates, one for your Right Jamb and one for your Left – complete and tested, ready to install into stop jamb housings, and connect to your MIDI Encoders and Decoders.

Send in your expression of interest by email to ESL@KASpencer.com – email messages only please -  and I will send you a detailed 14 page description of the ready-built system. There is only one pair built currently and available, so of those declaring interest, I'm afraid that in the end only one can be lucky on this occasion!

Here is a picture of those self-same stop plates that I am referring to. They are ready and waiting for your interest.

With best wishes
Kenneth Spencer

I have had a significant amount of interest in my Electronic Stop Labelling (ESL) Project, some from this forum, as well as from elsewhere, and so I trust that the moderators will not object to me offering this item of news via this group, as it answers questions which have been raised to me by a number of group members.

Many people have contacted me about the Electronic Stop Labelling Project (ESL) and the associated kit of principal parts. It is one of those features that so many players of Hauptwerk consoles who happen to have a significant number of installed organs would love to have on their own consoles.

A goodly number of people have bought the Core Kit Construction Manual, and some have been brave enough to seek some of the core kit parts. But I am the first to accept that it is a daunting prospect for anyone except those accustomed to building this kind of electronic project. On top of that, the LCD Labelling dialogue (although we use OLEDs rather than LCDs) in Hauptwerk is also quite daunting, and rather fussy, especially for a 100+ stop instrument. Fortunately the ESL project includes quite a lot of advice on that part of the system so that it may be used a little more ergonomically.

So I set about building a pair of stop plates, exactly as per the Core Kit Construction Manual – that is, in addition to those that are already in my own console, and which have been in use for almost two years now.
Having completed that build, I am announcing the availability of the pair of ready built stop plates, one for your Right Jamb and one for your Left – complete and tested, ready to install into stop jamb housings, and connect to your MIDI Encoders and Decoders.

Send in your expression of interest by email to ESL@KASpencer.com – email messages only please -  and I will send you a detailed 14 page description of the ready-built system. There is only one pair built currently and available, so of those declaring interest, I'm afraid that in the end only one can be lucky on this occasion!

Here is a picture of those self-same stop plates that I am referring to. They are ready and waiting for your interest.

With best wishes
Kenneth Spencer

Here's how the Harrison and Harrison sounds and how versatile it can be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPW2WKq0IGU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIl-LRafVO4

Best wishes

David Pinnegar

It is with great regret to read on Facebook that the firm of Nicholson & Co. Ltd have been awarded the contract to undertake this work.

The chapel, as the largest War Memorial in the country, has an intrinsic heritage value beyond organs and the sound of this organ was an inherent part of that heritage. It is the sound to which a generation went off to another war, with perhaps the infamous Tuba compared to a set of fog-horns, inspiring confidence and determination in its generation.

We are the poorer without such.

One hopes that
a. the instrument as is might be sampled for the Virtual Organ community
b. rather than "three best ranks preserved" the whole instrument might be made available for sale and preservation, probably in a country where the past is better respected.

Those who disrespect the past are robbed of the wisdom with which the mistakes of the past might continue to accurse the future.

Best wishes

David P

Hi

I was sorry to hear that Francis Jackson died on 10th January at the grand old age of 104.  He was a big influence in English Church music.

I only heard him live once, when he gave a recital in All Saints, Ilkley a few years ago.  One of the best recitals I've attended - even if he did forget he had a big reed drawn at one point!

May he rest in peace.

Tony

Thanks Peter

Wishing you a happy new year.
Tony