In the concert announcement, the organist describes the process of preparing for a concert on an instrument he is unfamiliar with... Some interesting insights...
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Renowned-organist-John-Rose-to-baptize-Doane-710019.php (http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Renowned-organist-John-Rose-to-baptize-Doane-710019.php)
Eric
KB7DQH
Dear Eric
BRILLIANT! So that's where the Rufatti ended up! THANKS so much for giving news of that one! It was a really special instrument. I had contemplated encouraging a school in south east England to purchase it for their concert hall, but could not mobilise support in time. Shipping would have cost a fortune.
From memory it had a tracker action and an electric stop action that wasn't working. Tonally it's interesting as it has open toe voicing - possibly a challenge to have put into a new acoustic but clearly they have succeeded.
It would be great if one or two of the pipe organ builders on this forum might be able to tell us a bit about the complications that open toe might raise. . . . ?
Purchase College had around 5 instruments, as far as I recall, with diminishing enthusiasm for them. It's good to know that the Rufatti has gone somewhere where it will be appreciated at last, but wouldn't it be amazing if a top player might be able to reinvigorate the enthusiasm that clearly there was once at Purchase?
Best wishes
David P
And another announcement 8)
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/10/21/news/doc4cbfcdfee79bc944643656.txt (http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/10/21/news/doc4cbfcdfee79bc944643656.txt)
Eric
KB7DQH
Concert postponed-- During practice problems were discovered with some of the ranks and the swell wasn't working correctly....http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Doane-Stuart-postpones-organ-recital-718738.php (http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Doane-Stuart-postpones-organ-recital-718738.php)
Repairs are underway but can't be completed in time so the event will be rescheduled, but no date has been set.
Interesting note in the article about "not being able to get parts at Radio Shack"... Actually the way that outfit has changed lately that is getting to be too often a true statement.
Eric
KB7DQH
http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/pipe-organ-recital-at-doane-stuart-rescheduled-for-april-2/15199/ (http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/pipe-organ-recital-at-doane-stuart-rescheduled-for-april-2/15199/)
QuotePipe-organ recital at Doane Stuart rescheduled for April 2
March 3, 2011 at 12:04 pm by Tom Keyser, features reporter
The inaugural recital on the Ruffatti pipe organ at The Doane Stuart School, postponed once, has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. April 2 in the interfaith chapel of the Rensselear school.
John Rose, renowned organist and director of chapel music at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., will perform. The concert is free, and the public is invited.
Built in 1978 at the famous Raffatti pipe-organ factory in Padua, Italy, the organ was donated to the school by a Duanesburg family with students there. The organ has about 3,600 pipes.
The recital was to have taken place in October, but when Rose arrived two days early to try it out, he discovered problems with some of the ranks (groups of similar pipes) and the swell, the section that controls volume. The concert was postponed, and the company from Long Island that had installed the organ was called back in to repair it. Michael Green, the school's director of admissions, said the workers discovered that the organ had been damaged during its move to the school.
He said that Rose recently visited the school and played it for the students, and that the organ checked out and is ready for its inaugural public performance.
Eric
KB7DQH