Organ matters - Organs matter!

QuoteI played a large 3 manual Harrison in Leigh where the 21st had been filled with cotton wool and longed to hear the original chorus.

At least it was only filled with cotton wool rather than removed or re-cut. Thought the following extracts would be interesting from a 1920s-30s text book. ForumAdmin

Hi!


http://www.rwgiangiulio.com/math/ gives a brilliantly cogent simple description of the mathematical criteria for pipe organ building.


http://www.rwgiangiulio.com . . .
Whether a link should go to this site as an inspirational instrument, a home organ, or an organ builder might be a moot point. Can anyone decide?


Best wishes


ForumAdmin

Quote from: KB7DQH on September 30, 2010, 04:57:01 PMThis one also mentions the "Lehmann" temperament employed by a few Taylor and Boody instruments... but only briefly. 

Hi!


I would urge great scepticism on Lehmann's temperament, probably noted elsewhere but mentioning again here for completeness: the premise is based on an upside down interpretation of Bach's squiggle and which is based on no historical or musical precedent. In contrast, Charles Francis reworked the theory based on the squiggle as written, with a result in accordance with Kellner and the historical precedents of Werkmeister and Kirnberger.


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Hi!


Brilliant! Great! Thanks for posting this . . . but it is really brilliant when people can put some sort of summary into a post such as this with a news link with a bit of a summary. This post is about the restoration of the Boardwalk Hall Kimball pipe organ and the first paragraph is the very reason why this article is worth reading:
[size=0px]Pipe organs tend to have a boring reputation. A massive, loud instrument with wind and pipes. A churchgoer pressing the keys with thin, wrinkled fingers. For many people, yawn.[/size]Carl Loeser, curator of the pipe organs in Boardwalk Hall, recognizes that perception.
[size=0px]"The traditional organ community tends to be interested in a somewhat narrow period of time and style," he said. "We're hoping to attract a wider audience."[/size]

Quote

So in due course please can someone post news about this organ or Carl Loeser's projects under the inspirational organs category?

Best wishes

ForumAdmin

Hi!


Thanks for taking this thread further.


http://www.radfordpiano.com/repertoire.html is an examination of piano tuning suitable for different eras. For the past decade I have had a soft spot for Kellner for 19th century composers.


http://tunersart.com/jorgensenontemperament.pdf is an excellent resume and certainly Owen Jorgensen was a leader in the examination of temperaments


http://www.forum-pianoteq.com/viewtopic.php?id=396 is an argument for reverting concert pitch from 440 to 432 (mathematical pitch)


http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory27.htm examines sources of different pitch at different times and an examination of temperaments - a mine of information and one wonders if any more can be said on the subjects than appears here?


http://www.millersrus.com/dissertation/ The effects of unequal temperaments on Chopin Mazurkas. This is contemporary with my own assertion to Rose Cholmondeley that the 2nd Sonata demonstrated intent of use of temperament.


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Hi!


Thanks for posting this. I wonder if these articles show up a different perspective on the two sides of the pond in possibly focussing on liturgical aspects? For UK churches I have half a feeling that there's a shortage of players who know or can play the exciting repertoire - and there are sphisticated players who will insist on playing Messiaen and more esoteric areas of Vierne than the more rumbustuous Norman Cocker Tuba Tune sort of thing that tells people that the Organ really is King of Instruments. So the organ becomes that boring thing in the corner. And not worth its maintenance costs. Nor the space it occupies.


And then there's the parish that thinks it should have an organ even if it's played boringly, so it economises with a fancy three manual exciting electronic replacement of a gem of a simple pipe instrument for an organist who doesn't know what to do with the two other manuals, such as the Methodist Church on the Island of Alderney where the rather better than expected 3 manual analogue instrument has the keys on the Swell manual seized solid for lack of use . . . (Having offered to service and repair it without response I feel that any perceived rudeness is both justified and almost intended!) So a piano gets moved in next to it whilst a cipher on the pedals renders the instrument (which for a toaster is fundamentally good) unplayable. (As an aside, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBkjf2u0AK8 demonstrates just how good a toaster can be . . . but this, of course is merely in the home environment).


And then there's the parish that's simply seduced by the switches, knobs and buttons of the toaster touts at a perceived lower cost than a 30 or 50 or 100 year rebuild of their pipe organ. What they don't realise is that now technology in trackers and simple electric actions will be much more intuitably maintainable in 100 years time than anything based on current electronic circuit boards. And sadly that includes pipe organs such as the network connected consoles and instruments at St Pauls Cathedral London and other disparately arranged Cathedral organs. I have a fundamental disagreement in using complex electronic technology in pipe instruments as it reduces such pipe instruments to the reliability and longevity of electronics . . . with the only advantage that the pipes, soundboards and windchests enure.


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Hi!


Many of the 20th century revival instruments - de Blaise, Sperrhake immediately coming to mind were built with leather plectra. Not to be confused with the duller peau de beouf, these sharply cut stiff leather plectra were long lasting but eventually after decades become brittle and need replacing.


The normal approach is to drill a slot at the top of the leather and insert delrin plectra, most people not having experience of leather. But to my delight the other day I discovered Durand in Surrey - http://www.musicroomworkshop.co.uk who trained with Dolmetsch and therefore are experienced in replacing leather plectra . . .


So harpsichords with leather quilling can now sing again!


Best wishes


Forum Admin

Ebay item http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320580018260 - not sold for the second time - phone 07872470989 for details - http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N11817 Robert Spurden Rutt 1896

Ebay item http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360292706324 - not sold and going for £300 to a scrap merchant if not bought - Devon

Ebay item http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180553865520 Liverpool Rushworth & Draper 2 manual pedal pipe organ,  cased in light oak and built in 1949.

Quote New items – keyboards, console & organ seat, with existing and second hand materials – tin, lead and wood pipes, pedals and electro pneumatic magnets were used.

Organ Specification                                                                                                           

Swell Organincludes  Oboe,  Cornopean, Fifteenth, Gemshorn , Salicional, Open Diapason , Octave & Suboctave

Great Organ  includes  Trumpet, Mixture, Principal, Flute, Dulciana,  Open Diapason

Pedal Organ includes Bass Flute, Bourdon, Open DiapasonSwell to GreatSwell to Pedal

Pneumatic apparatus includes rubber & metal tubing, various skins, felts & valves.

Hi!

Villefranche and L'Escarene are worth visits if you are staying near Nice in the South of France

If you go to the Tourist Office at L'Escarene you'll be able to buy a CD of Cludine Grisi playing a very enjoyable programme at Villefranche Sur Mer from My Lady Careys Dompe to Messiaen and at L''Escarene there are concerts  - this weekend by Olivier Verner http://www.escarene.fr/index.php?id=947 . These instruments were built by Grinda in 1790 and 1791, an interesting builder who worked for the King of Sardinia, and show what is possible from a small specification on a single manual and pedalboard with a divided manual and a comparitively modest specification - in an unequal temperament which is mild enough to be used in all keys but to give a distinct key flavour as intended.

Certainly worthy of investigation as inspiration for new pipe organs.

The voicing of the reeds is such that even with only the Trumpet, Clairon and Cornet, a good Grand Jeu is produced but, of course, these are Huit Pieds instruments without the gravitas of the Seize Pieds of St Maximin.

Best wishes,

Forum Admin

This topic has been moved to EOCS - Electronic Organ Constructors Society.

http://www.organmatters.co.uk/index.php?topic=165.0

Quote from: KB7DQH on July 17, 2010, 12:18:57 PMan "atheist minister"... who even performs "un-baptisms" (with a hair dryer :o )

Hi!

Brilliant!

But doesn't this sound like an unreligious fundamentalist rather than a religious unfundamentalist or is he simply religiously atheist and equally fundamentalist?

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Quote from: revtonynewnham on July 01, 2010, 08:32:00 AM
The Theatre Organ World list (dating from the 1970's) shows the Lyric Wellingborough Compton as having 5 ranks plus Melotone, and an illuminated console.

Hi!

Clearly a "hybrid" organ built before the IOB got paranoid . . . and with only 5 ranks no doubt there are synthetic ranks using harmonic addivity to create sounds from pipes like those obtained from adding pitches together on a Hammond . . .

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Quote from: dragonser on June 25, 2010, 07:47:19 PM

Quote from: David Pinnegar on June 23, 2010, 05:09:03 PM
Hi!
If anyone is interested in theatre organs, Percy Vickery's analogue instrument will also be available.

Best wishes

David P

Hi,
I hope to be able to get along and there should be something for everyone  !
I think it was mentioned that Percy Vickery's Instrument has double touch on one of the manuals and some of the thumb pistons ? or am I mixing up things.

regards Peter B

Hi!

Yes - the Vickery organ does have double touch - it's an interesting and useful feature and technique to learn.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Quote from: KB7DQH on June 24, 2010, 08:33:54 PM
What is significant to this discussion is he is seeking $2 million buckaroos to build a matching pair of "touring virtual organs"...

Hi!

How very disappointing. No electronic organ is worth, nor costs, $1M. There's a lot of profiteering, hype and credulous people around. Digital stops are cheap, they should not be as expensive as making a rank of 61 pipes, and if they are, there are people "on the make". Mentioning this can ruffle a lot of feathers as people don't want to see the Emperor's New Clothes.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Hi!

This is a highly controversial subject and anyone who mentions it on a Pipe Organ forum elsewhere risks getting ejected from the forum. Not here - an Italian firm made units which are specifically intended for the augmentation of pipe organd and the Americans seem to do it  . . . and one gets the impression that enthusiasm for the organ is greater in the US possibly as a result of being able to experiment and discuss freely, the good and the bad alike.

What do you mean by "failed"? Didn't work - didn't make a sound? Or do you mean that it was poor quality and so did not work with the rest of the pipe instrument?

I understand that there is a hybrid organ at Groombridge on the Sussex Kent border and that it works rather well . . .

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Quote from: NonPlayingAnorak on May 16, 2010, 05:01:01 PM
What particular VW estate? And why on earth would you need a Unimog?

Hi!

An ancient VW ex my father-in law - but it's not large enough to transport organs. Unimog - one with crane and a digger, one with a cherry picker and the other with a tipping back . . . and a 12ft mower on the three point linkage.

What is more interesting is the number of organists who drive high speed trains or fly aircraft.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Hi!

Sorry to disprove the theory - Unimog and VolksWagen estate car for transporting harpsichords for me

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Hi!

Today we are hosting a Byron Katie workshop. I had never heard of her but she promotes interesting processes of good thought to release suffering. In her writings http://www.thework.com/downloads/little_book/Little_Book_English_032310.pdf
she exposes an interesting definition of the all powerful, omnipresent and invisible:

Reality is God, because it rules.

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Quote from: NonPlayingAnorak on May 05, 2010, 12:50:55 AM
Dominic Gwynn is as good as the fifth Gospel-maker. If it's his, it's Gospel truth. He's forgotten more about the conservation of ancient organs than most of us will ever know.

Hi!

This post leaves me a little confused, such as when a friend of my wife's who is always doing this sort of thing referred to "I remember in the far distant future . . . "

Um.

!!!

Best wishes

Forum Admin

Hi!

I have just seen that YouTube is making stats publicly available and they are fascinating.

On my YouTube videos it looks as though my programme to try to excite the upcoming generation about an important area of culture which will otherwise be lost is succeeding . . .

If you click on the box at the bottom right of videos with the number of views a whole new pane appears with lots of stats . . . including the age range of the audience.

On http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=E8m2ok1Hlh0 and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_eJ60PmtM it appears that we are reaching 13 to 17 year olds - which is a really good start, but only males.

Can anyone think how to get the organ to appeal to females other than wrapping them in pink and telling them that the organ will turn them into princesses? Is this sex bias inherent in interest in the organ or is it on account of Disneyfication of the female species?

It would be very interesting if in perusing YouTube others might see if there are any trends with regard to organs and programme preferences of different age groups.

Best wishes

David P