Organ matters - Organs matter!

Hi

I've got to agree with that last post.  Time after time I've seen Methodist churches rip out organs (and do all sorts of ill advised re-modelling) purely on the decision of a few committee members, who usually have no knowledge of organs at all.  If we had a system which made an ultimate decision based on the opinion of someone who knew what they were talking about we might not see such whole scale destruction.

Regards Matt

Hi.

I think we've all had experiences like this at one time or another.  Mine was whilst playing a 3 manual for a service, and during the quiet prayers at the end of the service I took the opportunity to sort out the registration for the last hymn (Full organ), and arrange the music for both hymn and voluntary.  The hymnbook fell off the music stand and onto swell, great and finally choir.  I was never asked to play there again, but at least I got a damn good anecdote.....

Regards,
Matt.

James.

Good to hear the organ is still in a reasonable state.  Hopefully the developers will see that you are doing them a favour in removing the organ for them!

Regards,
Matt.

James.

Depends on the scaling.  I am trying to get a pipe organ installed at my church, but to be honest this one looks far too large scaled for our needs.

There are one or two ranks which look interesting, but I think at this stage it would be better to keep the instrument intact when there are other less historic organs being scrapped all the time.

Good luck!
Matt.

Hi JKenny

Just out of sheer curiosity, have you any plans for this organ?

Regards,
Matt.

Hi.

I played this little organ many years ago whilst visiting a friend of my dad's who was the minister at the chapel in question. Whilst not spectacular on paper, it speaks into a small chapel and has that charm which only a tiny organ can really achieve (although I agree with David D that a 4' on the swell would improve the tone).

Sadly this is just the sort of mentality I have come to expect from the Methodist church, so many organs replaced with electronics when the original pipe organ would be by far the better option.

Regards,
Matt.

Eric

Thanks for that, some of those stories are truly inspiring! 

Is it just me or are pipe organs held in much higher regard on your side of the pond?

Anyway that's just the kind of thing I was looking for, proof that if you look in the right places you can see the tide turning away from the digital and back towards pipes!

Regards,
Matt.

Hi

As well as being a unique solution this also acts as an argument to any church that would consider a toaster on the grounds of convenience. How easy it would have been to simply stick a few speakers up there!! Proof of what can be achieved with a little imagination.
I know what I make of it: Pure genius!!

Regards,
Matt.

Tony

Sheffield are indeed using a digital at present,"in anticipation of the commissioning of a new pipe organ" (from their website).
Regards,
Matt

Hi pcnd.
Thanks for that, I'll have a look for it on google. I seem to remember that one of the cathedrals (was it Chicester?) did something similar when they couldn't afford to restore the pipe organ.
Did you have experience of the project? It would be great to hear from someone who has been involved with this sort of thing.
Regards,
Matt

Hi.
This is getting a bit ahead of where we are at the moment (although I hope we will get to the stage where it is all useful). What I could do with is ideas on how to convince our property committee that the best way forward is to install a pipe organ.
Regards,
Matt.

Eric
I have read through a great many of your posts. If you consider any to be of particular relevance I would appriciate knowing which ones. Thanks for your help.

Tony
I'd forgotton about Lancaster, I'll go back and read the posts again. Although I must admit we won't be installing anything on that scale. Thanks to you also.

Just as background we would be looking to have a medium sized 2 manual + pedal, tracker for preference, capable of accompanying a congregation of approx. 150 in a chapel with reasonable accoustics.

Regards,
Matt.

Barrie

Thanks for the advice, and  the example of non availability of parts; I'll add that one to the list.
Has anyone experience of a church which has successfully replaced their toaster with a pipe organ?

Matt.

Hi!
Hi

The ageing toaster at the church where I play has finally started to show the signs of it's 30 odd years.  I've been asked to look at options to update\replace it.

Obviously my goal is to get a pipe organ installed.

So, has anybody got any advice on the financial side of this. Being as the Methodist Church is besotted with committees I am well aware that I will most likely be called on to explain my intentions, and it would be helpful if anyone had a set of projected costs of maintaining both electronic and pipe organs for comparison. My suspicion is that a good pipe organ could be made to pay for itself, but any arguments I could use would be helpful.

Any other advice gladly received!
Matt

@pcnd5584

Glad to know I'm not the only one with a soft spot for the organ at Bristol Cathedral.  So often it is usurped by it's neighbour at St. Mary Redcliffe, but I found it to have a wealth of tone colour and it sits in an enviable acoustic. 

Also the authorities in the Cathedral were most accommodating in allowing me, as a then 15 year old, to basically have free rein for an hour or two.

Regards,
Matt.

Hi

I've played a few very small organs over the years, often getting quite a lot of enjoyment from making as much variety as possible within limited resources.

One really sticks in my mind; St Martin-le-Grand in York. 
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N08796
Only 3 speaking stops, but beautifully voiced and a pleasure to play.

Another is the one manual Snetzler in the New Rooms (Wesley's Chapel)
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N03821
A real gem, again well voiced and suited to the space it occupies.

Regards,
Matt.

Hi.

A Bourdon is a stopped pipe, meaning it is only actually 8' in length.
The pipes in the facade are probably the longest.
Hope that helps,
Regards,
Matt

Hi

I remember reading somewhere that the best combination for an acoustic bass is an open pipe for the 16' and a soft stopped pipe for the 10 2/3'.

If the 16' stopped pipe is too quiet in relation to the 10 2/3', in my opinion the result sounds very 'heavy', without producing the desired effect.
One thing I have done in the past is to try and produce the effect an octave higher on the manuals (where there are usually more ranks to experiment with), which can give a good indication of what is required in a given acoustic.

Regards,
Matt.

Hi

Have to agree with Contrabombarde on this, given your budget it should still be possible to get a redundant pipe organ; some are quite often offered for a donation. 

Does the 6000 Eu include shipping or is it solely for purchase of an organ?

Regards,
Matt.

Hi

I would say it depends on the size of the organ; if as you say it is a house organ, and assuming it only has a few ranks then the pallets shouldn't be all that big.  In which case it should be possible to make some improvements to the action. 

Regards,
Matt