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Topics - revtonynewnham

#61
Organs on eBay or for urgent sale / Yet another one!
October 10, 2013, 09:58:47 AM
Hi

Words fail me - virtually dumping a pi-pe organ in favour of an electronic.  I guess they might regret the decision in 15-20 years - but then it will be too late.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281183026492?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Every Blessing

Tony
#62
Miscellaneous & Suggestions / Silly organ instalation
September 24, 2013, 10:29:44 AM
Hi

On Saturday I attended the induction service of a colleague as minister at Hall Green Baptist Church in Birmingham.

I'd had alread discovered the organ had Hope-Jones parentage, as was interested to see exactly what it was.  It's perhaps tyhe most stupid installation I've ever seen (and nothing to do with H-J either!).  The church is, unusually for a Baptist church, basically of cruciform layout.  The pipes are in an elevated chamber in the "North" chancel - a couple of feet "N" of the chancel arch, so invisible in almost 1/2 the church.  The wall between organ chamber and transept is solid - yet the  console is in the "North" |Transept, and again set well back.  I played briefly after the service, and with only a handful of people remaining & talking - not too loudly (the rest of the congregation had decamped to the church hall for refreshments) I found the Great Viola & the Swell strings to be completely inaudible.

The organ was built by Hope-Jones for the congregation's previous home of Highgate Baptist Church, and moved here when the new church was established (not sure of the date - the church web site has disappeared!).  It was rebuilt by Compton in 1936 (that could well be the move date as well), and I suspect that there's been  another rebuild since, as the console has none of the usual Compton controls such as double-touch pistons & stop keys.  Aso,the Choir stop list in particular doesn't look like mid-1930's Compton!

Despite the problems, the organ sounds well in the church - maybe a little loud and harsh (but that's at least inpart down to registration I suspect).  It's quite a respectable small 3 manual - and still used regularly, which is a refreshing change for a Baptist Church!

Stop list:-

Pedal

Bourdon   16
Echo Bass   16
Octave   8
Flute   4
Trombone   16


Choir (enclosed):

Flute   8
Principal   4
Flautina   2
Larigot    1 ¾
Sifflot   1
Trumpet    8       (Great – unenclosed)
Tremulant (to Choir)

Great:

Teneroon   16
Diapason   8
Rohr Flöte   8
Iola   8
Principal   4
Twelfth   2 2/3
Fifteenth   2
Trumpet   8

Swell (Enclosed):-

Open Diapason   8
Stopped Diapason   8
Salicional   8
Voix Celeste   8
Stopped Flute   8
Principal   4
Fifteenth   2
Mixture   IV
Krumhorn   16
Cornopean   8


Couplers:-  (Grouped with dept augmented)
Swell to Pedal
Great to pedal
Choir to Pedal
Swell to Choir
Choir to Great (with Choir stops)
Swell to Great

Details will appear  on NPOR when I havetime, and when I've tried to find out a little more information.

Every Blessing

Tony
#63
Hi

Some light relief - especially since the board has been rather slow lately.

http://hmpg.net/

Every Blessing

Tony
#64
Hi

no, this isn't in the wrong place!  My first musical mediation on the Seven churches of Revelation.
https://soundcloud.com/rev-tony-newnham/revelation-1-the-voice-like-a
Probably a bit simplistic! I'm no great composer! Instruments: Wyvern Custom Classical Organ (thanks Quentin Bellamy) (recorded on my recent visit to Prestatyn) and Yamaha PRS-E433 (Bells & Choral effect).

Every Blessing

Tony
#65
Miscellaneous & Suggestions / Frank Fowler - RIP
May 18, 2013, 11:22:51 AM
I've heard from 2 sources that Frank Fowler, formerly involved with Hill, Norman & Beard IIRC, has died following a short illness.

Tony
#66
Hi

Whilst we were in the area on holiday a little while ago I was able to make a brief visit to Lancaster Priory to see & play te "new" installation.  The stop list of this interesting instrument is on NPOR - http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=E01875

This is an interesting solution to the perennial Anglican problem of how to provide an organ that can both adequately accompany the choir in the chancel and also lead a large congregation in the Nave.

The solution at Lancaster was to install 2 redundant organs - a 3m Willis in the West Gallery, and a 2m Harrison in the chancel.  Regular readers of this forum will know that David Pinnegar was instrumental in saving this organ's predecessor, a Custom Compton electronic with 2 sets of speakers to cover the 2 requirements.

I found the organ interesting.  On paper, there looks like a lot of duplication - there are fairly complete diapason choruses at both ends for example, and a plethora of flutes and other ranks.  In practice, it works very well.  There is a significant difference in voicing between the two choruses, and between other similar ranks (the reason, no doubt, for going for organs by 2 different builders).  There are some very nice quiet sounds available, as well as the big West End chorus and the big solo reed.  Talking to the organist, he says the only real problem is that the chancel organ can be a little underpowered when their full choir (some 60 voices) is singing - in that situation he finds he needs to also draw a coulpe of stops on the corresponding manual of the West organ (and this is set on some of the general pistons).

In the short time I had to play (my arthritis was not too good on the day) I found no problem in keeping track of the two organs - which are playable from a single, mobile console.

Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Every Blessing

Tony
#67
The hand-blown historic pipe organ in Cowling Hill Baptist Church, Yorkshire - a quick smartphone video:-
http://youtu.be/EAOIVqtvMtM
#68
This landed in my inbox this morning:-

If you can help quickly there is a 2M&P Reed Organ available in Mold, Cheshire, as per the following 'conversations'

The Estey serial number is 283558, 15 Stops a knew swell and 3 foot operated stops.

Please feel free to contact Pete direct if you can help.

All the best

The contact e-mail is mailto:peter@nysc.co.uk - please contact direct.

These instruments were designed and built as practice organs, or for small churches, and so usually have a standard console layout.

Every Blessing

Tony
#69
Hi

Details at http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=H00890  This organ is among the earliest from the Laycock & Bannister partnership - before they moved to thier new premises, and dated 2 years earlier than the commonly given date for the establishment of the partnership.  I visited last Friday with a good freind (and organ advisor from another area).  He considers the organ of great historic importance-  likely meriting a BIOS Historic Organ Certificate at 2* grade. The organ is in generally good order - the main issues being a non-functioning tremulant and pedal Bourdon - both appear to be down to broken linkages in the stop mechanism.  The reservoir has a split - but the action appears to have been overhauled in the recent past.

A new home is urgently required, as the church is due to be sold for redevelopment.  The relatively small size of the instrument is a bonus, as is the fact that it's in good playing order, and makes a very pleasant sound.

Please contact me if you're interested.  This instrument needs to be retained intact, not split for parts!

Every Blessing

Tony
#70
Hi

Came across this just now.  I'm not able to try it - I don't have a MIDI adapter for my iPad.

http://polaron.de/Napo/index.html#somenotes

Every Blessing

Tony
#71
Organ concerts / Early Music Exhibition
October 19, 2012, 10:19:03 AM
Hi

I received the info about this yesterday.  I see that 2 organ builders are exhibiting continuo organs - as well as the plethora of early keyboard instruments and other joys - plus demos and concerts.

It's  at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Thurs-Sat 8-10 November.  Admission prices are very reasonable.  Sadly, I don't think I can go (yet again!), but if you can, it's well worthwhile, judging by my previous visit a good few years back.

Every Blessing

Tony
#72
Hi

EOCS members will know that I'm (slowly as time permits) remastering the society's archive of tape recordings.  There are some real gems in there.  The recording on the computer at present is from an EOCS meeting back in 1967 of Leslie Bourne (inventor of the electrostatic generators used by Compton) talking about them - and related matters & anecdotes from his early life.l  This should be available on CD (for members only) before too much longer.

One thing he said that many organ builders - of all types of organ - would do well to remember "the part that's most inaccessible will, of course, fail first" - and an anecdote about Warwick Collegiate church where, reputedly Hope-Jones was so confident of the reliability of his organ action he put it in a crypt which was subsequently covered with paving slabs cemented down.  Needless to say, they soon had to be lifted for access!

Every Blessing

Tony
#73
Organs Preserved / Sheffield Cathedral
October 10, 2012, 02:54:35 PM
Hi

I heard today that the Mander pipe organ (long out of use) has been removed by a firm of organ builders - hopefully it will resurface elsewhere in due course.  at least it hasn't been dumped.  I don't know if a new or secondhand pipe organ is on the cards - I'll post again if I hear more.

Every Blessing

Tony
#74
Hi

I came across an interesting illustration in a second-hand book about old musical instruments - a web search turned up a colour version at http://rogerbourland.com/2006/12/20/the-harmony-of-the-birth-of-the-world/  It shows a highly decorated organ case with six stops - and relevant illustrations - representing the 6 days of creation.

Whatever your views on the literal interpretation (or otherwise) of the early chapters of Genesis, it's still of interest.

For what it's worth, I belive that the days of Genesis, whilst they could be 24 hours - after all, God is capable of doing exactly what He wants) are more likely to be longer periods of time during which the various stages of creation happened, called into operation by God each time.

Every Blessing

Tony
#75
Hi

Not an organ in danger, but widely used music notation software.  It seems that Avid (the current owners of Sibelius) have no concept of customer service - Sibelius staff have been sacked and the software "frozen".  Ridiculous for what is probably the most widely used notation software - at least in pro circles.

See http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2012/08/at-sibelius-software-the-last-staff-turn-out-the-lights.html

Every Blessing

Tony
#76
Electronic Organs / Miller Spinnetta
June 23, 2012, 10:06:29 AM
A query that's perhaps only marginally on topic.  In remastering some vintage recordings by EOCS members, I came across a recording of a "Miller Spinnetta".  Pretty well all the sounds are percussive - electronic-piano like (but of better quality than most EP's of the era).  A web search has thrown up VERY little, except that the instrument was used as a significant part of the Thunderbirds TV series music tracks, and that it had 2 manuals.

Does anyone have any info on this instrument - and some pictures?  Miller organs were based in Norwich, UK and built mainly church electronic organs several decades ago - I've played a few back in the '60's & '70's - not seen one lately.  The business is now Norwich Organs - I have e-mailed them, but not had any response as yet (unsurprising given that it was yesterday evening when I sent it - and it's the weekend!)

Every Blessing

Tony
#77
Hi

On Saturday I visited a redundant Baptist Church in Huddersfield.  It transpires that the organ is by Holt (presumably William, but it could be any of the Holt organ builders formerly active in this area!  The organ is in poor condition - but looking at NPOR it seems that it's possibly an untouched example of an instrument by this builder.  The stop list is quite archaic - the 1881 date on the survey is derived from the building date carved into the stonework of the frontage.  From a cursory inspection, there doesn't look to be any obvious changes - but lack of power meant that I couldn't try the instrument.

I'd not be surprised to find that the Swell is TC and the organ was second-hand to Primrose Hill.  If this instrument is to be saved, it needs to be done soon - the building is up for sale, and the word is that developers are interested, so it might well be sold shortly.

I can put you in contact with the relevant people if there's any chance of saving this organ.

NPOR Survey is: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=E01893

Every Blessing
#78
I've eventually got round to sorting out some basic videos from my Christmas Concert, and also the music from "At the Foot of the Cross" - our Lent presentation this year.

See http://youtu.be/u3kPATf9ZTg

http://youtu.be/Zo5nA99U37c

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL64B80A9AA96BA49A

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CB69DBD8B91FE43

Every Blessing

Tony
#79
Saw this on Facebook today - looks like an interesting conference

http://www.ioa.org.uk/events/event.asp?id=170 for those able to get there.

Every Blessing

Tony
#80
Hi

e-Bay listing 280823757402

Compton 363 being sold from a redundant Congregational Church.  Worth a look for enthusiasts of these instruments (if only I had space!) or as a console for a pipe organ project or a digital organ.

Every Blessing

Tony