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Messages - Jonathan Lane

#21
I can't answer the technical issues Peter as I'm a humble pipe organ builder.

As for details of the Thames Ditton Makin, it is a three manual instrument but for some bizarre reason only a two manual console, with a floating Choir Organ.  I can put you in touch with the relevant authorities.

Jonathan
#22
David Fetterman is a good guy who know a tremendous amount about Makin organs and their technology.  My contact with him was in two places, the analogue organ at Thames Ditton, due to be replaced shortly, and the early digital from Londonderry Cathedral.  In both cases, he solved a number of issues, but most notably with the analogue!

Jonathan
#23
Believers' Corner / Re: Difficulties in posting
August 06, 2011, 03:55:32 PM
Quote from: Barry Williams on August 06, 2011, 03:25:35 PM
Jonthan,

Thank you for your response.

I have posted from three different machines and found the same problem each time.  It only occurs after many lines of text have been written.  Perhaps I should shorten my posts!

barry
There may well be a glitch in the software, usually server related, it'll probably sort itself out, so keep up with the long posts where appropriate!

Jonathan
#24
Believers' Corner / Re: Difficulties in posting
August 06, 2011, 02:43:35 PM
Hi Barry,

I'm not having any problems, although have not been posting any long posts for a week or so, but am mostly doing this on mobile broadband.

A couple of questions, what type of machine are you using, Mac or PC, and what operating system?

Have you tried posting from a different machine?

Best wishes,

Jonathan
#25
Organs wanted / Re: Practice Organ Parts - needed
August 03, 2011, 11:23:06 PM
Quote from: David Pinnegar on August 02, 2011, 10:49:06 PM
Dear Jonathan

Electric pedalboard! Wow! Lovely idea - but wjoefox must have first call on it depending if he goes for electric or tracker. If tracker then I have the Staplehurst Convent tracker pedalboard which was the only part of the instrument I was able to rescue from the bulldozers . . . to which you are welcome.

Hi David,

I had already earmarked this for you, so you get first call, we have about half a dozen tracker pedalboards of different sizes, so I can accommodate wjoefox as well!

Jonathan
#26
Organs wanted / Re: Practice Organ Parts - needed
August 02, 2011, 10:09:01 PM
To be honest until July I would have held out for a tracker action instrument, and whilst this is still an ideal provided I had space for a suitable specification, I changed my view once I played and EP organ by Mascioni in Istanbul last month.  The organ, in the catholic church of St Anthony of Padua was built in 1947 and is a large three manual at the west end on a fairly high gallery.  The action, which is original I believe, was the most responsive I have ever played.  I played the Widor Toccata after the wedding (my brother in law's) and it was the first time I have been able to realise Widor's articulation absolutely.  So, I would now go for electric or even electropneumatic action!

Jonathan
#27
Organs wanted / Re: Practice Organ Parts - needed
August 02, 2011, 08:57:43 PM
Just a further note on this thread, mainly to do with design and specification of a suitable practice organ.  Barry Williams and I had a discussion a while ago about the best disposition for a two manual and pedal practice organ, some parts of which would be very relevant here.

Firstly, definitely go for electric action, because three or four ranks can turn into a very successful unenclosed organ of two manuals and pedals.  Barry's advice on a Pedal Bourdon is to use a manual 16' Bourdon as found in many Victorian Swell Organs.  The scale is usually much smaller, thus making it suitable for a house organ.  I agree totally with this, as the last thing you need in a house is a large scale Bourdon as found in many a Victorian Pedal Organ.

The principal is of course very simple, provided you don't use an individual rank an adjacent pitches, i.e. 8' and 4', or 4' and 2', the missing notes in the chorus effect is not a major issue.  Also, be careful of two much upperwork, a house organ doesn't need a Mixture or high pitched mutations.  Further to this, be careful with mutations taken from unison ranks, as the tuning will be wrong even if the voicing is acceptable.

Apologies if I'm preaching to the converted (this isn't really aimed at wjoefox, rather anyone else who might benefit from the knowledge and experience of people such as Barry.

Jonathan
#28
Organs wanted / Re: Practice Organ Parts - needed
August 02, 2011, 08:48:31 PM
Quote from: David Pinnegar on August 02, 2011, 06:29:11 PM
Quote from: wjoefox on August 02, 2011, 02:05:40 PMI'm trying to find a pair of redundant organ manuals, a pedalboard, and a blower. This is difficult, though! Does anyone here have any of these parts, or know of anyone who does? I'm loathed to buy new!

Hi!

I gave a pair of tracker manuals to Jonathan Lane . . . and an electric one too . . .

Best wishes

David P

Hi David,

We indeed do, and I haven't forgotten the donation!  While we're on the subject, are you still looking for an electric action pedalboard.  We have one which I would be happy to pass on to you (as the donation), which I suspect came from a good quality electronic.  If not, it is available wjoefox.

Jonathan
#29
Hi David,

While you are strictly correct about the Sesquialtera and most of them these days are like that, different traditions had different ways of employing the term.  Northern Europe generally employed the term as you understand it, whilst France would often either just have them as separate ranks or only use the combination within the Cornet.  However, in England, for several centuries it was used as a generic name for a mixture stop, often of three or four ranks, which included the Tierce rank.  See this: http://www.organstops.org/s/Sesquialtera.html

Jonathan

#30
I think I speak for most people here when I say we are very grateful to Eric for his posts, as he continuously provides us with up-to-date information from all over the world.

As regards the Prestatyn organ, I can only re-iterate what I have said elsewhere, £38k will buy them an organ which will last them at best 20 years, that is £2k per year!

Jonathan
#31
Organ building and maintenance / Re: The Twelfth
July 26, 2011, 02:55:06 PM
Thanks Tony,

I have played it and we are the tuners now, so I am beginning to get to know it rather well!

Jonathan
#32
Organ building and maintenance / Re: The Twelfth
July 25, 2011, 10:52:12 PM
A fine late example of what Tony was talking about is found here: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N15062

The development of the number of stops relates to the Swell section, missing the bottom octave, which has an Open and Trumpet in it.  The organ is therefore able to have an Echo Diapason and an Echo Trumpet, very useful for Stanley and the like!

Jonathan
#33
Quote from: pcnd5584 on July 25, 2011, 10:25:20 PM
Quote from: Voix Cynique on July 25, 2011, 05:15:49 PM
.... However, Ralph Downes (who, famously, held forth no end on organs despite having very defective hearing) got involved and so a fine Romantic organ was wantonly destroyed.

We had a fairly long, and utterly fascinating conversation. With regard to Gloucester and my thesis, he was most illuminating and helpful.

I would be interested to read the paper, as Gloucester is one of my favourite organs, both to listen to and play.  Although to be fair, I haven't played it since the restoration/augmentation.

Jonathan
#34
I have to lend my support to Barry and Barrie in this matter.  I am concerned that a place for useful and valuable discussion ceases to be so when those with experience and knowledge leave.  I certainly do not wish this to be the case.

Jonathan
#35
FOR SALE and WANTED / Re: The Harrison Story
July 25, 2011, 11:41:53 AM
Me too Barrie!  But I agree about Positif.

Jonathan
#36
Bizarre.  However, it does show all things are possible!

Jonathan
#37
Quote from: Voix Cynique on July 24, 2011, 05:12:50 PM
Yet another tiny organ of limited usefulness... BUT would make an excellent donor of pipework, keys, windchests and other bits and pieces for an enlargement project (whether merging two into a 2m or adding a 3rd division to a 2m instrument). Wadsworths were noted for the high quality of their workmanship and voicing - a large, untouched Wadsworth truly is a gem.

Anyone feel like rescuing THIS:
http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N02080
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=62579

and maybe using this 1m for an Echo organ?

I could just see the big 3m at the West end in the Brompton Oratory...

Like many of these organs, it could produce the basis for a practice organ, with new action, soundboards, etc.  Often the voicing of these instruments is eminently suitable for a house practice organ, and the lack of squeaky pipework, so often a fondness in some organs for practice, would ensure a useful instrument.

As Tony says, they would last much longer than any electronic organ.

Jonathan
#38
FOR SALE and WANTED / Re: The Harrison Story
July 24, 2011, 10:51:33 PM
Abe Books has a number of copies ranging from a 'cheap' £75 to a more extravagant £205!  If one is feeling rich, or wins the Euro Lottery, it could be afforded.  It would also be useful to consider republishing with an updated section, so Elvin's fantastic account of H&H can find a new audience.

Jonathan
#39
FOR SALE and WANTED / Re: The Harrison Story
July 24, 2011, 08:21:26 PM
So am I Barrie!

Jonathan
#40
Organ Builders / Re: Silbermann flue voicing
July 24, 2011, 07:37:00 PM
Quote from: David Pinnegar on July 12, 2011, 12:34:59 PM
Whilst scanning Colin Pykett's work before closing tabs on my browser, Colin's research on Silbermann flue voicing
http://www.colinpykett.org.uk/silfluewk.htm
is particularly interesting in its analysis of amplitude across the keyboard.

Best wishes

David P

This is something I want to look at further.  At some point when time and money allow, we wish to build a 'Silbermann' voiced organ, probably not very big though.  Need to find a suitable venue too.

Jonathan