Organ matters - Organs matter!

It is with great regret to read on Facebook that the firm of Nicholson & Co. Ltd have been awarded the contract to undertake this work.

The chapel, as the largest War Memorial in the country, has an intrinsic heritage value beyond organs and the sound of this organ was an inherent part of that heritage. It is the sound to which a generation went off to another war, with perhaps the infamous Tuba compared to a set of fog-horns, inspiring confidence and determination in its generation.

We are the poorer without such.

One hopes that
a. the instrument as is might be sampled for the Virtual Organ community
b. rather than "three best ranks preserved" the whole instrument might be made available for sale and preservation, probably in a country where the past is better respected.

Those who disrespect the past are robbed of the wisdom with which the mistakes of the past might continue to accurse the future.

Best wishes

David P

Hi

I was sorry to hear that Francis Jackson died on 10th January at the grand old age of 104.  He was a big influence in English Church music.

I only heard him live once, when he gave a recital in All Saints, Ilkley a few years ago.  One of the best recitals I've attended - even if he did forget he had a big reed drawn at one point!

May he rest in peace.

Tony

Thanks Peter

Wishing you a happy new year.
Tony

HI,
these tracks are wonderful !
Best wishes to you all for the New Year !
regards Peter B

Hi

My Alexandre Harmonium arrived back from a restoration recently and I'm enjoying playing it again.  Our local organists' association (Coventry & Warwickshire) decided that, due to the difficulties of in-person meetings due to Covid, we'd offer a virtual member's recital for Christmas.  I recorded a couple of items on my Harmonium - both by Guilmant, an Elevation & his Introduction and Variations on an Ancient Polish Carol.  I've uploaded them to my You Tube channel (links below), and the full recital (audio plys stills & info on some of the organs used) is also on my channel.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas.

Elevation https://youtu.be/IrqHFNG5wrs

Polish Carol https://youtu.be/E4GlkO7dyDI

I was organist at St Peter's when this organ was installed and can confirm a few details. The organ has 38 speaking stops including a 32' Acoustic Bass which was added new when the organ came to Buckie. Other than this, it is largely the organ from the 70s that came from Fort Augustus in 2000, where it was already starting to deteriorate in an empty building. New solid state relays were fitted along with a midi interface which allows the organ to be played "virtually" from a disk player.
The Trigon Flute is the main 8' Flute on the Great. The pipes are triangular section - rather like Toblerones, and it is typical of the 70s in sound with lots of chiff. Interestingly, the organ previously in St Peter's also had an 8'Flute with triangular pipe, but much less chiff. The pipework from this organ (but not the worn out action) went to a church in Motherwell. The spec of both organs can be seen on the NPOR site.

On it's own, yes, a vox humana generally isn't much to behold. However, when you mix it in with softer flues and strings, it can help to create a beautiful, almost ethereal sound. I'm used to them on theatre organs where, I think it is safe to say, they are a little more refined than their classical cousins. On the theatre organ, mixed with strings and tibia (tremulants on of course), they go a long way in creating a lush, warm tone.

Dear organ fans,

I talked to David several years ago about making a film about the crisis facing provincial pipe organs in the UK. I'm sure he must have wondered what happened to it. Well, finally, the film is finished and available to view. So far it's been warmly received at film festivals in the United States is now available here.  I hope you find it interesting. 

Here's a link to the documentary's trailer: https://vimeo.com/520060433

and to the film itself:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/organstops

Thanks
James

HI, seen on ebay.
eBay item number:
124777185435
4 stop chamber Organ
Hunter and Webb

not any connection to me.
Peter B

My brother and I have recently acquired a Methodist Church (Clayton Heights Methodist Church, Bradford, BD13 1EG) which contains a pipe organ. We are looking to sell this or have it removed/salvaged sympathetically.

The organ is listed on the National Pipe Organ Register re G01472 and at its last inspection, was confirmed as having been built in 1870 by Peter Conacher & Co at the Springwood Works in Huddersfield. It was moved to its current location in 1979 and there is a plaque on the organ saying this was rebuilt by M Fletcher, Organ Builder, Shelf.  The register refers to the organ as 'A little gem'!

I have a number of pictures which I can share with you of the organ in situ, the manuals, pedals, pipes and 'bellows/engine room'.

I have emailed a number of organ builders/restorers directly so my apologies if this is a repeat message for some of you reading this thread (and thank you again for those who have emailed me)