Organ featured on Choral Evensong broadcasts

[ardcarp]

I know it's considered a bit nerdy to 'talk organs'. However I thought I'd make the effort to put a link to organs heard on Choral Evensong broadcasts. May others feel free to do likewise if I forget or if there is anything to add.

Starting off with Merton College, Oxford

https://www.merton.ox.ac.uk/dobson-organ

[DracoM]

Excellent - can you instruct the less clued?

[oddoneout]

Here is a topical link...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/covid-jabs-to-be-accompanied-by-organ-music-at-salisbury-cathedral

[ardcarp]

Yes, that was on BBC Radio 4 News this morning. Excellent! I gather Lichfield is also making its nave available for jabs, but no mention of organ music....yet.

[ardcarp]

Already gone off topic (of course!)

London (Brompton) Oratory organs:

https://www.bromptonoratory.co.uk/the-organs

NB Ralph Downes also designed the large 4-manual Walker organ at Buckfast Abbey. It was excellent in many respects, especially for discreet accompaniment and for the less discreet French Organ School. Also one of the few in the UK to have a rollschweller. Sadly, it has shown signs of ageing in recent years, so the Benedictine Community, never short of a Buck (!) or two, chucked the whole thing out and have a spanking new instrument by Ruffatti....or to be more precise two instruments if you count one in the Choir (4 manuals) and one in the West Gallery.

[oddoneout]

Already gone off topic (of course!)

London (Brompton) Oratory organs:

https://www.bromptonoratory.co.uk/the-organs

NB Ralph Downes also designed the large 4-manual Walker organ at Buckfast Abbey. It was excellent in many respects, especially for discreet accompaniment and for the less discreet French Organ School. Also one of the few in the UK to have a rollschweller. Sadly, it has shown signs of ageing in recent years, so the Benedictine Community, never short of a Buck (!) or two, chucked the whole thing out and have a spanking new instrument by Ruffatti....or to be more precise two instruments if you count one in the Choir (4 manuals) and one in the West Gallery.

Salisbury's organ features in CE broadcasts doesn't it - so only slightly off course...

[ardcarp]

St Paul's Cathedral

https://www.stpauls.co.uk/documents/Music/St%20Paul%27s%20Cathedral%20Organ%20Specification.pdf

I'm always amused that Christopher Wren, on re-designing St Paul's, referred to the (then) organ as 'that damned kist of whistles'. Presumably its inclusion interfered with his pure architectural vision.

[Frances_iom]

I'm always amused that Christopher Wren, on re-designing St Paul's, referred to the (then) organ as 'that damned kist of whistles'....

I guess that view is widely shared amongst R3 bosses from the paucity of organ music and the 'gee-wizzery' of those presenters who have no idea of how it works.

[ardcarp]

Big digression here. I guess presenters also have difficulty understanding how the concert harp works.

Basic lesson available from yours truly if required.

[ardcarp]

Truro Cathedral

https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N11147

See also, from 2018:

https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/news/our-father-willis-organ-receives-some-tlc

[Keraulophone]

Truro Cathedral

This famous Father Willis, surviving almost unaltered from its installation in 1887, was rightly referred to in Daniel Moult’s recent documentary The English Organ as ‘a national treasure’.

[ardcarp]

It is indeed. But were the 'patching up' operations described in "Our Father Willis receives some TLC" intended to last long? It is not unusual for cathedral organs, every so often, to need large sums of money (I mean hundreds of thousands) to do a complete rebuild by a big firm, even to keep them unchanged. After all they do a lot of work!

[ardcarp]

Clare College Chapel, Cambridge

Neo-classical organ by von Beckerath

https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N05197

...and a pic....https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/666884657300214979/

[ardcarp]

Kings College, The Strand, Chapel Organ

https://www.mander-organs.com/kings-college-chapel-london-2/

I assume this is the place last week's CE was from? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I was amused by the fact that the chapel ceiling had been lowered to build a new anatomy department on top. Must be some theological discussion about that......


Edit: Also found this https://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/pri...an/choir/organ

[Keraulophone]

But were the 'patching up' operations described in "Our Father Willis receives some TLC" intended to last long?

No, the moderate repairs were as described and didn't take long. The swell box now shuts tightly to enable that pent-up full swell effect.