Looking at a picture of the rebuilt organ, I wonder if the bright tin pipes unusually interspersed between the normal casework display pipes actually speak or are just there for ornament? If the organ has mechanical action as described, this must be very tricky.
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Stops 57 and 58 are named after the cats of the organist who designed it, Stephen Ridgley-Whitehouse, whom I knew decades ago. I never met the cats, so I have no idea how accurate was the voicing.Originally posted by subcontrabass View PostComment
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The mechanics of trackers and roller-boards usually looks complicated, especially here, as it has been laid bare beneath the organ gallery. When the divisions of the instrument are so widely spread, additional complexity is inevitable. The touch, however, is reported to be surprisingly light.Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
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... many thanks. And another fine photo.
Stephen Whitehouse (the Ridgley seems to have come later) was an exact college contemporary of mine - he was organ scholar.
He died terribly young.
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St Martin in the Fields
I need help (as usual) in finding the specification!
I have NEVER found an organ via the Pipe Organ Register! Whatever I type, result=0. Can anyone give me a tutorial?Last edited by ardcarp; 13-05-21, 16:40.Comment
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Originally posted by ardcarp View Post
Slightly large for the space and reverberation time perhaps?
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Thanks, K.Comment
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The Organ of St Pancras Church, Euston Rd, NW1
Gray & Davison 1856/1884/1910 (IVP/47), N P Mander 1954 (IIIP/56)
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Going back to St Martin in the Fields, the following was kindly sent to me by Walkers:
The new organ built for the Royal Parish Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields presented us with what proved to be a unique and unusual challenge. We were commissioned to build a 48-stop instrument for this London landmark that would serve as a concert instrument, provide appropriate accompaniment for the extensive choral programme and lead hymn singing for dozens of carol and other popular services, often packed to capacity. The goal was to fulfill these requirements, avoiding tricks or gimmicks, and to create an instrument of musical integrity. St. Martin's is much admired for its intimate and immediate acoustic and well known for its suitability for chamber music. However, when filled with 1200 people singing in the hearty style which is such a feature of St. Martin's, the new instrument can just hold its_own!
The first organ to stand in the west gallery of the church was built by Christopher Schreider. The case design of that organ was probably detailed by James Gibbs, the illustrious architect of the church. The new case design follows the outline of the Schreider main case, but was somewhat altered from the original design at the client's request to allow more sound to pass through the fronts. The instrument employs mechanical key-action and electric stop-action with an extensive combination action for recital purposes. The coupling is mechanical, with optional electric assists. So remarkable is the touch that these latter have proved to be unnecessary. Interchangeable parallel and radiating pedal boards have been provided to suit the taste of visiting organists. The French stoplist was chosen to indicate a consistency of nomenclature rather than an identification with any particular period or style. A conscious effort was made to ride above the invention of neo-classicism and to base the instrument solidly on classical principles. Simple classical balances were adhered to as the basis on which voicing decisions were made. In the recent past, so called classical balances often meant that choruses were cold and hard. This instrument shows that these balances can be maintained whilst producing Principals that are warm and rich, yet clear and singing. Few could effectively deny that warmth and integration of Principal choruses is important for music of all periods.
Combined with the classically balanced choruses are French style reeds; a combination which proved so successful in Alsatian organ-building. The instrument also draws ideas from the earlier French Classical period, particularly in the form and style of the mutation stops. All this combines to ensure that a scheme, not necessarily devised originally for Liturgical work, will nonetheless serve the fundamental requirements of a church organ. The enclosed Recit provides a convincing English Swell effect. This seemingly eclectic combination of styles is actually a wellconsidered synthesis, united into a style of its own. Simply sampling various elements from different periods and areas of influence without careful consideration will not produce a coherent identity or unity of style.
It has been said that Germanic music suffers less on stops that are broadly scaled and voiced with warmth, than French music played on narrow North German scales. In so far as this is true, the scaling of the organ has bowed to this belief. Voicing techniques employed for polyphonic music serve to best advantage in the French Classical and romantic repertoires. From this basis Walker's hope is that we will be able to make a worthwhile contribution, with new sounds and new ideas, rather than simply repeating what has been done before.Comment
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Selwyn College, Cambridge
I found this:
The main, west end organ has 30 stops and mechanical action over three manuals and pedals. It was built by Orgues Létourneau Lte in 2004, and inaugurated by Naji Hakim in January 2005.It is a magnificent instrument, much in demand for recitals and teaching by organisations throughout the UK.
I thought it matched well with Anglican repertory (as some Oxbridge organs don't).
Aha! Then this:
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