SMALL COUNTRY CHURCH ORGANS

BIOS DAY CONFERENCE
NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
SATURDAY, 28 JUNE 2003

The day started at Gillingham church, a Norman and 'Victorian Norman' building standing remote from he village. The organ by William Christmas Mack of Yarmouth, an eight-stop single-manual instrument, stands on the south side; its has a rather quirky case to impost level and decorated fronts above. While displaying superficial influence from contemporary fashions, the attractiveness of the tonal qualities lies in Mack's conservatism, the pipework and voiding owing much to the work of earlier generations.

   Andrew Hayden played a short recital, music from Pachelbel to Wesley, ably demonstrating the qualities of the organist and the modest organ; he overcame the challenge of tiny, short-compass pedals to prove the value of an effective Bourdon. The boldness of the unenclosed Open Diapason came as a surprise, as it is of modest scale and low cut-up; it was clearly intended to give a well-defined 8' line. An SATB choir, accompanied by Andrew, acquitted itself well in a performance of Zechariah Buck's 'Come hither, Angel Tongues invite.' To my ears the conservative nature of the music matched that of the organ.
   Andrew's informative talk dealt with the life and career of W.C. Mack, and asked where Mack and similar rural craftsmen gained their skills. Mack's father was a carpenter and his early work shows the influence of another local organ-builder; these are facts that give clues, but little docu-mentary evidence has come to light. The simple, reliable, conservative construction of organs built by rural craftsmen may have been considered inferior to the 'advanced' work of major builders, but they need to be played to be appreciated; the best are far better than their paper specifications suggest. Extensive notes were supplied on Dr Buck. Born in 1798 has was a remarkable, if rather eccentric organist and choir-tutor. He became organist at Norwich Cathedral at the age of seventeen, with official confirmation two years later. Anyone who has an interest in choir-training would find these notes invaluable.
   The local signposts, devised to confuse Germans during the Second World War, ensured that members enjoyed a long, scenic ride to Denton parish church; this is a beautifully proportioned, lofty, fourteenth-century building, where the welcoming atmosphere was enhanced by the absence of traffic noise. The Bryceson Bros. organ of 1868, in its unusual case, stands in the chancel. Similar in specification to the Mack organ at Gillingham, it is altogether bolder, despite lack of upperwork. Given the support of a fine acoustic, it is man enough to accompany a large congregation.

   Peter Bumstead demonstrated the organ and accompanied the choir in a performance of Te Deum in G by Robert Prescott Stewart (1866). Peter gave a talk describing English organ design during the nineteenth century, a period of dramatic change, such as the abandoning of long-compass manuals and the development of pedalboards and their increasing compass.I nsight was given into the working practices of small rural organ-builders, and the boost given to the trade by the Oxford Movement's encouragement of the use of chancel organs. Noteworthy was the documentary evidence quoted of 'to repairing the Amen pedals', which conjured up visions of Thomas Hardy's farmhands, hard of reading, shy of singing, but giving a lusty 'Amen!' when they heard the Bourdon boom
   Palgrave parish church, in the centre of the village, has an outstanding medieval painted nave roof which contrasted unhappily with a modern stained glass window in the south wall. Alison Hogg gave a capable, spirited talk, showing her enthusiasm for the provision of a 'sufficient' standard two-manual and pedal organ, with a balanced swell pedal, for teaching purposes. She described how prospective pupils with their enthusiasm raised by hearing Widor et al are discouraged from continuing by the lack of suitable organs. How are future generations of church organists to be encouraged without adequate organs? Perhaps Alison placed too much emphasis on the rôle of examination bodies and accorded insufficient recognition of the musical practicalities of parish life.   
   In the ensuing open form valid points were raised concerning the conservation of old instruments, the necessity of training local people to accompany services on the existing instruments, and the undoubted lack of practice provision.
   Alison then skilfully accompanied Evensong on the 1907 Model organ by Walker (with balanced swell pedal) at the west end of the nave. The choir at the other end struggled somewhat because of the distance involved, and the unfamiliar Versicles, Responses and chant. However, bold singing of 'Fight the good fight' gave Alison the chance to 'praise Him upon loud organs'. The vicar, in his address, gave good advice for all present — 'listen, use your ears'.
   This was a well-organised event, with carefully chosen venues to demonstrate the progression of organ design and church music requirements.

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