NOT-SO-OLD ORGANS AND THEIR PRESERVATION

Much has been written about the spoiling of old instruments by often well-meaning "improvers". We have seen beautiful organs drastically altered. What was lost in improving is gone for ever, and we are powerless to restore the situation.

However, there is still a considerable well of instruments that have as yet escaped the vandals. At present, most are considered to be almost worthless - too big, too loud, unreliable, tasteless and so on. But wait, their time will come, and we will kick ourselves for losing so much. We must look out now for the best of these instruments for preservation in their original state. I am talking of organs built in this country in theinter-war period. I have cane to know well two organs c.1930 in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. Both are almost entirely original, and I return to them time and time again. Briefly, the Harrison and Harrison organ in Newcastle‘s City Hall - a four manual organ, built in the Grand style that we could never hope to repeat. Currently this instrument is virtually unplayable, through neglect and central heating. It seems that the City cannot afford to restore it, and its future seems certain - removal and lose (*). Accepting that as the inevitable, may I make a plea that we keep our eyes on a much smaller organ - that in St James‘ and St Basil‘s, Fenham. The Fenham organ was built for the new church by J W Walker and Sons in 1931. It has four manual departments (two on one manual) and Pedals, thirty four speaking stops, and an unusual layout which makes it remarkably effective in this large church. The plan of the church is of two equal parallel naves; at the east of the north nave is the altar, and at the east of the south nave is the Lady Chapel with the tower above. The main organ is placed in a chamber above the vestry, facing into the north nave at the head of the congregation. The Celestial Organ, and one pedal stop are in the tower, speaking into the south nave. The console (originally in a bird‘s nest adjacent to the main organ - a terrible position, according to a previous organist) is approximately equidistant between the two sections, at floor level beside the south choir stalls. In keeping with the rest of the church, built by Sir James Knott, as a memorial to his two sons, killed in world war I, no expense seems to have been spared in the construction of the organ. Apart from the buried position of the choir organ, all speaks straight into the church. The unfashionable stop-key console is beautifully made, and most comfortable. The sound that comes out is quite unique. Dull, perhaps at times, refined, certainly, at all times, but never gutless. There is a vast pair lette of tone colour available which is not only suitable for the bulk of English music of the last century (please don‘t say that such music is unworthy), but also remarkably suitable for much French music of the same period, as I have discovered through years of experimentation.

The action is electro-pneumatic. All unison couplers plus octave and sub. to Swell and Choir/Celestial play through. There is a full complement of adjustable pistons and three tremulants, and a Great and Pedal combinations coupler. 8

How, you are asking, does one do anything at all with an organ like this? I urge you simply to select your music and play. There are defects - no Great Mixture, a lack of Pedal clarity, for instance - but there is much beauty, and what is more it all blends, save perhaps the Tromba, a superb solo stop. I admit this is gross Romanticism, but the combination of voicing, layout and the church‘s acoustics make this a unique organ. I am not hoping for the preservation of all such organs, and I am in full agreement with the Classical Organ movement. This organ has survived fifty years unscathed and it is not threatened - yet. But we must look after it, and hope that it survives another fifty years. Then we shall see that it was a true and worty example of organ building and musical ideas of the time, and be glad that we did preserve it.

The BIOS Council is aware of the threat to the Newcastle City Hall organ and wrote recently to the authorities to ask what plans, if any, they had for the future of the instrument. It appears that some months ago, a proposal was put forward by one of the City Council committees to spend about £10,000 on the organ in an attempt to get parts of it playing again, and with a view to preventing further major damage from heating by installing a humidifier. Since then, nothing has been heard, and it is not known whether approval for this course of action was forthcoming from the relevant finance committee. - Editor.

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