|
BERNARD EDMONDS____________________
Who said this? 1.1 believe in punctuality, but it often makes me lonely. 2. Cranmer was one of the architects of the Prayer Book. He was burnt at the stake; he did not die for English prose. 3. Idealism increases in direct proportion to one' distance from the problem. More from my postbag: 'I note that you have a few 'cranks' among your friends who seem to have gone 'Holtkampic'. While I do honestly appreciate the resurgence of mixtures (if properly designed and treated) I do not approve of a Great organ scheme such as Quintade 16', Koppel 8', Principal 2', and Larigot ( a recent Holtkampscheme)........ I do think it is absurd to tie the great Cantor to one unchangeable mode of sonic expression. F... tells me how much he appreciated the Hill at Great Brickhill and is surprised to find it different from the other examples of the old Firm's work. The reason is that I revoiced the entire organ (Vox Humana and flutes excepted) in 1925. Even the frontpipes were included. The original flue stops were supposedly replicas of the Westminster Abbey ones by special request of the then vicar, and, as I found the Great diapasons on the gentle-speaking and underblown side, I opened them up including the mixture. I am interested in your comment on my Super Diapason - (BlOS J8 p9). Fact is, I now have it at a slightly reduced pressure, a wee fraction of an inch below 2 5/8inches on which you first heard it. All of which shows how sensitive a diapason pipe is to slight changes of pressure. (Noel A Bonavia-Hunt 1950) Following this, he constructed a console control by which he could lower a small extra weight upon the reservoir so as to harness the tonal differences. The rest is silence. Edward Boatock Maley, at one time a member of the firm of Maley, Young and Oldknow died of heart disease on lst April 1895 at the age of 60. Adjacent in Musical Opinion for May that year, we read, 'We have received letters from' Lennox', Mr T Casson and others but the communications are of such a contentious name... that we are reluctantly compelled to omit them. ... For 18 years Musical Opinion has provided an arena in which many scores of subjects have been discussed, to the interest - sometimes, perhaps, even to the entertainment' of the readers - and while its columns are as free and open as ever, we cannot permit our arena to degenerate into a cockpit.' Those who have perused the letters which did get printed will be wondering whatever the omitted ones could have been like: 'Lennox' breaks out. In Novello Select Organ Pieces Book 18 no 107 we read: J S Bach Fugue D minor, Art of Fugue, adapted by Vincent Novello 1842 from Dittendorfer's edition. 'One of the pieces played on the large Organ in the Town Hail of Birmingham at the competition for the organist's appointment there in February 1842. The successful candidate was Mr Stimson of Carlisle, and the umpires were Mr Wm Knyvett, Mr Vincent Novello, Mr John Goss and Mr Walmisley'. The completion of the new Marcussen in Tonbridge School Chapel, which replaces the Banns destroyed in the fire of 1988, brings to mind that the Banns, built in 1909, replaced a Holdich. This was installed, somewhat altered by Gray & Davison, in St. Paul's, Kipling Street, Southwark, where it displaced a Bryceson of-1879 (what happened to that?). St Paul's suffered war damage and became a repository for salvaged organs: the St. Paul's organ, removed and restored by Mander, went to St. Jude's, Southwark. This church had been built in 1808 as the chapel of the Philanthropic Society and for it, 'J.Gray, New Road, Fitzroy Square' built a 3three-manual in 1828. The building was consecrated as a parish church in 1850 and the organ, probably in a west gallery for it had a chayre case, was later moved to a north choir loft. It was in a very poor state when I saw it at the time of the Second World War and, despite restoration work, it was ultimately decided to install the old Holdich organ from Tonbridge instead. Ely Cathedral, 1396, cost of erecting organ, £4 8s 5d total. Includes 'fetching the organ builder and his board' 40s; 20 stones of lead; 4 white horse hides and ashen hoops for the bellows, and carpenter's wages 8 days while making them; 12 springs; 16 jemewes (hinges); sheepskins; and so on. a miscellany of glue, nails, quicksilver, and so on. (From Hopkins, English Medieval Church Organs) Saffron Walden, 1451, cost of new organ. 'For the costs and carriage of the organ and John Hundene and his servant Bs. To John Tracey of Thaxted for trying the organs lfid'. What could the organ have been? Organ Information sometimes crops up in the most unexpected places. In the diary of Sir John Evelyn FRS is an entry in 1641 (p27) for St Bavon, Haarlem: 'In the nave, hang the godliest branches of brass for tapers that I have seen, esteemed of great value for the curiosity of the workmanship; also a fair pair of organs which I could not find they made use of in divine service, or so much as to assist them in singing psalms, but only for show, and to recreate the people before and after their devotions, whilst the burgomasters were walking and conferring about their affairs'. Amongst his other references we find (29th November l644, pl34) Pope's palaces at Monte Cavallo credited with 'hydraulic organs, a fish pond! and an ample bath'. He also refers to hydraulic organs at Palace d Estq at Tivoli (6th May 1645, pl45) and on Mount Paramus (1645, p). What he meant by hydraulic organs perhaps someone can tell me. In the Suffolk County Record Offices may be found a typewritten survey and an accompanying set of tapes of many of the village church organs in the county. Perhaps a look in your own County Record Office might find something similar? If not, now's your chance! Answers to 'Who said this?' 1.E.V. Lucas 2. Alan Bennett 3.John Galsworthy Tailpiece The National Society of Cruelty to Children invite you to a Special Musical Service in Bristol Cathedral (1967 programme heading) Lady Barbara Olly, wife of the famous conductor. (Reading Chronicle) Wanted, an artist to paint A. Tromp Lewell on bathroom wall. (Huddersfield Examiner) Adopt-a-grave plan launched to bring new life to a cemetery. (Guardian and Gazette, Essex) J..P..T..Funeral Service, an independent family fun business. (Catholic Post) When a burial ground is developed, a number of bodies start to take an interest. (Kingston Guardian) People in Kenwyn are being advised to hurry if they want to be buried in the village churchyard. (Truro and Mid Cornwall Briton) Mr & Mrs P... did not want a registry office wedding because they had both been married before and felt the experience had been cold and impersonal. (Great Yarmouth Advertiser) The dead man was driving on the road from Sullen to Ardee when he was overtaken by a car coming in the opposite direction. (RTE evening news bulletin, l7th February !996)The annual mother and daughter banquet of the....Baptist Church will be on Tuesday at 6 pm. A concert of scared music will follow. (Times-Mirror, Brunswick, Maine) |