I'VE BEEN CONVERTED 😲 (...a nice 16ft on the Swell)

[@louisglen1653]

Quite a selection of voices when considering the size of the organ. Thanks for another nice organ! I don't think it would take much work to adjust the tremulant. It was pretty easy to do on the organs I have done things with.

[@OrganicVisitations]

No, they’re pretty easy to adjust. Not my organ to fiddle with though 👍

[@billraty14]

Manual doubles, or "the dreaded 16' stop", are indispensible for adding gravity to plenum (IMHO). The trouble is they're often too broadly scaled and regulated, with one source recommending that the scale be 4 points lower than the 8' foundation on the manual.

[@ianbrowne8871]

The organ might sound better if you did not pull out every stop, in doing so I suspect wind is being robbed. Full organ is better understood as a selected Great diapasons 8,4, 12, 15 mixture if one exists. If there is a 16’ it might add substance and on old organs a Stopped Diapason covered the irregularities of the Open Diapason. To this a trumpet adds a climax. The only other additions might be the swell diapason chorus, mixture and selected reeds if the exist. The soft stops on a swell and choir do not add any volume and may well muddy the sound and make it less musical. The blower and bellows must struggle and when most of these organs were hand blown ……. It might be worth seeing the difference when recording such a ‘full organ’ as opposed to just pulling out all the stops. The tone may be brighter and more musical.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Very true - just experimenting I suppose 👍😊

[@ianbrowne8871]

@@OrganicVisitations I much enjoy your visits to highlight the gems to be found among the village and small town organs. I hope people treasure them, but all too often they are poorly sited in a chancel or organ chamber and cannot support congregational singing and this leads churches to get rid of them as they fail to do the job. I remember the organ builder who restored the instrument in the Anglican cathedral in Malta saying that they did not think it worthwhile restoring it as it sounded like a harmonium. The organist only used the Gamba and Celeste being too timid to the fine choruses! The Victorians assumed that a chancel choir would lead singing but this never really worked and today many churches have no choir. I am amused by the many comments wishing for additions for correct baroque registrations - these instruments were never designed for such things and you make do with what you have. I doubt village organists played any Bach before 1900, they played simple transcriptions or voluntaries for village organists. The organist at Lichfield Cathedral refused to used the might independent pedal organ of the 1860s - he only played the Bach 48 P&F and added a pedal note at the end if his bunions allowed. These village organs may not have manual doubles or pedal reeds but may only have 12-14 stops max. If you are lucky you have a well voiced instrument which sings in a good acoustic. All too often our church buildings are low in height and have wooden roofs and pews which make for dead acoustics. It is worth remembering that the great organ in Haarlem would not fit in Westminster Abbey, the vaults are too low! So much depends on the building, which can be the best stop on the organ. A small instrument sited at the west end or in the nave can be very effective. Keep up the good work!😇

[@jean-paul7251]

Agree. Lot of peddle watching going on too. My organ teacher would have gone mad!

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@jean-paul7251 Sorry 😞

[@ringerpaul3118]

@@OrganicVisitations Some of us like to pedal watch! 🤣

[@petertwidell5967]

re the pedal departments on Foster and Andrews instruments, as I live with in 25 miles of hull ,there are a number of their organs in this area- I have played few of various sizes I have always felt that the pedal departments have been almost an afterthought - but 'i still like their organs.

[@4007489885]

The 2’ swell stop is a Flageolet. It is an open pipe, usually a flute.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Correct 👍

[@MegaMobass]

Very lovely little organ. The vox Humana could use a little love but very hearty and delicious sound.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Agreed! Thanks for watching 👍😊

[@jonnypritchard6609]

Absolutely beautiful music bro 😊😊😊😊

[@coraelizabethbrna439]

TWO 16’ Stops on one swell?! 😍😍😍😍😍 Also, I feel like that tremulant on the swell can be adjusted down a bit. The mechanism noise doesn’t bother me, but it’s so harsh that I feel like it takes away from the musicality of it

[@OrganicVisitations]

My lucky day!! The tremulant is a bit harsh - I agree 👍

[@ericalbany]

Here in the US I play a tracker organ of similar age with a tremulant that also thuds- I used to avoid it but inquiry from the listeners proved that they couldn't hear the mechanism down on the floor.@@OrganicVisitations

[@andrewgrahame6000]

The reed was originally at 8-foot pitch, so only the flue was originally the only manual double. According to NPOR the Oboe was transposed to 16-foot pitch with a new bass octave in 1964.

[@coraelizabethbrna439]

@@OrganicVisitations when I’m next in the UK, you and I will sit down at an organ and I WILL covert you to the joys of 16’ on the manuals haha! As always, great video!!! And if you wouldn’t mind a suggestion, which you’re obviously free to disregard, at some point, maybe over top of some playing, it would be nice to see pictures of the interior of the sanctuaries you’re in! There’s something about churches in the UK that is just beauty unrivalled, even in the small, simple country churches! Anyway, your video, your format, your rules! You’re doing great whether you take my suggestion or not!! Keep at it! ❤️

[@coraelizabethbrna439]

@@andrewgrahame6000 wow! Thanks for that history!!

[@davidcraggs3770]

After looking at the NPOR I noticed that you overlooked to mention that the Swell Organ has an 8ft Stopped Diapason and a 3 Rank Mixture. If ever any restoration work was carried out a .4ft Clarion in place of that poor Vox Humana would be an improvement on the Swell and conversion of the Pedal Organ to Electric action would allow for enlargement to include one or two 8ft stops and even a 16ft Pedal Trombone if there was space and funds available. A second hand Trombone would cost a fraction of a brand new purpose made one.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Did I not mention the swell stops? I blame the arctic temperature… Totally agree with the pedal/Vox Humana and Trombone comments - would certainly add something!

[@davidholmes9756]

He mentioned the 8' Hohl Flute which is unusual as F & A used Stopped Diapasons. It's hardly likely the standard Vox Humana is original except the engraving matches.

[@TB76Returns]

So 16ft manual stops are not such a bad thing after all? :P

[@OrganicVisitations]

Well…the 16’ reed was nice 👌 😉

[@y11971alex]

good heavens what would you say if you came across a 32' on manual if there is such reticence towards a 16'

[@OrganicVisitations]

Just my personal opinion and I know many disagree 😊 I’ll let you know what I think when I find one…which, as it happens, might be just around the corner 😉

[@y11971alex]

@@OrganicVisitations looking forward to it!

[@JontyTrain]

Which publication is the William Walton Shakespeare music in please. BTW I'd only add a 16ft manual stop after drawing everything up to 15th or mixture.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Oxford University Press ‘Three Pieces For Organ’ (I think…). Don’t have it in front of me but I think I’m right. Thanks for info on the 16’ 👍😊🎹

[@ringerpaul3118]

Thank you, another great video and a lovely organ! The tremulant is a bit 'The Sale of the Century'. I can't find a link to Peter Fenn playing the theme on Hammond Organ: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5uzgIdqorVrmZo Oh nice, you are playing Walton's Elegy. I like that 16' swell reed. Were you going to say "Using all the couples makes the action heavy"?

[@OrganicVisitations]

I was going to say that....Or did I say it?