WAITED A YEAR TO DO THIS ONE (...but well worth it)

Visiting the 3 Manual Pipe Organ at St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington, UK
Forster & Andrews - 1880
Binns, Fitton & Haley - 1939
Bishop & Sons - 1987
Full History & Specification: npor.org.uk/su...
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT

[@markcooke729]

Wonderful to see an organ on a pulpitum in a parish church! They're such a rarity. Thank you for posting!

[@OrganicVisitations]

Indeed! Just a shame that the console is so poorly positioned, hidden away behind a pillar and blocking the sound. Other than that a fabulous organ! Thanks for watching and give it a share 👍🎹

[@markcooke729]

They seriously need to think about making the console mobile!@@OrganicVisitations

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@markcooke729 Apparently they are hoping to move it to a more 'suitable' position in the not too distant future. It would improve the playing experience 100%

[@louisglen1653]

A good organ for leading congregational singing. Thanks

[@chrisdenton3850]

Thanks so much for your videos. You're providing a historical document of organs in the region.

[@OrganicVisitations]

It was a pleasure to see the organ again and thank you for inviting me 😊🎹

[@TrainsPlanesOrgans]

Thanks for the visit, very nice.

[@sunkenindeaf]

I'm only a passing _sound chaser._ Cheers.

[@davidcraggs3770]

Superb organ both for liturgical accompaniment and solo work. The “Trumpet” unit which appears to cover great , choir and pedal sections, has obviously been installed on a cost effective basis and is effective.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Yes, definitely a shared trumpet, either for reasons of cost or perhaps space? Lovely organ!

[@Knappa22]

What a beautiful church and impressive organ to match :) Love that pedal section - some lovely 16’ work for variety and for a real thunder rumble when necessary. Not sold on all those Trumpets which sounded exactly the same on each manual. Perhaps they could have put a thinner sounding Cornopean for one of them - good for a more dynamic sound. I’m a sucker for a good string section - lovely Vox Celeste for the wa-wa but again a bit lonesome. A Salicional would have been nice. Im nitpicking now so I’ll shut up! It’s a very fine organ - loved the demo piece you played 🙂🙂

[@OrganicVisitations]

The trumpet is shared so you get the same sound on all manuals (bar the Swell). A Salicional would have been nice, but overall a lovely organ 👍🎹

[@user-hk5hi4yb9l]

Amazing. Good to see you still doing your visitations.

[@OrganicVisitations]

I’m still plugging away! Hope you’re well 😊

[@user-hk5hi4yb9l]

I have a contact for St. Helen's Kelloe if you ever wish to visit. It's known as the Elizabeth Barrett Browning Church.

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@user-hk5hi4yb9l Yes please! Drop me an email and we’ll arrange something! Thank you 🙏

[@TB76Returns]

It was definately worth it, what a lovely organ in...I learned the Chuch was named The Lady of the North, and quite fitting. I am looking forward to when you do Stokesley. I also had a little interesting today, I had a quick visit to the organ at Knaresborough Parish Church, built by Harris in the 50s, and it had orange stop knobs instead of the conventional white, which was interesting.

[@OrganicVisitations]

Interesting - another one to add to my bucket list 😊

[@billraty14]

Often mutations on the Great, especially when they have names like "Twelth" are diapason tone, and are usually paired with the 8' (open) Diapason as the root tone instead of the "Stopped" diapason, which is a flute. It was surprising the 1 3/5 mutation on the Great was named "Tierce" instead of "Seventeenth", then again that is an awful amount of letters to engrave on a stop head. The Swell Viola and it's celetese pair have a great chorus effect (beat)

[@OrganicVisitations]

Agreed! The Stopped Diapason was just the first one I pulled out - no reason other than that. Surprised it didn’t have a Salicional with the Celeste but the effect was nice with the next available string 👍

[@tonycross5801]

It all sounded a bit distant.

[@williamuhren5639]

Beautiful organ, beautiful church, I think John Garth 1721- 1810 the north east composer is intered in this church.

[@OrganicVisitations]

So he is, I’ve just googled it. I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing 👍🎹

[@james.flores]

Thanks for this lovely demo. No Oboe on the Swell? I see there's a thumb piston for it though?

[@OrganicVisitations]

That's a good point - it didn't occur to me while recording the video. I think there will have been an oboe before the organ was 'revamped' in 1987, but unusual not to have one. Well spotted! I hope you hit that subscribe button... 🤞🎹

[@james.flores]

@@OrganicVisitations Looking forward to your next video so of course I've subscribed :)

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@james.flores And me to yours 🙂

[@Organdude]

The Double Hautboy 16ft on the Swell played up an octave is an Oboe 8ft. Probably was 8ft originally, and an extra bottom octave was added for that 'Full Swell' effect, and as a 16ft soft pedal reed, when restored. To say that there is no oboe on the organ is not really true. One should always be resourceful, and use the trick of playing down, or up, an octave, where appropriate to get more contrasting sounds and timbres from the organ! It's very rewarding when you discover a new 'tone colour' when playing an organ!!!

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@Organdude True! Useful comment - thank you 😊

[@johnwilson-mr6pw]

You didn't tell us about the history of the organ ?? Presumably the consul was at one time part of the organ and would have been a tracker system (if the organ was built in 1880 so how did it get to have a detached consul etc.

[@OrganicVisitations]

From what I can gather the console used to be upstairs with the organ, and I agree, it would have been tracker. I’m not sure if the console was detached in 1939 or 1987, but NPOR states a new console in 1987 (although that doesn’t mean it was detached then). The console currently sits behind a pillar and blocks the sound that the organist can hear. This is soon to be rectified by moving the console into the main body of the church (apparently).

[@richardharrold9736]

The introduction is so horribly out of tune, it sounded like the organ is seriously short of wind...

[@OrganicVisitations]

Yes, I was told by the resident organist that there are some wind issues. Thanks as ever for watching 🙂

[@richardharrold9736]

@@OrganicVisitations seems slightly ironic that Darlington is home to the trust that has fundraised getting on for ten million quid to build, operate and maintain new steam locomotives, but they can't get their organ rebuilt...

[@OrganicVisitations]

@@richardharrold9736 Indeed! I'll have to prod them for a donation 🙂