Lovely. Sounds like one or other of the Swell strings is grooved into the Gedackt, but a pretty standard cost-saving of its time. The Great diapason & principal are really rich in harmonics and overall the Great is wonderfully bright - so whilst a 2ft would be nice, it's an excellent example of how you can do without. A proper gem of an organ. Good to see you back and thanks for posting!
Another nice organ. It is nice that it is unaltered. For sure it would be nice to have a 2 foot on the great and a mixture, but on the other hand the organ is unaltered which to me makes it historically significant. The people of the perish definitely love their organ and maintain it well!
Great stuff! There was a fantastic 1880s Father Willis 3 manual in St. Peter's Monkwearmouth until it burned down in 1984. There were only 4 stops on the choir, I seem to remember one of them was a 2' piccolo. Most of the pipes were wooden.
It could do with a few more stops for day to day use, often do full mass settings such as Howells, but it still battles on, Drone photography is mine too 🤣📸
If it had a few more stops it would not be this organ, would it. Can't you accept that the builder did the designed it THIS WAY, for what ever his reasons were. I see far too many organs here that some so called organ builder (Tracker) went through and ripped out the strings, replacing them with 2' stops and mixtures. The CONGREGATION - OWNERS OF THE ORGAN, didn't like the result almost universally. Once you tamper with the tonal structure - it is no longer the work of the original builder. It's historical and musical value is gone. It is now your organ and usually unsuccessful at that.
To answer your question I suggest you read The Victorian Organ by Nicholas Thistlethwaite. The book by Ralph Downs puts it into context and gives the reasoning behind the Royal Festival Hall Organ. In the late 1960s I was privileged to play organs in Paris. One was the Gonzales 4 manual in St. George's English Church which was classical in style with some fierce mixtures that took a lot of handling. (Susan Landale was the organist a the time and played it superbly.) I eventually was let loose on the Cavaille Coll in the Americal Episcopal Cathedral where the voicing was such that the upperwork was reigned in so that the whole compass could be used without shrieking. Two complete contrasts. I have heard Reger and Rheinberger played on an organ with only one soft 2ft but it was thrilling. Horses for courses. Organists years ago were likened to Hansom Cab Horses - always wanting another stop. We as a breed are never happy.
I play a lovely little Victorian instrument by Jardine, dating from 1888: nine stops - Gt. 8,8,4,2! Sw. 8,8,8,4. Ped. 16. Very flexible and beautifully voiced. The 2' adds brightness to the Gt chorus, and can also be used effectively with the Swell 8 and 4' flutes.
Jardine are lovely! I haven’t got one on the channel yet but must do so soon. That sounds like a nice spec with a 2ft on the great. It sounds like a great instrument to play 👍🎹
Lovely instrument! I do find it quite interesting that they decided to put a double diapason on the swell.. Of course it is short the bottom octave, but still, I would expect a bourdon instead
In Sweden there are also many smaller organs from the same era, hymn organs really, most often without any 2' stop, however normally with a superoctave coupler on the Great division. I think it is pretty clever to have a 16' on the Swell though, you can couple it to the GR and close the SW, and you have a nice sort of 16' "shadow", that doesn't overpower. And for hymn singing it's quite nice to have the melody at 16' pitch for us basses and tenors!
Yes, not uncommon not to have a 2ft on an organ of this era but I’ve always wondered why it wasn’t ‘standard’ as it seems to be with newer builds. Was it for cost saving reasons or due to larger choirs and congregations who sang with gusto in those days? In this modern era I find it very noticeable NOT to have a 2ft as the tone lacks in brightness 👍🎹
The lack of a two foot on the great might have been a cost saving measure, just like the compromises on the swell. I learned to play on a 1937 organ that had no mixtures but did have three lovely reed stops.
@@OrganicVisitations I tend to agree with you but who knows what they were thinking. Most 16’ on the manual tend to muddy the sound somewhat, as they are often borrowed from the pedal division. The one place where there could be cost savings is where there’s a crescendo pedal. Most organists i know prefer to use the pistons for greater control.
@ most moderate three manuals have them in my experience, and Rodgers and Allen digitals as well. But unless you can program them easily to what you want to have happen I don’t see most organists using them.
Anytime you want 2ft tone on the Gt you simply couple the boards together and draw the Sw 2ft. The Gt OD and Princ are voiced brightly and are complete in themselves. Later additions of upperwork often unbalance the original tonal schemes of smaller instruments. There was thought best advantage to have the more complete division under expression on the Sw.
I find the 2ft piccolo too gentle in tone but agree that the use of coupling makes that useable as I mentioned in the video. I’d like to see a fifteenth on the great which I think would add that sparkle ✨👍🎹
Lovely instrument, thanks for the walk through. I am not an organist, just a music lover of all kinds. It does make me wonder: do we have the cliches "gee, that's swell!" and "gee, that's great" because somebody got a demonstration like yours once upon a time and was guessing which manual was being played while blindfolded? ;-)
Maybe I missed it, but you made no mention of the action. Presumably a tracker. Anyway, another nice video from you. Is this the first new video this year ?
Correct - I forget to mention the action but I did put it down in words on the video. It is my first video of 2025. My wife has had a couple of operations and I have been somewhat preoccupied. Back on track now hopefully 🙏 👍🎹
Yeah, 2 manual Victorian organs are rather run of the mill, just like this one. But it did have a 2ft on the swell, I know of at least one town organ with no 2fts at all, the Abbott and Smith organ of St Peter and St Paul, Pickering
Nice to see this instrument in good condition, and being looked after by the company that built it. Excellent.
Absolutely 👍🎹
Lovely. Sounds like one or other of the Swell strings is grooved into the Gedackt, but a pretty standard cost-saving of its time. The Great diapason & principal are really rich in harmonics and overall the Great is wonderfully bright - so whilst a 2ft would be nice, it's an excellent example of how you can do without. A proper gem of an organ. Good to see you back and thanks for posting!
I used to play for services on a Steele and Keay from late 1800's that had a 2' Piccolo. Very sweet sound. Alas! No more.
Steele and Keay…I’ve never come across them before. Hope you’re subscribed 😊👍🎹
Another nice organ. It is nice that it is unaltered. For sure it would be nice to have a 2 foot on the great and a mixture, but on the other hand the organ is unaltered which to me makes it historically significant. The people of the perish definitely love their organ and maintain it well!
Nice to see an organ in its traditional state but I always think a 2ft adds some sparkle ✨ 👍🎹
Just found your channel. Very enjoyable!
Thank you 😊 Please share with anyone who might be interested 👍🎹
Great stuff! There was a fantastic 1880s Father Willis 3 manual in St. Peter's Monkwearmouth until it burned down in 1984. There were only 4 stops on the choir, I seem to remember one of them was a 2' piccolo. Most of the pipes were wooden.
Wow! What a shame to lose that! 👍🎹
It could do with a few more stops for day to day use, often do full mass settings such as Howells, but it still battles on, Drone photography is mine too 🤣📸
Sorry, I pinched that off facebook 😉 Sorry I didn’t get to chat on Thursday 👍🎹
If it had a few more stops it would not be this organ, would it. Can't you accept that the builder did the designed it THIS WAY, for what ever his reasons were. I see far too many organs here that some so called organ builder (Tracker) went through and ripped out the strings, replacing them with 2' stops and mixtures. The CONGREGATION - OWNERS OF THE ORGAN, didn't like the result almost universally. Once you tamper with the tonal structure - it is no longer the work of the original builder. It's historical and musical value is gone. It is now your organ and usually unsuccessful at that.
Fair point! Agree 👍🎹
To answer your question I suggest you read The Victorian Organ by Nicholas Thistlethwaite.
The book by Ralph Downs puts it into context and gives the reasoning behind the Royal Festival Hall Organ.
In the late 1960s I was privileged to play organs in Paris. One was the Gonzales 4 manual in St. George's English Church which was classical in style with some fierce mixtures that took a lot of handling. (Susan Landale was the organist a the time and played it superbly.) I eventually was let loose on the Cavaille Coll in the Americal Episcopal Cathedral where the voicing was such that the upperwork was reigned in so that the whole compass could be used without shrieking. Two complete contrasts.
I have heard Reger and Rheinberger played on an organ with only one soft 2ft but it was thrilling.
Horses for courses. Organists years ago were likened to Hansom Cab Horses - always wanting another stop. We as a breed are never happy.
Thank you for that and hope you’re subscribed. Valuable comment 👍🎹
I must get around to reading that, especially as I was a chorister at Ely with his son, Peter (a very long time ago now)!
Organists as cab horses! What a wonderful image. I suppose it’s better than being called the organ monkey!
😂
@@Quince828 Reputedly said by a Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral
I play a lovely little Victorian instrument by Jardine, dating from 1888: nine stops - Gt. 8,8,4,2! Sw. 8,8,8,4. Ped. 16. Very flexible and beautifully voiced. The 2' adds brightness to the Gt chorus, and can also be used effectively with the Swell 8 and 4' flutes.
Jardine are lovely! I haven’t got one on the channel yet but must do so soon. That sounds like a nice spec with a 2ft on the great. It sounds like a great instrument to play 👍🎹
It sounds bright enough without one.
Just lacking a bright 2’ on the great (in my humble opinion) 👍🎹
Lovely instrument! I do find it quite interesting that they decided to put a double diapason on the swell.. Of course it is short the bottom octave, but still, I would expect a bourdon instead
Yes I agree. Not a big fan of 16ft on the manuals so a nice 8 would be nice and more useful 👍🎹
In Sweden there are also many smaller organs from the same era, hymn organs really, most often without any 2' stop, however normally with a superoctave coupler on the Great division. I think it is pretty clever to have a 16' on the Swell though, you can couple it to the GR and close the SW, and you have a nice sort of 16' "shadow", that doesn't overpower. And for hymn singing it's quite nice to have the melody at 16' pitch for us basses and tenors!
Yes, not uncommon not to have a 2ft on an organ of this era but I’ve always wondered why it wasn’t ‘standard’ as it seems to be with newer builds. Was it for cost saving reasons or due to larger choirs and congregations who sang with gusto in those days? In this modern era I find it very noticeable NOT to have a 2ft as the tone lacks in brightness 👍🎹
The lack of a two foot on the great might have been a cost saving measure, just like the compromises on the swell. I learned to play on a 1937 organ that had no mixtures but did have three lovely reed stops.
If I were cost saving it would have been on the swell 16ft in favour of a great 2ft, but that’s just me 😊👍🎹
@@OrganicVisitations I tend to agree with you but who knows what they were thinking. Most 16’ on the manual tend to muddy the sound somewhat, as they are often borrowed from the pedal division. The one place where there could be cost savings is where there’s a crescendo pedal. Most organists i know prefer to use the pistons for greater control.
But I do love a crescendo pedal! You only seem to find them on large cathedral organs and digitals sadly 👍🎹
@ most moderate three manuals have them in my experience, and Rodgers and Allen digitals as well. But unless you can program them easily to what you want to have happen I don’t see most organists using them.
Anytime you want 2ft tone on the Gt you simply couple the boards together and draw the Sw 2ft. The Gt OD and Princ are voiced brightly and are complete in themselves. Later additions of upperwork often unbalance the original tonal schemes of smaller instruments. There was thought best advantage to have the more complete division under expression on the Sw.
I find the 2ft piccolo too gentle in tone but agree that the use of coupling makes that useable as I mentioned in the video. I’d like to see a fifteenth on the great which I think would add that sparkle ✨👍🎹
It would be nice if every intro film would also be seen a photo of the organ front before the demonstration begins.
I try and include the building and front view of the organ, just to put things into context. Hope you are subscribed and thank you for watching 👍🎹
Lovely instrument, thanks for the walk through. I am not an organist, just a music lover of all kinds. It does make me wonder: do we have the cliches "gee, that's swell!" and "gee, that's great" because somebody got a demonstration like yours once upon a time and was guessing which manual was being played while blindfolded? ;-)
I wonder! Food for thought 😂👍🎹
Maybe I missed it, but you made no mention of the action. Presumably a tracker. Anyway, another nice video from you. Is this the first new video this year ?
Correct - I forget to mention the action but I did put it down in words on the video. It is my first video of 2025. My wife has had a couple of operations and I have been somewhat preoccupied. Back on track now hopefully 🙏 👍🎹
Yeah, 2 manual Victorian organs are rather run of the mill, just like this one. But it did have a 2ft on the swell, I know of at least one town organ with no 2fts at all, the Abbott and Smith organ of St Peter and St Paul, Pickering
True! You need to email me your contact details as you’re pretty close by and you may be able to help with visits? If you don’t mind?
So it does have a 2 foot stop!
A weak one on the swell, but you rarely see a bright Fifteenth on the great on organs of this period 🙄👍🎶
Because you don't need one, or anything with a fraction or roman numeral for that matter.
Adds some brightness, but just my opinion 👍🎹
@ It has that piccolo if you need that piquant point of silver.