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John Avery Chamber Organ 1792Available for HW IV and HW V
This is a rare and charming organ representing our first facsimile English organ dating from before the 1800's.
This organ has had quite a history; according to various records this being the third church in which it has been located. It is difficult to ascertain whether the records are referring to the same instrument since it would seem to have been a two manual with a specification totally unrelated to the present specification and layout for some part of its existence. Certainly it has been in the current church since 1903 and at that time it was reported as being a barrel and finger organ which would imply a single manual instrument. It was repaired / restored in 1959 by persons unknown and in 1988 it was completely restored by William Drake who more recently, restored the famous Bridge organ at Christ Church, Spitalfields. The current specification quoted in the N.P.O.R. states that all of the pipework is by Avery with the exception of the new Sesquialtera and Cornet (Drake). The casework which is presented in a rather lurid reddish colour is gothic in style and dates from 1881. There is some evidence at the rear of the instrument that at one time there was a barrel mechanism. The instrument had pedals at one time but these were removed in the Drake restoration.
John Avery was quite a character and although he was a craftsman of considerable skills, his personal life was rather fraught with problems. In addition to being drunk most of the time, he was often in prison for debt and indeed, he died in the Giltspur Street Compter, London ( a prison for debtors as well as a house of correction). He was also reputed to remove pipes from organs he had already built and putting them in other organs.
However, despite this rather bad reputation, he produced excellent work when sober and solvent and his instruments included Winchester and Carlisle cathedrals as well as St Margaret's, Westminster. Whilst nothing of his larger instruments remains, there are still a few small chamber instruments in existence.
The instrument is a small single manual with five stops and no pedals. The two unison stops are undivided but the remainder split at Middle C. It retains the old long compass down to G and finishes at F thus having a compass of 59 notes. The keyboard slides out into place once the covering "flap" is opened. As per the norm for instruments of this period, G# in the bass does not exist in the real instrument (we have provided pitch shifted notes to provide the missing pipes). The tuning is Meantone Fifth Comma which makes a certain number of keys unpleasant or impossible to play in. Thanks to Hauptwerk many different temperaments can be applied as users see fit. The instrument is cone tuned throughout.
The specification is:
Dulciana (an Echo Diapason)
Stopped Diapason
Principal Bass
Principal Treble
Fifteenth Bass
Fifteenth Treble
Sesquialtera Bass
Cornet Treble
There is a shifting pedal to cancel or bring on the upper work*.
The compass of the Sesquialtera is 17:19:22 breaking back to 15:17:19 at 053-F. Cornet is 12:17 throughout from middle C. The keyboard compass is 59 notes from 031-G to 089-F.
We have presented the organ in three different versions: Version 1 is of the organ recorded very close up at about 2' from the pipes. Version 2 is of the organ recorded from about 10' back and Version 3 combines both close and medium recordings with the choice of either or both recording positions. The reverberation in the church is fairly minimal and the medium distance set is presented "wet". The close recorded samples are to all intent and purpose dry with negligible ambience.
*N.B. The reversible pedal that cancels out the split upper-work stops has not been included because it would be impossible to duplicate this facility exactly as it works in real life. Seven combinations plus a cancel have been provided as an alternative and additional control method. Because HW defaults to a C compass keyboard, it will be necessary for users to reset the bottom note as 031-G using the "Keyboards" settings under "Organ Settings" in order to access the "long" GGG compass. the screen shots below are for the close and medium combined sets.
N.B. The library has both organs available under one "instrument" with a choice of either "listening" position or both Close and Medium together (for use in surround / multi channel set-ups).
AVERY 1792: £35.00
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James Davis Chamber Organ 1790Available for HW IV and HW V
This is another rare and charming organ representing our second facsimile English HW organ dating from before the 1800's.
The organ is presented in a much more sumptuous case than the smaller Avery instrument and it would seem that it was built for the church - there being no records of it having been placed elsewhere in its history.
The instrument is a large single manual with nine stops and pedals. The Stopped Diapason and the Mixture are split into bass and treble halves whilst the remainder are complete. The instruments has a long compass down to G, finishing at F giving a compass of 59 notes. The keyboard slides out into place once the covering "flap" is opened. As per the norm for instruments of this period, G# in the bass does not exist in the real instrument (we have provided pitch shifted notes to provide the missing pipes). The tuning is most likely 10th. comma which allows pretty much all keys to be played without the unpleasant wolves of other temperaments. Thanks to Hauptwerk many different temperaments can be applied as users see fit. The instrument is cone tuned throughout. The instrument remains untouched and unaltered with the exception of the provision of an electric blower a few years ago. The drawstops are held in by a notch when "off" and spring out when "pulled".
The specification is:
Double Diapason
Open Diapason
Dulciana
Stopped Diapason Bass
Stopped Diapason Treble
Principal
Flute
Fifteenth
Sesquialtera
Cornet
Hautboy
There is a shifting pedal to cancel or bring on the upper work.
The Sesquialtera and Cornet are misnamed since neither contain a third sounding rank and are merely straight forward 19:22 based quint mixtures breaking at C-60 which is also where the stop splits. Compasses of some of the other stops are a little strange in that with the exception of the Stopped Diapason none of the unison stops extend to low G (10 2/3'). The Dulciana ceases at C-48 and the Open Diapason only goes down to F#-42. The remainder is not grooved. The Double Diapason finishes at G-43. The Hautboy is a short compass stop commencing at C-60.
The keyboard compass is 59 notes from 031-G to 089-F and the pedal compass is 17 notes (the bottom G# is missing) from G-31 to C-48.
We have presented the organ in three different versions: Version 1 is of the organ recorded very close up at about 2" from the pipes. Version 2 is of the organ recorded from about 10' back and Version 3 combines both close and medium recordings with the choice of either or both recording positions. The reverberation in the church is fairly minimal and the medium distance set is presented "wet". The close recorded samples are to all intent and purpose dry with negligible ambience.
N.B. The reversible pedal that cancels out the split upper-work stops has not been included because it would be impossible to duplicate this facility exactly as it works in reality. Seven combinations plus a cancel have been provided as an alternative. Because HW defaults to a C compass keyboard, it will be necessary for users to reset the bottom note as 031-G using the "Keyboards" settings under "Organ Settings" in order to access the GGG compass. the screen shot below is for the close and medium combined set.
James Davis founded his business in 1780 together with his brother David near the Lancastrian town of Preston. The business was moved to London in 1790 and Samuel Renn the nephew of James was apprenticed to the firm at this time eventually becoming foreman. The company produced a large number of small instruments together with larger instruments including Wymondham Abbey, Stockport and Stonyhurst College. David became a partner with Clementi the piano and harpsichord maker and Samuel Renn went on to found the company of Renn, the Renn and Boston. Samuel Renn had a nephew called Kirtland who took over the business in 1845 and he in turn was joined by a partner called Jardine. Eventually the company became known by the singular name of Jardine. Thus as with many organ builders it was a small world and it is often surprising as to who turns up where in many organ builders histories.
Although the output of Davis was quite large, only about 18 instruments are known to survive and the majority of these have been completely absorbed into instruments by later builders. Those organs that remain in original and unaltered condition are few and far between.
N.B. The library has both organs available under one "instrument" with a choice of either "listening" position or both Close and Medium together (for use in surround / multi channel set-ups).
JAMES DAVIS 1790: £55.00
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Anonymous @ 1760-1780Available for HW IV and HW V
This instrument can be found in a tiny church in a little countryside village hamlet which is barely on the map. It is one of a few known to me that are not currently listed under the N.P.O.R. The case design and tonal quality of the basic instrument would lead me to believe that it was constructed somewhere between 1760 and 1780 as a single manual for its original owner and at a later time (post @ 1850), the instrument was moved to its current location and rebuilt as a two manual and pedal instrument with two extra stops : Keraulophone 8' and Wald Flute 4'. I estimate post 1850 because the Keraulophone (an attempt at a string stop) was not invented until 1843 by Gray and Davison.
The instrument casework implies that it is an altered single manual chamber organ because there is a very definite "join" at the sides. I believe that the rear of the sides were tacked on to the original and were taken from the back of the instrument. The compass extends to F54 and some of the stops extend only down to F18 as is common in other chamber organs of the late 1700's. The dummy half wooden decorated "metal" case-front pipes are also typical of this period and type of instrument. As to where it came from and who built it, this is entirely conjecture. Certainly, several builders of chamber organs could have been responsible since there are other examples of their work in the area. The church in itself is of the Victorian age so the instrument obviously came from somewhere else originally as stated above. Close by is an old former priory owned by a well known impresario and I reckon that the instrument probably originated from here.
Despite the fact that the blower is rather hissy and I had to resort to tape and blu-tac to reduce the noise, the stops in themselves are very pleasant and the diapason chorus of 8, 4 and 2 on the Great blends well. There is an additional Dulciana and a divided Stopped Diapason which are also rather nice. I have already mentioned the Keraulophone which definitely would not have been part of any original instrument but the 4' Flute is a standard open stop of wood contruction.
I have decided to create the HW instrument in two versions which include
1. The original odd specification with an added simple Bourdon pedal.
2. As an extended single manual with pedal which moves the 4' Swell flute to join the Great and I have added a typical split Sesquialtera / Cornet. The Keraulophone has been omitted.
As you can see from the photos, there are no pedal coupler drawstops and the manuals are automatically connected by pull-downs.
The specification is as follows;
GREAT ORGAN
Stopped Diapason Bass 8 ft
Stopped Diapason Treble 8 ft
Open Diapason 8 ft
Principal 4 ft
Dulciana 8 ft
Fifteenth 2 ft
SWELL ORGAN
Kraulophone 8 ft
Principal 4 ft
Swell to Great
The second and third photos above show the stop arrangement for the Swell and Great organs and likewise photos 4 and 5 show the pipework. Notice the classic Keraulophone holes at the top. In the final photograph, you can see the join in the cornice which coincides exactly with the start of the swell box. Obviously the new console was tacked on to the front replacing the original. The HW stop screens are shown below:
ANONYMOUS: £40.00
E. J. Johnson 1971Available for HW IV and HW V + VI
This is a modern instrument built by the well respected Cambridge firm of Johnson. It is a typical box / continuo instrument with five stops and is situated in a tiny church in the middle of the Somerset countryside. Several identical and almost identical instruments can be found in a number of other locations including universities and cathedrals. The church is interesting in that the original footprint of the building remains showing a larger building. However, a fire destroyed much of the fabric and when the church was rebuilt, the original sacristy area was not rebuilt and the church was shortened to its present size. The footprint of the original sacristy is still visible. The organ is adequate to accompany the small occasional congregations that attend in this remote village.
When the organ was first installed, only three stops were provided with the remaining stops prepared for and these were added some decades later so that the instrument is now complete. The quality of craftsmanship is typical of the firm and the materials used are also of high quality with spotted metal and hardwood being used for the pipework. As you will hear; the tonal quality of the instrument is neither old English chamber organ or too modern European and strikes a useful balance between the two schools.
There is an amusing anecdote connected with the sampling of this instrument in that I got imprisoned in the church when the caretaker came to lock up late in the afternoon without checking that there was anyone inside. It was only by fortune that my partner was passing by and discovered the church locked with me inside it (I was still sampling). With no mobile phone (and no signal anyway) things might have been difficult since the church is literally in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, we were able to get to a point where a signal could be found about half a mile down the road, contact was made with the caretaker and I was eventually released from my prison. The vicar and the whole hamlet were highly amused.
The specification is as follows:
Gedeckt 8'
Rohrflute 4'
Principal 2'
Tierce 1 3/5' (Middle C)
Mixture II rks (22:26)
E.J. JOHNSON 1971: £55.00
The photos below show the real instrument and church together with the fully functional Hauptwerk instrument. The graphics and ODF have been developed by Stephen and Olivia Nagioff.
Harmonium
The harmonium or its American equivalent - the reed organ, is a much maligned instrument being likened to a giant accordion in some circles or a heap of worthless junk in others. When played by a master and used to play music directly composed for it, the harmonium is a truly fascinating instrument of great complexity and equal art in its construction to the pipe organ. The main problem with the harmonium per se is that apart from the intriguing instruments currently produced for Indian music, it tends to be a relic of the past. Because it has always been deemed as an inferior instrument to the pipe organ or indeed electronic instruments, it has tended to languish within the realms of dusty antique shops and old ladies boudoirs (plus of course the odd out of the way church or chapel).
Sadly, most harmoniums have never been touched since they were made. Restoration is not generally considered to be worth the effort and as anyone knows who has tried, cleaning out 100 years or so of dust and mouse droppings often results in a far worse result than not doing so. Often as not, the accumulated dirt is the only thing making the instrument playable in the first place. Corrosion of the brass reeds along with accumulated muck hardly helps matters. Even moving a harmonium from its nest will often as not result in it never being the same again.
Fortunately, we were able to find one that was playable and had indeed been cleaned, restored and tuned to A440 (though the latter is not essential with the abilities of HW).
It was not our goal to reproduce a facsimile of a concert harmonium such as those made by Alexandre and Mustel complete with all of their various specialist features but merely to produce a playable and musically valid instrument that could be used in such works as the Rossini Messe etc. that would sound authentic and be in tune. We have kept the specification to a bare minimum and resisted the temptation to expand the instrument into a two manual and pedal version (though this is fairly easily achieved by anyone who wishes to do so).
Two versions are available: The first version is a straight forward five octave instrument with a swell pedal acting in place of the "Forte" stops and the second is exactly the same but split into upper and lower halves from the centre of the keyboard.
Stop names are pretty much irrelevant since few bear any resemblance to their nomenclature but we have provided some innocuous titles to serve.
The basic specification is as follows:-
Contrabasso 16'
Diapason 8'
Melodia 8'
Eoline 8'
Celeste 8'
Fifre 4'
We have provided Octave, Suboctave and Unison off couplers plus thumb pistons for combinations and ease of use. The Forte stops are introduced by means of a swell pedal and there is a "Tremelo" (normally called Vox Humana). There is currently no provision for the noise of the foot bellows, stop or key noise since it was felt that these would detract from the purpose of the instrument. The split version splits at Middle F although this can be changed should it be deemed necessary.
Please check out the excellent performances by Andrew Grahame on the ContreBombarde site.
N.B. Special licencing conditions apply to this library. This library is licenced for home use and personal study ONLY. For commercial installations or where the instrument is to be used in public performances of works such as the Rossini "Messe Petite Solemnele" please contact us for further details. At some point in the future we hope to sample and create a more advanced model which would be based on a larger instrument and subject to us finding one that is suitable to sample.
