American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

[Guest]

I have heard of the new pipe organ in Lausanne Cathedral, Switzerland by an American builder and I am trying to think if there are any in the United Kingdom. We get lots of American digital organ from there, but why are there not more pipe organs?

[Jay999]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

There's a fairly new installation of an old Hook & Hastings somewhere in Germany. I forget where exactly. Perhaps someone on this thread can recall. Not aware of any American organs in the UK, however. There are a few theatre organs in Britian that were made by Wurlitzer, but I don't think that's what your curious about? Best wishes.....

[soubasse32]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?



There areseveral issues to consider:

1. The U.K. is a fairly mature market, in that organbuilding is a fairly established trade and most of the churches which need organs, already have one. The fact that there are so many 'redundant' organs indicates that therethe demandfor new instruments is not as strong as it once was.

2. It ismoreexpensive to ship an instrument halfway around the globe, than to have one manufactured nearby. The fall of the U.S. dollar might stimulate future imports into the UK, unless the British pound falls too.

3. American tonal designmay not be a British organist's'cup of tea'. [;)] Perhaps the local market is resistant to outside influences? I think that is changing, as I've seen organs by Klais, Frobenius, Marcussen, Flentrop, etc. in the U.K.

Nevertheless, some American organs have crossed the pond. A quick search shows:

• Austin II/14 for Rushden Baptist Chapel, Northamptonshire


• Austin II/19 for J. H. Marshall Residence, London


• a 'travelling' MöllerV/27 for theatre organist Reginald Foort


• as Jay mentioned, there were some Wurlitzers
[/list]


I chose to look up these builders as they were quite prominent in the 20th century;other queriesshowed no evidence of any Skinners,Aeolian-Skinners, or Casavantsbeing sent to the UK. I also checked the National Pipe Organ Register, but found it limited to onlyBritish builders. There doesn't seem to be a repository of information on organs after 1950 in the UK.



An interesting question -I had a bit of fun with it. [:)]



[quote user="Jay999"]There's a fairly new installation of an old Hook & Hastings somewhere in Germany. I forget where exactly. Perhaps someone on this thread can recall.[/quote]



It is in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin: http://www.hook-orgel.de/

[Guest]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?



There is a fine instrument by Lawrence Phelps (1923-1999) in Hexham Abbey.

http://www.lawrencephelps.com/Docume...s/hexham.shtml

Installed in 1974, it was built in the US then shipped across to Hexham.

It is mechanical, with two manuals and 34 stops.

There are at least two recordings of it that I know of, both in performances by

Lawrence's wife, Dame Gillian Weir.

[Guest]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?



I believe that the Austin in the Rushden Baptist Chapel, Northamptonshire UK,was built by Austin before he emigrated to the USA,.

Don't forget the 100 or so Aeolian Pipe Organswhich were installed in the UK, the majority of which, like my Aeolian opus 1431, were entirely built in New Jersey, although the actual installation was carried out by the English firm of A E Davies. Around 25 or so of these have survived in one form or another, only 3 of them in their original locations. Most of the currentsurvivors werebought backfrom their original ownersby Davies andrebuilt into churches after WW2, with greatly altered specifications; Residence installations had become unfashionable in the 1950s and raw materials for new organs were still being rationed. There were also at least 2 Esteys and several installations by Welte, although all of these were built by the German parent company. The National Pipe Organ Register, excellent though it is, is rather sketchy when it comes to20th Century residence installations.

[ponsonby britt]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

Jay999:

There's a fairly new installation of an old Hook & Hastings somewhere in Germany. I forget where exactly. Perhaps someone on this thread can recall.

It is in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Berlin: http://www.hook-orgel.de/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What little hair I still have on my head stood up straightwhen I read the following (click on link):

http://www.organclearinghouse.com/newsletter/index.php

I imagine they're trying to figure out the logistics of getting it from New Jersey to Germany. At any rate, it's very exciting news. I wonder who will get the job of restoring it?

L.

[bluetantra]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

Wurlitzer Opus 956, located in Beer, East Devon: http://www.beerwurly.co.uk/. Mike Cull, of http://www.organshow.co.uk/is the driving force behind the current restoration effort.

[Guest]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

A new American organ for England

The news that the firm of Richards, Fowkes & Co. has completed an agreement to build a new organ for St Georges, Hanover Square, London, UK has been greeted with much excitement in England.

This firm, though largely unknown to ‘village organists’ like myself, is understood by those who know it, to be at the top of the organ-building profession. It is listed as opus 18 on their link

http://www.richardsfowkes.com/index.php

which also goes on to explain that the 1724 St Georges, Hanover Square was Handel’s own parish church. Most UK organists will regard this as the first American organ in England (not strictly[/I] true if you remember there is a Phelps at Hexham Abbey etc.)

General Cancel

[regeron]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?



Sorry, I don't know about any more American organs in the UK, but besides the organ in Berlin already mentioned, there is a Wurlitzer [4 manual/16 rank] in the Musik Instrument Museum in Berlin.

http://www.theatreorgans.com/berlin/

The website says it's played every Saturday at noon.

[myorgan]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

[quote user="soubasse32"] Nevertheless, some American organs have crossed the pond. A quick search shows:

• a 'travelling' MöllerV/27 for theatre organist Reginald Foort
[/list]



[/quote]


This brings up an interesting question for me. Are any of these organs listed extant? Last I read about the Möller built for Mr. Foort, it had been permanently installed somewhere outside the UK--perhaps back in the US--seems I remember California?



Michael

[Guest]

Re: American pipe organs. Are there any in the UK?

Reginald Foort's big Moller is installed in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.