The UK's leading Digital Church Organ specialist
I am sure at the beginning of 2022 we were all feeling justly happy for the future. Covid was finally a disease that could be managed thanks to our amazing vaccines and the level of take up. Life was surely back to normal to stay. Recording another organ tutorial series My first ‘event’ of the…
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While the world of YouTube and other online streaming platforms have an abundance of organ video material, it is seldom if ever presented in any detail on mainstream TV. So I was delighted to learn a few days ago that a video documentary made in 2021 by James Dawson will be shown on BBC 4…
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Yesterday I made a new friend in the organ world and I don’t understand why it took me so long to be aware of him. I am delighted to introduce you to Fugue State Films and its clearly passionate organ enthusiast owner Will Fraser. Continue reading to find out more about Will and Fugue State…
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The Bromley Organists’ & Choirmasters’ Association was founded in the 1920s to support the work of local church musicians. In the 1960s it was joined by members from the former Croydon Association and re-formed under its present title. The Association aims to encourage and promote interest in all aspects of church music and it welcomes…
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A little while ago, a Facebook group dedicated to promote interest in pipe organs published post critical of Anna Lapwood doing a recital on one of our digital instruments. I will happily admit dismay that anyone could take it upon themselves to have a pop at one of the most energetic and visible ambassadors promoting…
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Many readers of our blogs will be aware that we have a busy and growing business providing temporary digital organs for concerts and on a longer-term basis when churches and cathedrals have their pipe organs overhauled. We have provided organs all over the UK including York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral. Our partner retailer Jeffers Music…
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Over a 24 hour period, the brilliant Principal Paul Bambrough will embark upon a solo organ challenge – performing a staggering 12 recitals – to raise funds for a new school organ and to mark the 60th anniversary of The Purcell School first opening its doors. Paul will perform on an organ, provided by Viscount…
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I have had it in mind for quite a long time to make a video to help potential customers understand the extraordinary ‘audio routing’ flexibility built into all Viscount ‘Physis’ based instruments. We have touched on this capability in videos covering a broader range of topics, but this facility is so helpful in building the…
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While there have been huge advances in ‘organ tone’ generation over the last 50 years I believe it fair to say there has not been a similar scale of improvement in speaker technology. This recent discovery shows that at least one person years ago was giving attention to the speaker end of the system. Perhaps…
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The time is nearly there for a repeat organ battle performance at Selby Abbey on September 2nd 2022 . Internationally renowned organists Martin Baker and John Scott Whiteley will be taking turns on the Abbeys magnificent Hill organ, recently restored by Principal Pipe Organs, and the digital Regent Classic that was used in Canterbury Cathedral…
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Our Wales partner retailer, Aspire Classical Organs is having a great time this week at the National Eisteddfod in Tregarron, Mid Wales. A good range of organs is available to play and you can also meet and listen to David Thomas, organist at Llandaff Cathedral demonstrate the wonderful sound of the Viscount Instruments. In addition…
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Before writing this blog I thought I would establish accurately the smallest size of hole a mouse can squeeze through and Youtube provided the answer at 15.5mm. If you are interested watch this quite scientific experiment demonstrating this. I am sure I had heard a mouse could get through a hole as small as a…
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We were pleased to receive a request from the Purcell School of Music to source a home practice instrument for a young Ukrainian boy who had recently arrived in London with his mother. They are staying with a family of another pupil at the school. The headmaster, Mr Paul Bamborough, happens to be a proficient…
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We have been asked by a church to find a new owner for their small 3 rank single manual and pedal pipe organ shown in the photographs. It was made in the 1970’s by renowned builder Peter Collins of Melton Mowbray for a home customer. The rather austere lattice front is a later addition that…
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Organist Anna Lapwood makes Aldeburgh Festival debut playing Britten’s Four Sea Interludes in Snape Maltings Concert Hall, on a Regent Classic Organ. The Aldeburgh Festival 2022 is an extended, 24-day celebration of music and the arts. Programming strands include Britten and Women and a celebration of the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme at 50, and there are also…
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David Crown, conductor, is hosting a Come and Sing Fauré ‘Requiem’ together with a Ukrainian anthem. He will be joined by a professional orchestra and star soloists: Roderick Williams – Baritone Harriet Burns – Soprano David Crown describes how this war has challenged him on so many levels. He felt he wanted to do what…
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Each year I have the pleasant task of deciding what topic we should base our following year educational organ tutorial videos on. This gets harder each time to ensure that we do not repeat old ground and include matters of some genuine interest. In the early years we started with ‘Hymn of the Month’ which…
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I have been aware for many years that the Copeman Hart 32 ft addition to the nave pipe organ at Southwell Minster was in need of repair as the cones had deteriorated badly over time (as you can see from pictures below). Only held together by gaffer tape they still functioned but the tape added…
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I am indebted to the Household Division web site for the information below which is a truncated version of their much fuller history. History of the Royal Military Chapel (Guards’ Chapel) The Royal Military Chapel, or the Guards’ Chapel as it is more generally known, stands in Birdcage Walk on the south side of St….
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* Image Freddie James and Wenying Wu. The RCO’s online Winter Conference returns to offer an experience for everyone with an interest in the organ and its music. It runs from 14:00–21:00 (GMT) on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th February and from 10:00–21:30 (GMT) on Saturday 19th February 2022. The conference will be Online only…
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Any thoughts that 2021 would be a normal year were quickly dashed by the Christmas 2020 lockdown. I am sure as a consequence we all started the Year in a sombre mood. Once more I sat behind my desk unable to make plans and quickly took the decision to furlough the majority of our staff….
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Earlier this year I wrote about my first visit to Viscount HQ in almost 18 months. I left Mondaino and Viscount behind early in the morning after a brief farewell with the staff. About mid way back from the Viscount factory visit in Mondaino and after a brief stop at Sansepolcro I broke for lunch…
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About 13 years ago now we supplied one of our very first 3 manual drawstop instruments to a customer in South London. Its often after a period of ownership of this length that a number of customers have thoughts of exploring a newer instrument. This may offer an improved sound platform or just as in…
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David Burchell’s prelude on the well-known hymn tune “Love Unknown” was included in An Oxfordshire Organ Book, published by the Oxford and District Organists Association. The excellent hymn tune on which it’s based was originally written by the composer John Ireland, who died in 1972. David Burchell was organ scholar and later assistant organist at…
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