• Welcome to the Pipe Organ Forum! This is a part of the open community Magle International Music Forums focused on pipe organs (also known as "church organs"), organists, organ music and related topics.

    This forum is intended to be a friendly place where technically advanced organists and beginners (or even non-organists) can feel comfortable having discussions and asking questions. We learn by reading and asking questions, and it is hoped that the beginners (or non-organists) will feel free to ask even the simplest questions, and that the more advanced organists will patiently answer these questions. On the other hand, we encourage complex, technical discussions of technique, music, organ-building, etc. The opinions and observations of a diverse group of people from around the world should prove to be interesting and stimulating to all of us.

    As pipe organ discussions can sometimes become lively, it should be pointed out that this is an open forum. Statements made here are the opinion of the poster, and not necessarily that of the forum itself, its administrator, or its moderators.

    In order to post a new topic - or reply to existing ones - you may join and become a member by clicking on Register New User. It's completely free and only requires a working email address (in order to confirm your registration - it will never be given away!). We strive to make this a friendly and informative forum for anyone interested in pipe organs and organ music.

    (Note: If you wish to link to and promote your own website please read this thread first.)

    Many kind regards
    smile.gif

    Frederik Magle
    Administrator

    Krummhorn
    Co-Administrator

Tracking a Vowles Organ

DaveStMaelog

New member
Hello. I found this site by entering "Vowles Tracker" into Google. I had hoped that this would lead me somewhere that would enable me to track the history of an organ located in St Maelog's church, Llandefaelog Fach, nr Brecon in Powys, Wales. However, once I had entered my details, the site seemed to offer everything but that I sought. So, my purpose in life is to identify the Vowles organ, a 2 manual instrument made by Vowles of Bristol, to attempt to find where it came from, who bought it and at what cost. Generally, any information about this instrument would be gratefully received.

It was said that the instrument came from St Mary's church in Brecon in 1890 and that the service of re-dedication was well reported in the local newspaper. I have searched all the back copies for 1890 with no such report being found. Also, the National Register of Pipe Organs shows a transfer of an organ from St Mary's, but this was a Holland, not a Vowles and it went to St John's Priory, now Brecon cathedral.

Am I in the right place?

DaveStMaelog
 

marval

New member
Hello Dave

Welcome to the forum, I cannot help you , but we have some more experienced people who might be able to point you in the right direction.

Please stay around, you might get some more answers.


Margaret
 

Soubasse

New member
Hi Dave,

You are from one of my favourite parts of the world, I still haven't forgotten the magical effect that Brecon had on me when I first visited. Welcome aboard.

The reason your search turned up this forum is that there is a registered member here who went by the very handle of "Vowles Tracker." I haven't heard from him for a long time though, and he's only made 12 posts in the last 4 years. He is actually from my very neck of the woods (and he used to be from yours!) and I never got around to finding out who he was because chances are I know him (I'm aware he knows me!). If you do a search here and drop him a PM, it's vaguely possible you could get his attention. I gather that he plays a Vowles in his church. That's as much help as I can be sorry. His Magle profile is here:

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/members/vowles-tracker.html

Kind regards,
MPA
 

Dorsetmike

Member
There's quite a long list of Vowles organs on NPOR (search on builder). Have you tried contacting NPOR they may be able to direct you to other sources of information, or maybe interested in research of their own. Is the organ still playable?
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Hello Dave and welcome to the forum. I grew up in Aberdyfi and still have a strong affinity with Wales parly because I do have some Welsh blood. Which makes me doubly sorry that I can't help you with this problem.

teddy.
 

DaveStMaelog

New member
Tracking a Vowles Organ.

There's quite a long list of Vowles organs on NPOR (search on builder). Have you tried contacting NPOR they may be able to direct you to other sources of information, or maybe interested in research of their own. Is the organ still playable?

Thank you yes, I have investigated the National Pipe Organ Register. It was there I found that the organ transferred from St Mary's in Brecon was a Holland and not our Vowles, and it was transferred to St John Priory, now the cathedral. Our Vowles was at one time, hand pumped, but has had an electric pump added at a later date.
 

DaveStMaelog

New member
Hi Dave,

You are from one of my favourite parts of the world, I still haven't forgotten the magical effect that Brecon had on me when I first visited. Welcome aboard.

The reason your search turned up this forum is that there is a registered member here who went by the very handle of "Vowles Tracker." I haven't heard from him for a long time though, and he's only made 12 posts in the last 4 years. He is actually from my very neck of the woods (and he used to be from yours!) and I never got around to finding out who he was because chances are I know him (I'm aware he knows me!). If you do a search here and drop him a PM, it's vaguely possible you could get his attention. I gather that he plays a Vowles in his church. That's as much help as I can be sorry. His Magle profile is here:

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/members/vowles-tracker.html

Kind regards,
MPA

Thank you for your kind welcome. Even if I do not succeed in finding out about our Vowles Organ, this site has given me the beautiful rendition of Toccata and Fugue in D on Riga cathedral organ. I have been there and listened to that instrument and you have my envy at being allowed to play on it. You may be interested to know that, with a Latvian friend, I helped to write the English version of the guide about the facade of that magnificent instrument.
 
Last edited:

DaveStMaelog

New member
Hello Dave and welcome to the forum. I grew up in Aberdyfi and still have a strong affinity with Wales parly because I do have some Welsh blood. Which makes me doubly sorry that I can't help you with this problem.

teddy.

Well teddy, you are always welcome to visit us here. The church is always open and we keep a welcome in our hillsides. I don't play the organ in the church, but I do ring the bells. We have a ring of six, with two of them dating pre-reformation (1480-1500)
 

Soubasse

New member
Hello again Dave,

I've just google-mapped your location and re-read your description of St Maelogs ... and I'm pretty well convinced that I've been there. If it's the place I'm thinking of then I'm extremely envious (but then I am of most folk in the northern hemisphere anyway!)
 

DaveStMaelog

New member
Hello again Dave,

I've just google-mapped your location and re-read your description of St Maelogs ... and I'm pretty well convinced that I've been there. If it's the place I'm thinking of then I'm extremely envious (but then I am of most folk in the northern hemisphere anyway!)

Thank you. If you have google mapped us, then you will know what long walk I have to church! We are immediately opposite the church and the house used to be the vicarage to the church that was on the site before the Victorian builders replaced it.
 
Top