Another fine Pymble organ

[Contratrombone64]

Now this one I must try and play too, as it's up the street from the College where I work. The pedal stops are rather wonderful (at least on paper), so full!

http://www.sydneyorgan.com/PymbleUC.html

[wljmrbill]

sounds like this would be fun to play with a pretty good registration available for smaller instrument.

[jhnbrbr]

Very interesting - there's no doubt that the "unit" construction makes limited resources massively more flexible and maybe it should be taken a lot more seriously. Has anyone ever built a non-extension unit organ, I wonder? You get the impression that the organ is slightly ashamed to be "unit" and the stop list disguises the fact to some extent. If you took the principle (unfortunate choice of word) to its logical conclusion, the manuals would be called simply "upper" and "lower" and they would have identical stop lists, and it would be entirely down to the player which voices were assigned to which keyboard. The biggest disadvantage, as far as i can see, is that you can't have volume control by manual, only by rank (but that could be achieved in an electronic/virtual "unit" organ). It must often be the case with conventional organs (and electronic simulations of them) that the player wishes a certain rank could be temporarily transplanted to a different division (eg needing a great 16' foundation stop for Piece Heroique) -

btw Does anyone else apart from me not know what a narthex is?

[Contratrombone64]

narthex??

[jhnbrbr]

Quote; "a new narthex was constructed to provide more space at the northern end."

[el_supremo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthex

Pete
I didn't know either :-)

[jhnbrbr]

Three new words in one day: narthex, esonarthex and exonarthex! Thanks Pete!

[marval]

Excuse me, would you mind not swearing.

[Contratrombone64]

narthex inDEED ... silly church vernacular is enough to swivle my monstrance.

[dll927]

Come on, guys -- a narthex is just church slang for a lobby, vestibule, or whatever else you want to call it -- it's out in front where you come in.

[Soubasse]

"Reception" perhaps? Or maybe The Waiting Room (no hang on, that's purgatory isn't it? )

[greatcyber]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthex

Pete
I didn't know either :-)

You sure seem to get around. I downloaded some of your music from http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/home/browse and am quite enjoying it. Tks.

How would you like to tackle this organ?

[el_supremo]

I downloaded some of your music ... and am quite enjoying it

Thanks.
There's only the one piece and that's about as difficult a piece as I can manage.

How would you like to tackle this organ?

I wouldn't know where to start! I've only recently got interested in playing virtual organ and I'm having enough fun (or problems) trying to use two manuals.

Pete

[Contratrombone64]

Stephen - the Wannamaker organ typifies, for me, all that is American: Due to an absolute need to have the biggest and best of everything, they have created this monster with ALL the bells and whistles (literally). Such displays are wince worthy and only irritate those less fortuante I imagine.

So, as incredible as the instrument IS - I have no desire to travel to Philadelphia (far more interesting Yanky cities to visit like Chicago or Boston) and I have no desire to play with a group of people who are there to buy lace underwear, bras or expensive French Perfume!

David ;-)

[QFE]

CT64,

Sounds like it could be a real gem. Unit organs can be phenominally successful, especially when space is of a premium. I suspect that for a good many of the forum members instruments, their pedal deparments at least have some extension in them.

While the issue of the number of pipes sounding in big chords or octaves can be an argument against extension on the manuals, when voiced well most of us mere mortals would be hard pressed to spot the difference.

Please let us know how you get on if you do try it.