ORGAN OF THE MONTH 31: January 2005
A
Black Country House Organ |
||
| 
| 
|
|
Click on the thumbnail to obtain a full-size image |
||
Is this unique? How many private houses do you know with a four-manual pipe organ in the parlour?
Local organbuilder John Lloyd of Bilston recently completed a long-standing project: to construct an organ for himself at home - not the small two-manual one might expect but a substantial four-manual. The pipework came mainly from organs in Lichfield Baptist/URC (by Noble) and Gorsty Hill Methodist (by Conacher), but other suitable bits were incorporated as they became available. Actually, "completed" is an inappropriate term because the precise specification is always in a state of flux: John may incorporate other pipework as he acquires it and sometimes customers spot a rank they would like and so the organ may temporarily lose a stop or two! This happened following my first visit to play the organ in 2003. Even John has to admit that the Vox Humana sounds better in the more generous acoustic of Broadway United Reformed Church than it did in his parlour! The solo organ stop labelled Cor Anglais is (at the time of writing) still an Oboe because John hasn't had time to modify the bells to produce the necessary bulb-like resonating chamber (he assures me he will get this done - eventually!).
It's all been done at minimum expense apart from John's own many hours of labour, so while this may not rival four-deckers in a our great cathedrals as a recital instrument (there are no playing aids of any kind!), how many cathedral organists can boast a four-manual pipe organ in their own home?