BIRMINGHAM ORGANISTS' ASSOCIATION

 

ORGAN OF THE MONTH 32: February 2005

Wylde Green United Reformed Church
(Nicholson, 1949 / Henry Willis, 2004)

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Specification

A major rebuilding of this Nicholson organ has just been completed by Henry Willis and it can be heard on Saturday 5th March when BOA Council Member Paul Carr gives the opening recital.

In 1949 Nicholson & Co undertook a complete re-design of a previous organ by an unnamed Birmingham builder installed in 1903, which included adding an enclosed Choir division.  The new action was electro-pneumatic, a detached console with double-touch stop tabs in a horseshoe layout was provided, and a new organ screen constructed.

In 2003 Henry Willis & Sons commenced a complete overhaul of the organ.   A new drawstop console was provided, moveable on castors and fitted with updated computer action with multiple memory levels, sequencer and transposer.  Unlike the 1,500 wires connecting the 1949 console, the connection to the organ is now a cable containing just 7 wires. An Acoustic 32’ Reed has been added to the Pedal (derived from the Trombone 16ft and several other ranks).  The bellows, Swell and Great soundboards, and other parts of the action have been fully refurbished, the blower overhauled and the organ totally re-wired.

The pipework has been extensively re-voiced and the poor speech of much of the pipework has been corrected.  The Flute 4ft (triangular) on the Great was scrapped and replaced by similar pipework with better speech; also the bottom octave of the Pedal Echo Bourdon.  The overall sound of the organ, both individual stops and chorus, has been transformed as well as providing a welcome increase in power.            

 


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Last modified: January 31, 2005