The Spirit lives to set us free - Chris Lawton at Stapleford Methodist Church, Nottingham
- 10 years ago
Me playing the organ installed at Stapleford Methodist Church near Nottingham.
The organ was built in the mid 1960s by the famous John Compton Organ Company Ltd and is the '363' model. It works on the electrostatic principal first pioneered by Compton's in the 1920s and involves the use of 12 rotating tone generators housed within the organ. The specification reads:
PEDAL
Contra Bourdon 32'
Open Diapason 16'
Bourdon 16'
Echo Bass 16'
Octave 8'
Bass Flute 8'
Violoncello 8'
Flute 4'
Contra Bombarde 32'
Ophicleide 16'
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
GREAT
Double Diapason 16'
Open Diapason 1 8'
Open Diapason 2 8'
Hohl Flute 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Dulciana 8'
Octave 4'
Suabe Flute 4'
Dulcet 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Mixture III
Sesquiltera II
Tuba 8'
Swell to Great
SWELL
Bourdon 16'
Geigen Diapason 8'
Lieblich Gedact 8'
Salicional 8'
Quintadena 8'
Harmonic Flute 8'
Principal 4'
Lieblich Flute 4'
Salicet 4'
Nazard 2.2/3'
Piccolo 2'
Cymbale III
Acuta II
Contra Fagotto 16'
Trumpet 8'
Clarinet 8'
Clarion 4'
GENERAL
Vibrato
Rotofon Celeste
Reverb
MISCELLANEOUS
4 double touch thumb pistons to Great and Pedal
4 thumb pistons to Swell
1 balanced expression pedal - Great and Pedal
1 balanced expression pedal - Swell
1 thumb piston - Great to Pedal canceller
1 thumb piston - Swell to Pedal canceller
Double touch canceller to each department
The rotofon speaker can be clearly seen against the wall behind the organ and consists of a stationery bass speaker and 4 treble speakers which are on a windmill like structure and spin to give a doppler effect. This combined with certain stops and vibrato can produce a gospel type sound which im having a go at here with the song 'The Spirit lives to set us free' to the tune 'Walk in the light'.
These organs are fast becoming extinct with many churches replacing them with digital instruments etc. Modern technology is indeed appealing with its realistic sampled sounds but history is being lost as a result. Opportunities should be taken to see that these unique instruments are preserved for future generations to experience how technology worked in the pre digital era.
Many thanks to Reverend John Marriot for allowing me access to this wonderful Compton organ.
For more information on the John Compton Organ Company Ltd and to see me play other Compton organs, please click on the following link for my site dedicated to the John Compton Organ Company Ltd:
http://comptonorgans.yolasite.com/
REQUEST: I am always on the lookout for Compton organs to play - particularly electrones - so if you know of any churches which still have these then please do let me know. I will happily give a donation or pay any applicable room hire charge.
The organ was built in the mid 1960s by the famous John Compton Organ Company Ltd and is the '363' model. It works on the electrostatic principal first pioneered by Compton's in the 1920s and involves the use of 12 rotating tone generators housed within the organ. The specification reads:
PEDAL
Contra Bourdon 32'
Open Diapason 16'
Bourdon 16'
Echo Bass 16'
Octave 8'
Bass Flute 8'
Violoncello 8'
Flute 4'
Contra Bombarde 32'
Ophicleide 16'
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
GREAT
Double Diapason 16'
Open Diapason 1 8'
Open Diapason 2 8'
Hohl Flute 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Dulciana 8'
Octave 4'
Suabe Flute 4'
Dulcet 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Mixture III
Sesquiltera II
Tuba 8'
Swell to Great
SWELL
Bourdon 16'
Geigen Diapason 8'
Lieblich Gedact 8'
Salicional 8'
Quintadena 8'
Harmonic Flute 8'
Principal 4'
Lieblich Flute 4'
Salicet 4'
Nazard 2.2/3'
Piccolo 2'
Cymbale III
Acuta II
Contra Fagotto 16'
Trumpet 8'
Clarinet 8'
Clarion 4'
GENERAL
Vibrato
Rotofon Celeste
Reverb
MISCELLANEOUS
4 double touch thumb pistons to Great and Pedal
4 thumb pistons to Swell
1 balanced expression pedal - Great and Pedal
1 balanced expression pedal - Swell
1 thumb piston - Great to Pedal canceller
1 thumb piston - Swell to Pedal canceller
Double touch canceller to each department
The rotofon speaker can be clearly seen against the wall behind the organ and consists of a stationery bass speaker and 4 treble speakers which are on a windmill like structure and spin to give a doppler effect. This combined with certain stops and vibrato can produce a gospel type sound which im having a go at here with the song 'The Spirit lives to set us free' to the tune 'Walk in the light'.
These organs are fast becoming extinct with many churches replacing them with digital instruments etc. Modern technology is indeed appealing with its realistic sampled sounds but history is being lost as a result. Opportunities should be taken to see that these unique instruments are preserved for future generations to experience how technology worked in the pre digital era.
Many thanks to Reverend John Marriot for allowing me access to this wonderful Compton organ.
For more information on the John Compton Organ Company Ltd and to see me play other Compton organs, please click on the following link for my site dedicated to the John Compton Organ Company Ltd:
http://comptonorgans.yolasite.com/
REQUEST: I am always on the lookout for Compton organs to play - particularly electrones - so if you know of any churches which still have these then please do let me know. I will happily give a donation or pay any applicable room hire charge.