Internet Resources
The UK
National Pipe Organ Register is an important source of information
about instruments within the UK. The
British Institute of Organ Studies
supports the work of the Register, but they do struggle to find adequate
resources. Help if you can! The service is run at the University of
Cambridge (in the Computing Service). It provides access to a
growing database holding the details of instruments throughout the UK.
 Ed
Stauff's Organ
Stop Encyclopaedia is a wonderful source of information about organ
stops. It describes the sound, gives details of the construction of
the pipes, and lists instruments where that particular stop may be found.
Entries include references to appropriate source texts.
Piporg-L is
the home page for the pipe organ e-mail list used by its members to
"discuss musical, technical and historical aspects of organs of all
kinds–classical, theatre, electronic, reed, tracker, electro-pneumatic,
etc., etc. Organ specifications, recitals (past and future), recordings,
jobs (wanted and available), restoration hints, news of progress in
restoration projects are all" included in list postings.
The eorg-l list
provides a focus for the electronic organ community and
diyapason-l
focuses on those with or who are building their own (home) pipe organ.
The
world's largest pipe organs is a maintained list of the largest
instruments in existence, most entries have links to sites that give more
details about the particular organ.. ("Size" is every thing here...)
Special Organs
These are links to instruments that I think of as
"special" in some ways.
The
Liverpool Anglican
Cathedral Organ is well documented on this site and details of the St.
George's Hall and the Roman Catholic Cathedral organs are include on
Great Pipe Organs of Liverpool. There are some fine photographs on
these sites: Daniel Bishop has to be congratulated on doing a good job in
building these sites.
The two Schulze organ sites at
Armley
and
Harrogate are well worth a visit. I must find a page about
the Doncaster organ!
I was brought up in the NE of England and I remember our regular outings
to Durham and enjoyed visiting the Cathedral. I remember being taken
up to see the console by Conrad Eden one Sunday afternoon (though I was
not allowed to touch!). Richard Hird has built an excellent web-site
that provides a comprehensive guide to
Durham Cathedal's
is fine Willis / Harrison instrument.
City Hall Newcastle is a large Harrison & Harrison concert instrument
from the late 1920s. Martin Charlton's pages about the organ are
excellent.
The
Bridgewater Hall organ (Manchester) has had a mixed reception -
perhaps it lacks the power we expect in a northern concert hall organ.
Kingston Parish Church boasts a Frobenius Organ - this attracted much
attention when it was installed - this is a very interesting site.
The Alexandra
Palace Organ is being rebuilt as resources can be found. This
site records progress and announces events when the organ can be heard.
There are some fine pictures of the old organ.
Pictures of the
Atlantic City Convention Hall Grand Organ seemed to be in many of the
organ books I read as a teenager and the site here gives a lot of
information about this huge instrument.
The
Wanmaker Organ web site is run by the Friends of the organ and
includes a detailed specification and opportunities to buy books, CDs and
other memorabilia to support the instrument in Lord & Taylor's Department
Store in Philadelphia.
L'orgue de
Saint-Louis, St. Etienne is an excellent French site describing a new
organ built in the style of G. Silbermann and J.G. Hildebrant.
There are nice pictures and some sound samples. There is a useful
set of links including a link to a site devoted to
Silbermann.
Cube Concert Hall, Shiroishi City, Japan
is an example of a modern concert hall organ - in Japan and built by a
Japanese builder, Jubal. The site has some sound samples and
pictures of the installation.
Famous Organ Builders
Gottfried Silbermann - Master Organ-Builder of the German Baroque.
This site includes pictures, historical detail, locations of thirty-one
original instruments, a visit to the Silbermann Museum, Silbermann organs
on CD, plus all the info you need for a Grand Organ Tour!
 Aristide
Cavaillé-Coll had great influence on the development of the organ
during the ninetieth century both within France and beyond. There are a
number of other sites that are dedicated to his work but this one
seems to be the best! (Others:
Association Aristide
Cavaillé-Coll;
Martin Penny's page) There is also a section in
James Hooks' history site.
Lawrence Phelps had
a significant influence on the development of the organ in the middle of
the twentieth century and this web site includes some of the
articles he wrote for publication and details of the organs some of the
organs designed and built.
Miscellaneous
The Renascence of an Organ in Bordeaux
describes the restoration of the organ in Sainte-Croix parts of which are
attributed to Dom Bédos de Celles. This is a lovely site with
excellent text (in English) and a full range of supporting pictures.
If you want to improve your pedaling you might try
wearing a pair of
Organmaster Shoes (for any skeptics out there 'this is for real'
!).
Hector Parr's
web site contains many fascinating items including some interesting
essays on the organ, its music and how to practice.
The Great Malvern Priory
Organ web site gives details of the plans to replace the aging
Rushworth & Dreaper organ. The site describes the problems the
current instrument, the plans for the new organ and the fund raising
efforts.
The Museum of Organs
will show you fine instruments from Europe. Take some time to gaze
at some of the beautiful organs featured in the
Organ Art Museum.
The Göteborg Organ Art
Center - GOArt, within Göteborg University and operating in
close collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, is a research
and development centre for the organ that includes the study of
instruments as well as music.
The Organ Focus
site holds details of organic events (that are notified to them) and some
contributed essays.
The Stinson Band
Organ Company is a fun site with organs of a different type: our
family is not connected to this company and neither are we related to the
US company who made
airplanes!
Got a question about that old American Organ then you might find
the Reed Organ Man
site worth a visit.
The
Organ On-line describes playing an organ remotely with the sound
relayed back and played through amplifiers and loudspeakers to the
performer and audience. The experiment was carried out so that a
real pipe organ could be used to provide authentic organ sounds in
locations where no such instrument existed.
This
Theatre Organ
site in the USA includes details of instruments and how to use them.
The American Theatre Organ
Society site gives an interesting insight into some glorious cinema
organs.
Ivor
Buckingham's' Compton Organ site provides details of Compton (theatre)
organs and lists of installations in the UK. I particularly like his
section on the
solo cello.
Perhaps the now defunct firm of
H. & C.S. Odell
who were established in New York in 1859 are not one of the great organ
builders but this site is worth visiting to see the work of a typical
regional company.
The
Musicians Guide to Home Recording web site provides useful information
about using personal computers to record your performances.
Publications
The following publications have web sites with details of
their current (and in some cases past) issues. Note: some
associations also publish journals - see their web sites for details.
The Organist's Review (IAO)
The Organ
Choir and Organ
Het
Orgel (Dutch)
Organ Alternatives
(a web based journal) |
|
Organ tours
These organ tours are either sites that offer a
virtual visit to a number of instruments in a region or provide a managed
set of links to instruments in a geographic area.
Martin
Charlton's Organ Tour of Britain
an excellent tour of many of the most significant instruments in
Britain. (Presently this site has broken links...)
Simon
Fitzgerald's web pages contains information about organs in the North
East of England. (Richard Hird now looks after these pages.)
Organs in
Australia
offers a chance to see some of the fine organs "down-under".
Irish pipe organs
brings together links about pipe organs in both Ulster and the Republic.
Organs in Germany
is a Canadian web site providing a series of links to some major organs in
German. I need to find a more comprehensive source.
Wim Verburg's web site contains
details of more than 400 Dutch organs, 69 German organs and 16 Belgian
organs. It is a great resource!
Organs in
Norway
offers some insight to Norwegian instruments. The site is not a
comprehensive register.
 La Route Des Orgues
de France
is a site provided by the French Ministry of Culture that identifies and
describes some of the more important instruments in France. (The site is
in French.)
Les Orgues en Haute Normandie
contains details of organs in Normandy. The site includes many links
to other organs too and a section on Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
Other fine organ web sites
Stephen
Bicknell is the author of outstanding book "The History of the English
Organ" and much respect consultant: his web site is full of useful
articles and information about his work. It is presented in an
elegant and pleasing way.
Julian
Rhodes'" Dream Organs" web site was built to share information about
organs and includes a wide range of information. Following his
death, the site has been preserved as a memorial to this talented
musician.
Mechanisms and history
The
Young Persons Guide to the Organ is a beautifully crafted site
introducing the organ (for people of any age!).
The
Organ History site is another wonderful educational resource including
a good introduction to how the organ works and a history of the
development of the instrument. James H Cook is to be congratulated on
building this site.
The Hydraulus (or
Water Organ) is part of our 'pre-history' and is well described at this
site: the site also includes some information about the inventor and
"first organist" Ctesibius who lived about 200 BC. A
modern
reconstruction of a hydraulus is described here.
Not being a expert, I wanted to find out a little more about
different temperaments:
Stephen Bicknell's article on temperaments is clear and helpful and I
found these
diagrams (on Ahlbourn's) web site useful.
Composers (for the organ)
The following pages provide information about some of
my favorite composers for the organ.
J.S.Bach
Herbert Howells
The
Classical Composers database and
Robert Poliquin's Music and Musicians provide a good starting points
for finding details on a composer.
Electronics and the like
You might like to read the
Hammond Organ Story and visit
Hammond Castle
the home of John Hammond whose many inventions included the Hammond Organ.
If you like the Hammond sound take a look at the
Native Instruments B4 program.
Organs Go Electronic is an interesting article from the New York Times
about a large church's decision to install an electronic instrument.
Associations
British
Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS)
is "unique society combining historical, musical and technical interests"
of players, builders and other organ devotees. BIOS exists to encourage
and promote the study of the pipe organ, its history and design, and to
increase appreciation and understanding of its music by both organists and
the general public.
Organ Historical
Society
promotes a widespread musical and historical interest in American organ
building through collection, preservation, and publication of historical
information, and through recordings and public concerts. You can buy
books, music, CDs and other organ related items on-line from their
extensive catalogue.
 Royal
College of Organists
was established in 1864 to promote education about and appreciation of the
organ. It has recently reinvented itself and is trying hard to be
more inclusive both by introducing new examinations (CertRCO) and
encouraging membership from a wider cohort.
American Guild of Organists
encourages all who are interested in the organ to join them; they offer an
education programme with certification and their web site includes an
on-line store.
The following associations for organ builders are also
of general interest to organ buffs!
Independent Society of Organ Builders
Institute of British
Organ Building
Association of
Independent Organ Advisors
American
Institute of Organ builders
The main
Incorporated Association of Organists (IAO)
web site has links to all the local
associations. Some that I frequent find of particular interest
include:
Chester and North
East Wales
Huddersfield
Darlington & District
Johannesburg Organ Society
Electronic /
Computer-based Organ Sounds
Hautpwerk is a very interesting item of shareware that implements a
classical organ using a fast PC and sound samples (one per note per stop)
- it is played over a midi link. It is an excellent piece of work by
Martin Dyde
A Digital
Organ Project describes and makes available for downloading a computer
based organ emulation. (I have not tried this out.)
Sound Canvas Pipe Organ
Project describes a project to bring realistic pipe organs sounds to
the Roland Sound Canvas synthesizer. The MP3 files and pictures on
the site are interesting.
The Atmel Corporation
are the company who make the DREAM DSP used in computer sound cards and in
some digital sample playback organs.
Building Blocks is a multi-purpose MIDI processor. With BB you can
create all kinds of regular or unusual MIDI processing structures.
Together with
Jeux
Soundfonts it has been used to create a computer based pipe organ
simulation played over a midi link. (I can't find the web site where Mick
Berg's instructions are - but I have a copy if anyone needs them.)
Bruce Miles web site could be
put under any number of places but I've put it here because it has some
really useful stuff for building electronic organs. The site also
describes a two manual organ (St. John's Methodist Church, Market Weighton)
that I played (once) for a friend's wedding: I remember transcribing a
March by Lully from a tape of the
Brighouse & Rastrick
Brass Band.
Novelties
In San Francisco by you can see and possibly hear
the Wave Organ.
Eat while you listen to the glorious sounds of the might Wurlitzer at the
Organ Stop Pizza.
( I hope they are still in business - really want to go there one day.)
The
StalacPipe organ in Virginia's Luray Caverns is not really a wind
blown organ but none-the-less interesting.
Lego Builders will be interested in this
harpsichord site -
who's going to built the first working Lego organ? |
Organ Related Links
