Andante sostenuto (Widor)

The church of St Mark's, Kingsholm, Gloucester, UK was built in 1847 and closed for Anglican worship in November 2006. It houses a small but perfectly formed 3-manual organ, built by William Hill & Son in 1907. Among its choirboys were Sir Herbert Brewer (later organist or Gloucester Cathedral and friend of Elgar), and Dr Donald Hunt (later organist of Worcester Cathedral).

Ian Ball recorded the Andante from Widor's 9th Symphony in concert on 25 April 2004. He misses this beautiful instrument, lovely church and good people of St Mark's very much.

PEDAL: Open Diapason (16), Bourdon (16), Octave (8)
CHOIR: Dulciana (8), Lieblich Gedeckt (8), Flute (4), Clarinet (8)
GREAT: Open Diapason I (8), Open Diapason II (8), Clarabella (8), Octave (4), Harmonic Flute (4), Fifteenth (2), Trumpet (8)
SWELL: Bourdon(16), Horn Diapason (8), Echo Gamba (8), Voix Celestes (8), Octave (4), Mixture(III), Cornopean (8), Oboe(8), Clarion (4) (added in 1954 replacing a Vox Humana - an unfortunate change), Tremulant
Usual couplers.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• orgue
• organ
• orgel
• Widor
• William
• Hill
• St
• Marks
• Kingsholm
• Clapham
• Gloucester
• Ian
• Ball

[EccentricRichard]

Possibly the most moving performance of this piece I've ever heard. Such sublime beauty... this utter gem of a Hill organ would perhaps benefit from being re-housed and given a more generous acoustic to speak into, but at least it is being preserved for now. Reinstate the Vox Humana, if there's room put the Clarion on the Great and add a 16ft Pedal reed and you'd have an utterly fantastic organ. What gorgeous flutes it has, too! Lovely strings - shimmering yet still fibrous.

[chamade16]

@EccentricRichard: thank you for your kind words & for taking the trouble to listen & comment. I was moved when I played it, lamenting the loss of someone I loved very deeply & also facing the closure of the church. Yes it's a special instrument & I agree with your proposals (although a low-pitched Hill Mixture on the Gt might be more use than the 1950s Clarion, tho there's no room for either.). Alas there are neither resources nor will at Diocesan level to do anything to save this instrument.

[chamade16]

@EccentricRichard; Unless the Pentecostal congregation asks permission to dispose of it (they rarely use it), it would have to stay in the building as part of the furniture. But as you say, at least it's 'safe' for now.

[advisorC101]

Wait, don't tell me that the church has been closed down permanently?

[chamade16]

Well no, it's being well used by a pentecostal congregation. The organ is rarely used however and he church has been filled with car park lights, keyboards and a drum kit. A large projector screen hangs from the rood beam and the chancel is not used. BUT, they have lavished a lot of time and love on the fabric of the place, and keep the grounds in very good order.

[EccentricRichard]

@chamade16 - having said that, we were looking at somewhat bigger (30-40 stop) redundant instruments too! Regarding a possible rebuild of this organ, could the Great reed(s) be put on an independent windchest to allow more fluework (like that Mixture), maybe even with a fourth manual added to allow it to be used for solo purposes too? This might make it more flexible... might also replace that Dulciana (I've never yet found a use for one) with another 8ft flute to undulate with the existing one.

[advisorC101]

That's a shame really. And its such a sweet instrument as well.

One of the local churches I play at has a similar situation. They've closed down the church for renovation and the organ was just going to be left there, fortunately I found it right in the nick of time so now its being used at the least once every week.

[pipedog]

Thanks so much for the beautiful slide presentation and Andante sostenuto. The pictures add so much to the experience. More please! Greetings from the "colonies" from the Baskerbeagels and ArfBitchup Molly, and Bruise in the Muttastery

[davebednall]

Have always loved that....