Haydn on the Organ in Montego Bay Jamaica

Organist Frederick Hohman is seen here in an excerpt the organ re-dedication concert of a circa 1900 vintage Bevington pipe organ (restored with new electric blower by Patrick J. Murphy & Associates) at St. James Parish in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

For several years during the 1990s, Patrick J. Murphy and Associates http://www.pjmorgans.com/ made annual excursions to Jamaica in order to maintain, and in many cases, revive ailing pipe organs in the island nation. Much of the organ maintenance for Jamaican organs had been handled by English firms, but this maintenance ceased when Jamaica became an independent nation.

Additional footage on the organ restored in this video, as well as the restoration work on another organ nearby, is seen in the complete 30-minute VHS video. Detail are accessed at http://www.zarex.com/bin when one enters 9004 in the Search Box.

The two short pieces heard in this video were composed by (Franz) Josef Haydn as works that would be reproduced by a device known as a Flötenührstücke, or a Flute Clock, which can be described simply as a clock which would mechanically reproduce brief music pieces on an attached pipe organ when the hour would strike. These notes of these pieces were originally encoded in devices resembling barrels set with pins, and when the pins in the rotating cylinders contacted the valves of the organ pipes, the pipes would play. The pieces were sometimes frantic and humorous, as is the second of the pieces heard here, subtitled "The Coffee Party." Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart also composed a piece or two for the Musical Clock or Flute Clock.

Patrick J. Murphy demonstrates the organ's manual winding system in this video. This winding method is normally a back-up device, for use only when electricity is unavailable. Normally, wind is supplied by an electric blower. The bellows levers are found on the side of the organ case opposite where the organist sits.

Frederick Hohman's website is: http://www.frederickhohman.net

Category:

Music

Tags:

• pipe
• organ
• Jamaica
• Montego
• Bay
• St
• James
• Hohman
• Patrick
• Murphy
• classical
• music
• Haydn
• Flute
• Clock
• Midnight
• Pipes

[iamrepete]

If you ever have a chance to hear Frederick Hohman in person,do so. You will not be sorry. His performance today at St. Meinrad Archabbey was just sublime.