1 organ news OrganNews No. 22 The official publication of Makin Organs, Johannus and Copeman Hart IN THIS ISSUE Page 2 Three in New Makin Thirlmere organ Page 3 one – and Johannus launch the Ecclesia organs one in three! Page 4 Posture whilst playing Page 5 Hybrid organs Page 6 New Copeman Hart demo organ Page 8 The fourth line of the Trinity hymn “I bind unto myself Organ voicing today”, often sung to the tune St Patrick’s Breastplate, is “Three in one and one in three”. Page 10 This is so appropriate for Testimonials ChurchOrganWorld as we have three distinct brands of Page 14 instrument, each of which has Meet the Staff its own range of benefits, styles and groups of customers, all now Page 16 available under one roof from a of organists from this sceptred isle, Cathedral, included in the price. single company. Customers are which is why other brands simply There is no other company who Some recent well aware of our capabilities don’t ‘cut the mustard’. This great offers the skills of such a world installations from the simplest home practice tradition continues today with renowned organist and musician instrument right through to an beautiful hand crafted consoles. to its customers; in essence it was instrument suitable for the largest Copeman Hart are simply the best concluded that there was little of cathedrals. No other company digital organs available, being built point in following the well trodden offers such a range of quality to the same exacting standards path of the competition by having options, all of which come with the of the best pipe organ consoles a well meaning, but none the less best in service and at a price that available. With Copeman Hart, we amateur voicer, when we can offer is eminently affordable. generally now only build Drawstop the best from a true professional. Johannus organs offer an amazing consoles, with wood-based As you can imagine, the results range of digital instruments keyboards. The customers have speak for themselves. the choice of which solenoids to No other company offers such suitable for home practice through specifications and samples used. to those suitable for use in the use such as those made by Taylor, a range of quality options, all largest of churches. Value for Makin has been for many years Kimber Allen or Syndyne. In terms of which come with the best in money is key with an excellent dominant in the production of sound production, our results service and at a price that is pedigree developed over many of quality digital pipe organs are simply breathtaking. This of eminently affordable. years. The top quality consoles designed by British organists. course is down to the quality of Finally, what about after sales are built from slow-grown North Perhaps the most commonly all aspects of the software and customer service? You should American Oak; a Johannus organ known name for the English hardware we use, together with expect the best whether you have looks new, even after 10 years! The organ sound. With a range of more amplification and speakers a Johannus, Makin or Copeman use of our breakthrough real-time ‘off-the-shelf’ and fully custom than perhaps any other make Hart instrument. With a team sampling technology has changed instruments, customers have been of digital organ, with typically of four full time geographically the organ world so whilst you able to rely on Makin to deliver a twenty eight main amplifiers and based maintenance engineers we see a digital organ, you hear the fully anglicised instrument with four bass amplifiers giving a total cover the whole country. What’s original pipes from a pipe organ! the sounds developed from British of eighty eight speaker drivers more since we don’t use third The new and unique reverberation pipe organs, divisional pistons, enclosed in twenty eight speaker party engineers, customers can be is a technical miracle giving octave couplers, great and pedal boxes. assured that on the rare occasion customers the opportunity to pistons coupled and many other Our new Makin and Copeman that an Engineer’s visit is required, explore the cathedral sound British-only features included. Hart custom instruments all a staff member will attend who of their choice! What’s more, Our American and continental come with the on-site voicing has all the in-house and factory these instruments now have cousins really don’t fully skills of Professor Ian Tracey, training and experience necessary English editions with full English understand the needs and desires Organist Titulaire at Liverpool to do the job. www.makinorgans.co.uk www.johannus.co.uk www.copemanhart.co.uk 01706 888100 2 organ news The all new Makin Thirlmere Organ Continuing with the Lake District theme Unison off, Swell Octave to Great and Swell of the ‘Westmorland’ series of organs, as Suboctave to Great, which all dramatically initially introduced by Makin founder, the add to the overall versatility of instruments. late Mr John Pilling, the company has been As ever, the hardest decision for a two working hard to develop replacements manual instrument is to determine the for the Village (2-20), Jubilee II (2-35) and appropriate number of speaking stops. Sapphire (3-45) standard Makin instruments, Whilst both the Village and Jubilee were the first of which was initially released tremendously successful instruments, the seven years ago. The all new two manual Village with twenty speaking stops was Makin Thirlmere organ is our first release in thought to be too small by some whilst the this new range. Jubilee too large with thirty five speaking A number of customers have wondered why stops. Clearly the answer lies somewhere in it is time to introduce a new model, since the middle. there is nothing wrong with the current Of course the realistic approach to the range of standard instruments. The answer number of speaking stops is to start from is that in the intervening seven years there the specification itself, by listing desirable have been so many enhancements in the stops and resources. For example, with software and hardware technologies we the Great it is relatively straightforward to have used on our newer instruments. For develop a diapason chorus 16, 8, 4, 2 2/3, 2, example, since 2007 our custom instruments III mixture and then to add a chorus reed have benefitted from real time sampling and flutes at 8’, 4’. Finally, you would add of every note on every stop which has another 8’ stop, which could be a Gamba simply revolutionised the Makin sound. or a Dulciana, for accompaniment of solos This advanced feature, still only available played on the Swell. With the Swell in mind, from Makin, will now be included in all it having diapason chorus, flutes, strings, our standard instruments thus making mixture and reeds, the initial gambit would yet another massive step ahead of our be for 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, III mixture, 8, 16, 8 competitors. Additionally we have made combination. For such an instrument, a so many minor changes aimed specifically suitable pedal section would probably have for organists from this sceptred isle. For example, we have extended upon our Great between 6 and 9 stops making a total of & Pedal Combinations Coupled and Swell perhaps 30. Octave coupler to include other octave After much discussion covering many couplers such as Swell Suboctave, Swell points, the specification we finalised on is: Pedal Harmonic Bass 32’ Mixture (19.22.26) III Open Diapason 16’ Trumpet 8’ With this specification, we still have a with general and divisional pistons having Violone 16’ Corno di Bassetto 8’ number of options. For example, in some divided memories. Control of the instrument Bourdon 16’ Swell Suboctave to Great cases the organist would prefer either is exceptionally easy, with visualisation on Swell to Great a Sub Bourdon or a Contra Violone as our large LCD screen which also shows the Principal 8’ the 32’ pedal stop, or perhaps a Dulciana position of the Swell pedal, tuning and many Swell Octave to Great rather than a Gamba on the Great. These other details. Bass Flute 8’ and indeed other options, like a Flageolet So who should purchase this instrument? With rather than a Fifteenth on the Swell, will be an external 8.1 configuration of UL speakers, Choral Bass 4’ Swell (enclosed) available on this instrument with a varying it is the perfect two manual instrument for Trombone 16’ Open Diapason 8’ complement of speakers according to a small to medium church. However, with a specification choices made. Swell to Pedal smaller 8.1 speaker configuration which could Lieblich Gedackt 8’ This instrument really provides tremendous easily be floor or wall mounted, it makes Great to Pedal versatility for the player, as well as quality the perfect English instrument for home use Salicional 8’ Gt & Ped Combs Coupled sounds for the listener. as well. As ever, we use one amplifier per Voix Celeste 8’ The Great Seventeenth has several speaker which means that this instrument functions. Firstly with the chorus in will contain a generous set of nine amplifiers Great Gemshorn 4’ mind, the French sound with a prominent for thirty speaking stops giving a ratio of just over three stops per speaker, putting it in the Bourdon 16’ Fifteenth 2’ Tierce in the mixture is easily reproduced. Secondly, with the Twelfth a Sesquialtera is exceptionally high quality range of sound. Open Diapason I 8’ Mixture (15.19.22) III produced. Finally with the 8’, 4’ 2 2/3’ and 2’ Of course the crowning glory of this stops, a Cornet is obtained.