Welcome to Colin Pykett's Website
Home Complete Articles Other Publications Contact Me About the Author About this Website Prog Organ - a VPO Sitemap What they say

Last updated:  27 March 2024.   Click About This Website for update list.

This site does not use cookies or annoy you with banners, popups, ads or anything else.  Nor does it beg for money just for being here.  All I hope is that you just enjoy it.

 

 

 For over 24 years the most stable and extensive resource on the internet for pipe and electronic organs 

 

 

As this site is now into its third decade it's not surprising that it has grown into quite a big place.  So if you are new to it, you might first want to hit the Sitemap button in the navigation bar above to get a quick idea of the general layout.  Maybe try skimming the material revealed by the other buttons as well.  Then, when you feel ready to dive in more deeply, the main hub of the site is the Complete Articles page which gives you instant access to well over 100 detailed articles dealing with technical aspects of both pipe and electronic organs.  You can also scroll down a little to the search box below to quickly identify articles of interest.  And the navigation bar stays with you wherever you are, so you can always find a way out of any labyrinth you might feel trapped in - if you are desperate just hit the Home button and you'll get back to here.  While browsing, why not also listen to over 4½ hours of music played on the three manual organ below and the Prog Organ virtual pipe organ here?

 

 

 

 

 

   !! NEW ARTICLE !!   

 

 

Undulating stops in the pipe organ

 

 

 

 

  my YouTube channel  

 

 

 

SEARCH THIS SITE  

 

Google
WWW http://colinpykett.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

The picture above is of a test rig used for experiments on pipe organ valves, such as those described in the articles entitled Calculating Pallet Size Touch Relief in Mechanical Actions and Response Speed of Electric ActionsThese can also be accessed from the Complete Articles page where summaries are also available.

 

 

 

 

Pictured above  is an experimental digital organ which simulates many different pipe organs (Prog Organ).  Also see the  article entitled Re-creating Vanished Organs.

 

 

 

The three manual electronic organ above is a dual purpose instrument containing both "straight" and "theatre" voices, designed and made by the author in the 1980s.  It is tuned to the author's Dorset Temperament with the addition of some impure octaves as described in Keyboard Temperaments with Impure Octaves.  A full specification can be downloaded here (PDF file).

 

 

The things they say:

 

"Just like a town hall organ"

 

"If I didn't know better, I would say this was an Edwardian instrument with its choir organ spoiled by turning it into a baroque-type positive forty years later - much like many British pipe organs in other words.  I love it"

 

"The finest electronic organ I have ever played, simply because it has a genuine warm Romantic sound rather than spit and chiff just  for the sake of it"

 

"You draw a stop and it sounds just like you expect it to"

 

"Very nice Colin.  I'm so jealous"

 

"I'm an engineer and I know how you do it, but not how you do it so well"

 

"Amazing how the great diapason chorus can stand on the Claribel alone"

 

"The reeds are lovely"

 

"Would you take a picture?  I'm writing an article for an organ magazine and I want to be seen at this splendid console"

Hear it:

These recordings span some years and they have been made in various rooms and auditoria since the organ was built in the 1980s.  The older tracks were made using analogue equipment and some were recorded acoustically using microphones, hence the occasional noises due to piston thuds and page turns, etc.  Other tracks were captured electrically.  All are of real players performing in real time - no synthetic MIDI 'performances' here.  I have not got round yet to normalising the volume settings of all the tracks so they are compatible with each other, therefore you might wish to adjust the volume between tracks depending on which ones you select.  Do not be alarmed if some tracks appear to start with an excessive noise level - this simply means they were recorded at a higher level than others.  Just turn the volume down to suit.  In any case, it is a wise precaution to always begin playing each track at a low level to protect your audio equipment and your ears from unexpectedly high signal levels when the music begins.  Although the instrument has 13 ranks of theatre organ voices in addition to its 'straight' sounds (see specification), copyright considerations preclude the inclusion of much theatre-style music here.  Playing time 1 hour 35 mins approx.

 

  Canzona in D minor. BWV 588. (J S Bach) - 5.51 MB/6m 1s 

  Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar. BWV 607. (J S Bach) - 1.5 MB/1m 38s

  In dulci jubilo. BWV 608. (J S Bach) - 1.2 MB/1m 19s

  Minuet in D (John Stanley) - 1.70 MB/1m 51s

  Choral Song (S S Wesley) - 3.00 MB/3m 16s

  Holsworthy Church Bells (S S Wesley) - 3.54 MB/3m 52s (also available here played on a simulated Wurlitzer theatre organ)

  Andantino in G minor (Franck) - 5.59 MB/6m 6s (also available here played on a simulated Cavaillé-Coll organ)

  Cantabile (Franck) - 4.72 MB/5m 9s

  Fantaisie in E flat (1st part) (Saint-Saëns) - 1.85 MB/2m 1s

  Pastorale from Sonata no. 1 in D minor (Guilmant) - 5.3 MB/5m 47s (borrows the Vox Humana from the theatre organ!)

  Monologue I in C (Rheinberger) - 2.02 MB/2m 12s

  Monologue III in E (Rheinberger) - 3.01 MB/3m 17s  

  Fughetta no. 8 in A (Rheinberger) - 2.55 MB/2m 47s 

  Chorale Prelude on "Eventide" (Abide with me) C H H Parry - 3.92 MB/4m 16s

  Fantasia on "Abridge" (Be thou my guardian and my guide) Thomas Adams - 2.85 MB/3m 6s 

  In Tune with Heaven (Alan Gray) - 2.75 MB/3m 0s

  Chanson de Nuit (Elgar) - 3.28 MB/3m 35s

  Cantique (Elgar) - 3.86 MB/4m 13s 

  Starlight (Edward MacDowell) - 2.56 MB/2m 48s 

  To A Wild Rose (Edward MacDowell) - 1.72 MB/1m 53s **  

  To be sung of a summer night on the water (Delius) - 1.98 MB/2m 10s

  Andante in D (Alfred Hollins) - 7 MB/7m 39s 

  Solemn Melody (Walford Davies) - 3.69 MB/4m 2s

  Berceuse (Louis Vierne) - 3.37 MB/3m 41s

  Freu' dich sehr, O meine Seele (Karg-Elert) 1.79 MB/1m 57s

  O Gott, du frommer Gott (Karg-Elert) - 2.19 MB/2m 23s

  Adagio in E (Frank Bridge) - 5.06 MB/5m 31s

  Lento (Frank Bridge) - 2.34 MB/2m 31s 

 

** Played on the theatre organ

 

complete articles    other publications    contact me    about the author    about this website    Prog Organ - a VPO    sitemap    what they say

Website copyright © 1999-2024 C E Pykett.  All rights reserved.  See About this Website.