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aobg
Forum Administrator
United Kingdom
254 Posts |
 Posted - 18/11/2008 : 04:13:07 AM
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THE FIRST LAVENHAM STREET ORGAN FESTIVAL !!
In July 2007 Bernard Pilgrim told me about an event in Lavenham called the “Old Codgers” I went along with an awning display and had a very nice weekend. Lavenham is a really delightful town quite small but packed with the most interesting, almost fairy tale like buildings, a real tourist attraction. Saturday was also the local Church open day when the public are allowed to climb the 200 foot tower, which I just about managed to do, with a view at the top that was perhaps even more breath taking than the climb ! Looking down, the church yard below seemed to be just waiting to have a few street organs dotted about, my brain started to tick a bit faster !.
Back at the camp site I was told that the “Old Codgers” event would not be held in 2008, so I asked the site owners if I could hold my own event there with a group of organ friends. It seems that the family had thoroughly enjoyed our organ playing and general carrying on so the answer was positive; “as long as we can join in you can come as our friends“. I made enquiries and it would seem that the vicar was a helpful sort of chap who liked the idea of us playing in his Church yard. One of my next events was when St Albans Organ Theatre (museum) asked if the Amateur Organ Builders would take part in their Christmas concert, which we did with some success, maybe we could do the same at Lavenham !! I then passed the message on to the Vicar offering to stage a concert in the Church, the reply came back that it would be quite possible in the evening of the open day. I must be honest and say that part of my offer was just to get the chance to hear our organs playing in the Church. All this took a lot longer to sort out than I had hoped so by the time I could announce the event most B.O.G.A. members had planned their events calendars and of course we were clashing with a big one at Dingles. I must say at this point that the Basingstoke B.O.G.A. event was absolutely superb and I am so glad it will be held again next year. I next applied to the Parish Council for permission the play organs on the Town Square which was not a problem, we would just need to turn up as itinerant Buskers with a cap or something to collect the vast amounts of money to be thrown our way. My original concept for the week was to be a restful holiday amongst my organ building friends, but eventually I was to end up with quite a full program. John Pettifer's article gives a full list of what we eventually got up to. As the week drew nearer I realised that I would have quite a lot to do as over 40 people were due to attend, fortunately Terry Pankhurst offered to be my right hand man, in particular stage manage the Saturday Concert and in the event did a stirring job. One of the reasons I wanted to have a sociable week was because I knew from previous Rollcutter events how nice it was to have an event where we could simply enjoy one anothers company, and how much entertaining talent came to light. With this in mind I arranged for a large tent to be erected so that our evenings could be spent together entertaining ourselves, this worked out very well. I took my Yamaha keyboard and each evening started things off by playing some old favourites, it was not long before Tony Dunhill joined in with his accordion which I found a very rewarding experience. Our French guest Christian Blanchard, also joined in with guitar and vocals, some in English. We were treated to a variety of “acts” all performed on the spur of the moment and it soon became obvious that the church concert would not just be about playing street organs, but much more.
Terry Pankhurst makes wooden parts for old aeroplanes, including the under body fairings for all but one of the Hurricanes still flying, this enabled him to arrange a visit for us to the small factory where most are restored or often made in there entirety. A small convoy drove the four miles to Hurricane Restorations where we spent a most interesting Wednesday morning having a guided tour. We learnt that given as little as the serial number plate they would build an exact replica even with the original markings, all this for a mere 1.5 £million. I do not think any of us will see the Battle of Britain flight in quite the same way again, knowing in detail just how they are made.
Another larger convoy set out after lunch on Thursday heading the 25 miles or so to Jonathan Lings home and organ workshop/collection. We arrived to find the lawn set out with tables and chairs for our ladies to relax in the sun while those interested could wander into his workshop and listen to a number of varied musical instruments, even the old cow shed contained a couple of Dutch street organs playing in turn. Tea and cakes were served and for those interested , a tour of the very old farm house, which Johnathan is in the process of completely restoring. At 5-45 our convoy headed back towards Lavenham but stopped at Cotton for a private tour of the Musical Museum. As there were so many of us, 52 in fact, the tour of the “back room” treasures was done in two groups concluding at 7-30, when a very nice Fish and Chip supper was delivered. One of the resident organists played the Wurlitzer while we dined . I had arranged that the Wurlitzer would be available for us to use after the supper, but before this there was a very special presentation to make. Meridith, the daughter of our Lavenham hosts, was celebrating her 10 th birthday and I had planned a special surprise for her. As a downs syndrome child she is slightly handicapped ,with a lot of things being very difficult for her to get to grips with, but she has always had a real interest in street organs and music generally. At the 2007 event she was a constant visitor to our display and soon learnt how to operate the organs. Through the winter I made a replica organ with cassette tapes and handle switch, even the rewind handle played a tune as it was in fact a music box movement. Having made the basic organ I passed it over to Bernard Pilgrim at the Basingstoke rally and he added an automata cat playing bongo drums and a paint job. Anyway the birthday had arrived and when Meridith saw her new organ and had played a tune, the smile said it all. As they say Visa can buy you anything, that smile; priceless!
With the Wurlitzer now vacant I played a few old tunes for 10 minute or so. I had also talked two other reluctant organists to take this rare opportunity and have a go. A very unsure Steve Toyne performed for the first time to an audience, absolutely great performance, its always the same with organists, those that protest their inabilities the most, are invariably the best players. Next up was Anthony Dunhill, a fine church organist, although very reluctant to make his first encounter with a Wurlitzer to an audience the temptation proved too great. He played some very nice classic tunes and then rounded the evening off by playing Pomp and Circumstance with a suitable reaction from the audience.
Friday was spent with people practising their items for the concert getting all the timings right, Terry had even timed the church aisle and pronounced it took 23 seconds exactly to walk, many a bride would have done that in the hundreds of years the Church has stood there. I must say Terry's organisation for the concert was done with military precision, in fact on Friday night he was going through the details and when he got to the “ you must walk down the aisle in exactly 23 seconds, no longer” I could only think of the old War films where the sentry or the search light was always timed while planning the great escape or whatever.
Saturday came and we set up about 6 organs around the Church yard and some around the town, people seemed to like what we were doing. Throughout the day groups of us would walk 50 yards to the nearby pub for a nice meal. At 7-00 we set things up in the Church and waited for the expected audience of maybe, we were told, 200 souls, well we were disappointed when only about 20 turned up. Never mind, as everything went like clockwork and the concert finished less than 1 minute away from the planned time. John Hunt was an excellent presenter and the concert, although poorly attended by the public, was voted a complete success. It turned out that the Vicar, Rev Woodcock is in fact quite an organ fan and was very impressed by the sound quality of the Buskers balsa wood pipes and, insisted that the rather doubting church organist had a close look and listen.
Unbelievably, the Sun had been shining all through the week until Sunday which was to be our public open day on the field, it rained from early in the morning through most of the day and there were just 22 visitors through the gate, disappointing but we still had a nice day amongst ourselves.
All in all the first rally I had organised had gone very well and with little hassle, I am being asked to do it all again next year so if you want to join in with your organ, guitar, penny whistle or whatever keep a space in your 2009 events calendar.
Finally, here are a couple of short extracts from a letter I received from the Vicar;
“The Amateur Organ Builders visit to Lavenham has been for me the highlight of the year so far and your generosity was matched by the enthusiasm of all your members. It is rare to find so many thoroughly nice people in one place. The treasurer tells me that the coins collected ( during the week, in the streets and Church yard) amounted to £215-18 making a grand total of £320-18” “Thank you so much and know that you will always be welcome here” “ May you never cypher!! “
We asked for the money to be used to buy new parts for the church organ which they had so kindly let us use. I must thank all those who came to the Rally and joined in so freely, in particular everyone who had the courage to stand up and perform.
Yours Phil Radford AOBG website & forums administrator.
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Lavenham organ festival (from John Smith)
