Henri Mulet’s ‘Tu es Petra’ performed in honour of St Peter’s Day by Director of Music Timothy Noon, at Exeter Cathedral. #exetercathedral #HereForYou #StPetersDay #HenriMulet #exeter #devon
Speaking as someone who has heard the Exeter organ in the flesh on several occasions... I wouldn't bother. It is SUCH a disappointment. It's the product of too many rebuilds and too many different and mutually incompatible fashions, and too much of it just doesn’t blend with the rest. The 1960s sharp mixtures are particularly foul, unstable in tuning and regulation, screaming away on top of but not blending with the plenum, the Choir is an assortment of old ranks with neo-baroque bubble and squeak, the half-length 32ft reed (added about twenty years ago) is notably poor, the Tuba is loud but has no attack, the big Trumpet in the gallery is a very poor imitation of a Wurlitzer/Gottfried brass trumpet (as found at St Paul's Cathedral), the big Flute in the gallery is just a fat, oppressive hoot... there are some nice sounds in it still, mostly Willis and Arthur Harrison pipework, some older stuff, and the Speechly 32ft open metal Violone's unimpeachable excellence is all the more astonishing given that it is the only one he ever made... but as a whole, the Exeter organ is a disappointment in dire need of returning to the Willis fold and a further rebuild to restore its tonal cohesion. The Willis at Truro is little more than half its size, yet it is a vastly superior musical instrument (although also compromised slightly by alterations since it was removed from Willis' care in the 1980s - but it would be the work of just a few days to put that right).
Simply amazing. The only thing better would be to hear it in person
Speaking as someone who has heard the Exeter organ in the flesh on several occasions... I wouldn't bother. It is SUCH a disappointment. It's the product of too many rebuilds and too many different and mutually incompatible fashions, and too much of it just doesn’t blend with the rest. The 1960s sharp mixtures are particularly foul, unstable in tuning and regulation, screaming away on top of but not blending with the plenum, the Choir is an assortment of old ranks with neo-baroque bubble and squeak, the half-length 32ft reed (added about twenty years ago) is notably poor, the Tuba is loud but has no attack, the big Trumpet in the gallery is a very poor imitation of a Wurlitzer/Gottfried brass trumpet (as found at St Paul's Cathedral), the big Flute in the gallery is just a fat, oppressive hoot... there are some nice sounds in it still, mostly Willis and Arthur Harrison pipework, some older stuff, and the Speechly 32ft open metal Violone's unimpeachable excellence is all the more astonishing given that it is the only one he ever made... but as a whole, the Exeter organ is a disappointment in dire need of returning to the Willis fold and a further rebuild to restore its tonal cohesion. The Willis at Truro is little more than half its size, yet it is a vastly superior musical instrument (although also compromised slightly by alterations since it was removed from Willis' care in the 1980s - but it would be the work of just a few days to put that right).
Brilliant! Thank you!