Categories
See and Hear
Please use the links on the left to explore the sights and sounds of the Mighty Pipes in the Peaks Compton Organ…
Specification
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The Compton Organ was originally 6 Ranks when it was installed in both the Cinema, and its previous home. Being of a smaller size, it was also equipped with Compton’s Patent Melotone attachment, which unfortunately is now no longer part of the organ. |
The original 6 ranks were:
Metal Tibia (16-2)
Concert Flute (8-2)
Viole (8-4)
Tuba Horn (16-4)
Muted Trumpet (8)
Open Diapason (8-4)
Standard percussion’s were also fitted to the organ:
Glockenspiel
Xylophone
Crash Cymbal, Cymbal Tap & Roll, Train Whistle, Steam Boat Whistle, Castanets, Bass Drum Roll and Tap P and F, Snare Drum Roll, Klaxon, Siren, Tambourine, Tom-Tom, Triangle, Bird Whistle, Sleigh Bells and Sand Block.
During the installation by Dave in his Garage Showroom, the organ has not only been revoiced and regulated, but also enlarged with the following:
Player Piano
Vox Humana (8)
Kinura (8)
Krumet (8)
Brass Saxophone (8)
Wooden Tibia (8-2)
English Horn (16-8)
Diaphone (16)
Bourdon (16)
Viole Celeste (8tc-4)
Cello (8-4)
Cello Celeste (8tc-4)
Brass Trumpet (8)
Clarinet (8)
Quintadena (8)
Cathedral Chimes (previously generated by the Melotone unit)
Vibraphone/Chrysoglott (previously generated by the Melotone unit)
Piano Accordion
61-note Marimba Harp
18-note Tuned Birds
Extended Toy Counter
Compton Solo Cello
Full Automated Drum Kit
External Tibia Bass
Tuned Sleigh Bells
Windchimes
5 Temple Blocks
Cowbell
Series 3 Melotone
Blackpool enthusiasts will also be pleased to note that Compton is now fitted with the “Quint” and “Tierce” ranks – due to the increasing number of instruments in the UK enhanced to this specification, such fine examples have been exceptionally difficult to obtain.
Concert Photographs
Christmas Spectacular Concerts with Christian Cartwright and Stephen Foulkes 2019
Robert Wolfe 2019
1940’s Tribute Evening with Stephen Foulkes and Linda Perry Smith 2019
Summer BBQ with Christian Cartwright 2019
Phil Kelsall MBE 2019
Nicholas Martin BEM 2019
20th Anniversary Duet Concert with Christian Cartwright and Stephen Foulkes 2019
Last Afternoon Of The Proms 2018
Nigel Ogden 2018
Chris Powell 2015
Online Videoclips
Here are some video featuring Resident Organists Christian Cartwright at the Pipes in the Peaks Compton, and also the 5 manual virtual organ.
CD Recordings
A New CD by Christian Cartwright
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“Tuned Up 3!” by Christian Cartwright
This is the third recording by Christian Cartwright, and this celebrates the 20 anniversary of the Mighty Compton installed here at Pipes in the Peaks. |
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1. Our Director 2. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square 3. Is This The Way To Amarillo 4. Beatles Selection – Yesterday & I Want To Hold Your Hand 5. Cant Take My Eyes Of You 6. Hymne L’Amour 7. I Only Want To Be With You 8. Elvis Presley Selection – Love Me Tender & Are You Lonesome Tonight 9. Samba Selection – Brazil & I Yi Yi Yi Yi I Like You Very Much 10. The Nun’s Chorus 11. Orange Coloured SkyG 12. Music Of The Night 13. Fly Me To The Moon 14. Somewhere My Love 15. Suo Gan 16. The Candy Man 17. 1960’s Selection – You’re My World & Downtown 18. New York, New York
Available from Pipes in the Peaks. CD £10 + £1.50 P&P |
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See the Compton
This is your chance to see the ex-Regal/ABC Compton. This page make take longer to download due to the number of pictures contained on it Click on a picture to get a closer view!
All of the pictures contained are as the organ is installed at ‘Pipes In The Peaks’.
Console:
| The Compton Console. |
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Close up of console, showing the recent addition of the drawer to augment the number of stops available to the organist. |
Pipe Chamber:
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Left-hand side of Pipe Chamber.
Ranks in this side are from Left to Right:- Tibia 1, Brass Trumpet, Clarinet, Vox Humana, English Horn, Viol, Open Diapason, Viol Celeste, and Concert Flute. On the rear wall can be seen the 8′ Viol pipes. 8′ Cello pipes, and the larger 16′ English Horn, 16′ Tibia and 8′ Diapason |
| Right-hand side of Pipe Chamber
Ranks in this side are from Left to Right:- Cello Celeste, Quintadena, Cello, Tuba Horn, Muted Trumpet, Kinura, Krumet, Tibia 2, Brass Saxophone. On the far left wall can be seen the wooden Bourdon and metal Diaphone, on the back wall is the 16′ Tuba, just in front the 8′ Tibia 2, and on the right can be seen the Xylophone and Glockenspiel units. |
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Automated Drum Kit:
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The fully automated drum kit. Drum kit includes,
Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Rim shot, Tom 1, Tom 2, Tom 3, High Hat Open, High Hat Closed, High Hat Tap, Splash Cymbal, China Crash, Bell, Ride 1, Crash 1, Ride 2, Crash 2, Clave, Tambourine, Wood Block, Cow Bell, Temple Blocks. All instruments have complete expression from silent to full volume. All the instruments are timed precisely to within one thousandth of a second! |
Compton Solo Cello:
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The very rare Compton Solo Cello. A single string is located on the left hand side of the unit, with 37 fingers that produce each of the notes. The unit can only play a single note at a time, always the highest of a chord. At the bottom of the string is the mechanical circular bow, which just like the real bow in a orchestra also requires rosin to be applied. Beside the bow is an electromagnetic pickup device, not dissimilar to the principle used in an electric guitar, which is fed into an amplifier and speaker. At the bottom of the unit is an electric motor which drives the bowing and vibrato on the unit. Seen on the right hand side, is the control linkage and spring arrangement used to control the string tension which applies the vibrato. |
Piano Accordion:
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A real Piano Accordion, which is played directly from the organ |
Toy Counter:
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Main Toy Counter Unit includes,
Bass Drum F and P, Bass Drum Roll, Snare Drum, Syren, Bird Whistle, Wood Block, Sleigh Bells, Castanets, Tambourine, Steamboat Whistle, Engine Whistle, Cymbal Tap, Cymbal Roll, Tom Tom, Triangle, Sand Block.
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Vibraphone:
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A Compton Vibraphone. Control 37 notes. Can either be used as a Vibraphone by the means of butterflies spinning in the resonators, or as a Chrysoglott. |
Xylophone and Glockenspiel:
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Top – Xylophone 37 notes Bottom – Glockenspiel 37 notes |
Piano:
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Upright Broadwood Piano attachment, which can be played directly from the organ, with keys that appear to move “as if by magic” |
Cathedral Chimes:
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18 note Christie Cathedral Chimes. |
Marimba:
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Here is the 61note Deagan Marimba. It runs on 12inch Water Gauge of Wind Pressure, and took a whole day to lift it’s 4 sections into place, after weeks of painstaking renovation and releathering. It is believed to be the largest compass instrument fitted to a Cinema Organ in the UK. This plays a full 61 notes. |
Secondary Toy Counter:
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Located on this unit as designed and manufactured by Pipes in the Peaks are:-
Jazz Cymbal F and P, Brush Cymbal, Splash Cymbal, Cop Whistle, and Sante Fe Whistle. |
Tuned Birds, Duck and Owl:
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The Compton has a set of 18-note tuned bird whistles, based on those sometimes fitted to Christie organs in the 1930’s. The 18 pre-tuned pipes sit upside-down in a bath of water, and have some flying birds to add to the amusement. There are owl and duck effects too. |
New Toy Counter
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New toy counter features from left to right:
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Melotone
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Series 3 Melotone. Unfortunately the original Series 3 Melotone was present when the Compton was purchased for Pipes in the Peaks, but luckily we managed to acquire an identical unit which completes the original specification of the Compton. The melotone is an electostatic device which produces synthetic organ sounds, vibraphone, marimba, and carillon.
Top picture shows the actual Melotone unit Bottom picture shows the Horn Speaker which it plays through. |
Tuned Sleigh Bells
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A very early set of Wurlitzer Tuned Sleigh Bells which date back to 1915. |
Tuned Sleigh Bells
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Temple Blocks, Cowbell and Wind Chimes |
Tuned Sleigh Bells
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14 note external Tibia Bass |
Chinese Gong
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Kimball Chinese Gong |