This is an archive of news articles from WHEN?. Current news articles can be found here and an archive index can be found here. Information in this archive may no longer be valid.

• New Mander at St Peter's Church, St Albans
  Pictured right is the brand new three manual, 39 stop organ of St Peter's Church, St Albans, which has just been completed and tuned. Details of the opening concert series can be found in our concert diary, with Thomas Trotter inaugurating the instrument on the 27th of May, Gillian Weir playing on the 10th of June and John Scott playing on the 15th of July. Meanwhile Mander's attention now turns to a new two manual, 24 stop instrument for St Paul's Church in Norfolk, Virginia.

  The specification of St Peter's new organ is given below, with the stops given in the order they appear on the jambs. The Great Stopped Diapason shares its lowest octave with the Harmonic Flute, the Swell Salicional borrows its lowest six pipes from the Gedackt, and the Choir Viola da Gamba takes its lowest octave from the Chimney flute. The Great Mounted Cornet is from Middle C upwards. Otherwise all ranks are complete for their 61 note compasses, and the 32 note Pedal also consists of six completely independent ranks, something of a rarity.

  Specification: St Peter's Church, St Albans
  Great		Swell
  Double Diapason Open Diapason Stopped Diapason Harmonic Flute Open Flute Principal Twelfth 22/3 Fifteenth Seventeenth 13/5 Fourniture 11/3 Mounted Cornet 22/3 Trumpet	16' 8' 8' 8' 4' 4' 22/3' 2' 13/5' IV (11/3') III (22/3') 8'	Open Diapason Gedackt Salicional Celeste (T.C.) Principal Nason Flute Fifteenth Mixture Vox humana Bassoon Trumpet Oboe Tremulant	8' 8' 8' 8' 4' 4' 2' III (1') 8' 16' 8' 8'
  Choir		Pedal
  Viola da Gamba Chimney Flute Principal Koppelflute Nazard 22/3 Piccolo Tierce 13/5 Sharp Mixture Cremona Tremulant	8' 8' 4' 4' 22/3' 2' 13/5' III (1') 8'	Open Diapason Bourdon Quint 102/3 Principal Fifteenth Trombone	16' 16' 102/3' 8' 4' 16'
  		Couplers
  		Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal Swell to Great Choir to Great Swell to Choir West Shutters On Great and Pedal combinations coupled Swell combinations on General toe pistons

  
  
  
• Round up of organ news
  For the first time in over six decades, the West gallery of Magdeburg Cathedral, Germany is not bare, as the steel frame for the new Schuke organ is being installed. You can even follow the construction of the organ on a webcam here. Manila Cathedral in the Phillipines is having its organ restored by Diego Cera. And Paul Fritts is building a new three manual 66 stop organ for St Joseph's Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio - details here and here.
  
  
• Masterclasses and conservatoires
  Two masterclasses are coming up this month in Greece as part of the 3rd Spring Organ Series 2006, under the artistic direction of Christina Antoniadou. Johannes Geffert is leading a masterclass on the 17th and 18th of March at St Paul's Anglican Church, 27 Philhellinon street, Athens (email info@springorganseries.gr for more details), and Terence Charlston and Anna Crookes are leading a Baroque music masterclass on the 3rd of April at N. Mantzaros Conservatory, 4 Premetis street, 16121 Hilton, Athens (email info@mantzaros.gr for more details). And the International Summer Organ Conservatoire 2006 offers good players the opportunity to visit Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye for ten days of tuition, masterclasses and more from Gillian Weir and Nigel Allcoat - details here.
  
  
• Kimmel Center opening festivities
  The new Dobson organ in the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall (see May 2005's news for more) in Philadelphia has been named as the Fred J Cooper Memorial Organ - more details here. Details of the dedication festival have also been announced: Thursday May 11th marks the first of three consecutive sold out nights where Olivier Latry will join the Philadelphia Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach, performing a new commission from Gerald Levinson, Barber's Toccata festiva and Poulenc's Organ Concerto, with an improvised postlude. Other events include an organ marathon with some well-known names, choir, organ and orchestra concerts, silent movies (with organ accompaniment) and on the 20th of May an opportunity to "Pay to play" the new organ. For more details, visit the Kimmel Center website.