At first glance, the organ at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church looks rather ordinary, but many of the big names in organ music like to play here, and today we joined them on the RCO Summer Course, and found out why. After Simon Williams had finished a masterclass, I had the organ all to myself for half an hour, so it was my turn to be a Big Name. I can understand why people are almost falling over themselves to play it – it’s versatile, sounds good, and has some interesting pedal reeds (including a 32′ Sackbut which sounds EXACTLY like a road drill when played on its own). And it’s also friendly – by which I mean you generally feel it is on your side, and won’t play you up. You know what I mean?
The organ includes many ranks of pipes from redundant Binns organs, and the current build was undertaken by B C Shepherd and Sons, who still maintain it. The organ had to be shoe-horned into the back of the gallery, and there’s not a lot of height for the pipework. What on first glance looks like an odd storage cupboard under the rose window (see below) is actually the biggest of the pedal pipes (can’t remember which rank – must ask Eric Shepherd!), folded up on itself and lying on its side. ( More on the organ and its specification here.)
Another reason that organists like being part of the concert season here has to be the unique atmosphere created by Philip Luke, Director of Music, and other members of the team that run the church. I do recommend these concerts – on the last Saturday of each month at 4pm – if only for the splendid buffet afterwards, and general organist chatter.
