Lesson plan
Ronald Sharp
Ronald William Sharp (8 August 1929 – 21 July 2021) was an Australian organ builder. He was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) and the British Empire Medal (1980). Sharp was born in Kogarah, son of merchant seaman William Sharp and his wife Florence Sharp, née Dumpleton, a dressmaker. His father died sometime around 1936. He was taught to play piano by a grandmother. Sharp was self-taught and built his first organ in 1960. He specialised in mechanical, tracker action instruments, and was responsible for re-introducing mechanical action to Australia after it had been out of fashion for many years due to the convenience of electrical action. His tracker action baroque organs are particularly famous. Although sometimes criticised as having a unique and characteristic tonal design, rather than an authentic "organ" tone, this tone has come to be much appreciated by some authorities and players.
Article summary
Ronald William Sharp (8 August 1929 – 21 July 2021) was an Australian organ builder. He was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) and the British Empire Medal (1980). Sharp was born in Kogarah, son of merchant seaman William Sharp and his wife Florence Sharp, née Dumpleton, a dressmaker. His father died sometime around 1936. He was taught to play piano by a grandmother. Sharp was self-taught and built his first organ in 1960. He specialised in mechanical, tracker action instruments, and was responsible for re-introducing mechanical action to Australia after it had been out of fashion for many years due to the convenience of electrical action. His tracker action baroque organs are particularly famous. Although sometimes criticised as having a unique and characteristic tonal design, rather than an authentic "organ" tone, this tone has come to be much appreciated by some authorities and players.
Key claims
- date of death: 1936 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- The record states that the date of death is "1936". What evidence would count against this claim?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341072945
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.