The Organ 

Our wonderful organ has recently been refurbished and enlarged. The work was completed in March 2022. Below you can see pictures of the refurbished organ, read its history and find details of the refurbishment.

The refurbished organ from the front

The refurbished organ showing how it now projects into the chancel.

Organ history

The organ is believed to have been installed as a second-hand instrument by Abbott & Smith of Leeds for the Church’s consecration in 1912.  J W Walker & Sons. maintained the instrument throughout the 1930’s until the late 1970’s. They added a Fifteenth to the Swell in 1967. In 1981 Peter Wells was employed to modernise and enlarge the organ,  converting the pneumatic action to electric, providing a new detached console positioned in the former Lady Chapel, and undertaking some tonal improvements. In the early 1990’s some problems relating to the soundboard sliders occurred and F H Browne & Sons of Canterbury were employed to rectify the situation.  In 1994 a 4ft Flute was added by Browne’s.  They have maintained the organ ever since.

The restoration and rebuilding

After many years of continuous use problems were beginning to appear.  An Organ Appeal was started 2015 to refurbish the organ.  However, after receiving considerable support from the congregation,  members of the public and some Trust Funds we were able to undertake a full rebuild and enlargement of the organ.  In 2020 Mander Organ Builders (formerly F H Browne) were contracted to rebuild and enlarge the instrument.

The rebuilding work has embraced the following:-

Moving the instrument forward by 600mm into the chancel.  

The Great Mixture II replaced by a new Mixture III

Two new Great mutations stops.

Installation of a 16ft reed rank on a new unit chest A

The Swell Trumpet revoiced back to a Horn and extended down to a Contra Fagotto 16ft by re-voicing the bottom octave of the old Swell Contra Oboe on unit chest B.

Other improvements:-

Console totally refurbished

New Great direct pallet electric action soundboard with Schwimmer Valve

Swell soundboard converted to direct pallet electric action

New solid state switching system 

New adjustable Tremulant

Installing a Stevenson Swell motor  

New floor level casing. 

New specification 

   Great  (58)                               Swell  (58)

1. Lieblich Bourdon 16                     14. Open Diapason       8
2. Open Diapason         8                     15. Rohr Flute       8
3. Gedeckt         8                     16. Viola de Gamba       8
4. Dulciana         8                     17. Gemshorn       4
5. Principal         4                     18. Fifteenth       2
6. Flute         4                     19. Mixture        II
7. Twelfth / Nazard   2⅔   New              20. Contra Fagotto  Unit chest B   16  
8. Fifteenth         2                      21. Horn Unit chest  B       8
9. Tierce         1³/5 New              22. Oboe       8
10. Mixture                 lll      New
11. Trumpet   New unit chest  A                  8        New Tremulant
12. Horn          Unit chest  B         8        From Swell
13. Clarion           Unit chest  A         4        New

Pedal  (30)

                                        Swell Octave

  23. Sub Bass                                 16         Swell Sub Octave

  24. Lieblich Bourdon  from Great 1 16         Swell Unison Off

  25. Flute    from Great  1          8

  26. Octave   from Great 2          8

  27. Octave Flute    from Great 1  4

  28. Trombone Unit chest  A                 16    New

  29. Fagotto         from  Swell 20         16

  30. Clarion         Unit chest  A                  8     New

Swell to Great                          Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal, Adjustable pistons to Great,    Swell and Pedal.

Great & Pedal pistons coupled

The tonal improvements are:-

• Moving the instrument forward by 600mm into the chancel.  
• The Great Mixture II replaced by a new Mixture III
• Two new Great mutations
• Installation of a 16ft reed rank on a new unit chest A to provide the  Pedal Trombone and Clarion and the Great Trumpet and Clarion
• The Swell Trumpet is to revoiced back to a Horn  (as it was pre 1981) and extended down to a Contra Fagotto 16ft by re-voicing ( new shallots and reeds) the bottom octave of the old Swell Contra Oboe and mounted on the existing Swell Oboe unit chest B.
• The Swell Oboe mounted back on it’s original position on the soundboard.

Other improvements include:-

• New Great soundboard
• New solid state switching system and the advantages this will bring to the piston setting. 
• New adjustable Tremulant
• Stevenson Swell motor