{"id":982,"date":"2025-08-23T17:14:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T16:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stmarywellingborough.org\/?page_id=982"},"modified":"2026-04-08T22:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:22:55","slug":"the-organ","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stmarywellingborough.org\/?page_id=982","title":{"rendered":"The Organ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From October 1903, the year after its Consecration, the church holds a record of ‘Things still needed’ which includes an entry for; ‘An organ (not large)’. The Parish magazine reports in September 1910 that, although ‘An American Organ kindly lent by Miss Sharman has been substituted for the old harmonium… An organ is still urgently needed’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An article appears in 1911 under the title, ‘The Provision of an Organ’ explaining that Mr Arthur Hill of ‘ Messrs Walter Hill & Sons [actually, William Hill & Son], paid a visit on Friday 13th January’. The firm then wrote to the Vicar saying, ‘We have consulted Mr Comper since Mr Hill’s visit, as to the permanent position of the organ and.. . it is arranged to go in the existing gallery, [above the west end of the Jesus Chapel] the player sitting with his back to the south’.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A contract dated 1 July 1914 was placed with William Hill & Son \u2014 Job No. 2451 requesting’… a two manual and pedal clavier to be placed in the loft provided for the same in the north chapel, the console being arranged on the rood loft of the nave [note the change from Comper’s instruction three years earlier], and connected with the organ by a long tubular pneumatic action’. The terms also state that of the \u00a3700 quoted, half was due on delivery and half on completion; of the 21 stops, five would be prepared for but not installed (Bourdon, Bass Flute, Lieblich Gedact, Flautina and Oboe); no casework would be provided and the Church would have to install an electric blowing plant in the Parvis having first ‘pierced the wall’ for the trunking. Hill & Son fully intended to install the instrument that year, but shortage of labour due to Military Service delayed it until 1915. The organ was completed in 1918, with the addition of the five stops omitted at the time of its erection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main organ case sits high above the Jesus Chancel facing south, with the inscription from Psalm 150 on its bottom ledge: ‘Laudate Dominum in chordis et in organo. Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum’.<\/em> On a decorated panel below are the opening words of the Magnificat, together with the plainchant notation of Tone VI. A replica of the main case with imitation pipes faces east overlooking the Jesus Chapel, providing an effective finishing touch to the chapel’s western contour.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Both cases are highly decorated and in keeping with the opulence of the building even though the specification is, by comparison, noticeably modest. However, by December 1937 the matter had moved on when Comper wrote to Hill, Norman and Beard saying that he was anxious to ‘ . . .carry through a small case… to mask the organ on the east side.. .’ He continues, ‘The idea of its always being a dummy is not liked.. adding, ‘ . . .part of the original plan of the instrument is the addition to it of a small choir organ’. This was still being spoken of in 1940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2008 a major refurbishment was undertaken by Kenneth Tickell & Co. Ltd, of Northampton. The tubular pneumatic action was replaced by electro pneumatic action. The only addition to the original specification was the provision of the wooden Trombone from the 1844 William Hill organ in All Saints’, Northampton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Great<\/strong><\/td>\u00a0<\/td>Swell<\/strong><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Double Dulciana (full length)<\/td>16ft<\/td>Open Diapason<\/td>8ft <\/td><\/tr>
Open Diapason No.1<\/td>8ft<\/td>Echo Gamba<\/td>8ft<\/td><\/tr>
Open Diapason No.2<\/td>8ft<\/td>Voix Celestes t.c<\/td>8ft<\/td><\/tr>
Hohl Flute<\/td>8ft<\/td>Rohr Flute<\/td>8ft<\/td><\/tr>
Salcional<\/td>8ft<\/td>Principal<\/td>4ft<\/td><\/tr>
Principal<\/td>4ft<\/td>Lieblich Gedact<\/td>4ft<\/td><\/tr>
Harmonic Flute<\/td>4ft<\/td>Flautina<\/td>2ft<\/td><\/tr>
Twelfth & Fifteenth<\/td>\u00a0<\/td>Horn<\/td>8ft<\/td><\/tr>
Swell to Great<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td>Oboe<\/td>8ft<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td>\u00a0<\/td> Octave Coupler<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Pedal<\/strong><\/td>\u00a0<\/td> Sub Octave Coupler<\/em> <\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Open Diapason (wood)<\/td>16ft<\/td>\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Double Dulciana (Great)<\/td>16ft<\/td>\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Bourdon<\/td>16ft<\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Bass Flute (extension of Bourdon)<\/td>8ft<\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Trombone (2008)<\/td>16ft<\/td>\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Great to Pedal<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td>\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr>
Swell to Pedal<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td>\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From October 1903, the year after its Consecration, the church holds a record of ‘Things still needed’ which includes an entry for; ‘An organ (not large)’. The Parish magazine reports in September 1910 that, although ‘An American Organ kindly lent by Miss Sharman has been substituted for the old harmonium… An organ is still urgently<\/p>\n

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