SHERBORNE ABBEY
The Organ
The Abbey's magnificent pipe organ occupies a loft in the North Transept. It was originally built in 1856 by Gray & Davidson to a specification similar to their exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1951, it was rebuilt and had an electro-pneumatic action with a remote console installed by J W Walker & Sons. Tonal adjustment was made by John Coulson of Bristol in 1971. Unfortunately, the electro-pneumatic action did not stand the test of time and the instrument was completely rebuilt with a mechanical action by Bishop & Sons in 1986-87. In 2004/5, the organ, once again, underwent a major improvement. In the meantime, the Abbey was temporarily served by a superb electronic organ.
The 2004/5 rebuild by Mr Kenneth Tickell
When
asked to inspect the organ in 2003, the brief from Ian Bell, the Organ Advisor
to the Abbey, was: to address the problems of persistent murmurings and
intractability of the actions, and to implement minor tonal changes, including
returning the Choir organ back in the direction of its original roots. A new
Nave organ was to be provided on the west wall of the Abbey, it now being
realised that the poor position in the north transept had dogged the instrument
since its installation in 1856. Our work has been comprehensive: the end result
being effectively a new instrument within the carpenter case, and using the
existing pipework. New slider soundboards have been made for each of the three
manual divisions, the Bishop soundboards for the Pedal having been overhauled.
There is a new console and mechanical coupling chassis, with new tracker action
throughout the organ. The Pedal off-note chests had previously operated on a
curious mixture of pneumatic and individual tracker actions. We have taken a
pragmatic approach here, and, given the presence of electricity within the organ
to operate the new Nave organ, have converted these to electro-pneumatic action,
and also retained the optional electric assistance for the Swell couplers. The
Nave organ can be played on either the Great or Choir keys. All the bellows have
been releathered, and the original large double rise reservoir has been changed
to two single rises on a common well, enabling the Choir organ to return to a
more gentle pressure.
The
pipework of the organ has been much reworked over the years in the course of the
various rebuilds. There is still a core of Gray
& Davison work, particularly in the Great diapason chorus, and some of the
flutes, and we have endeavoured to blend the new voices to these. On the Great
there have been no significant changes, except to open up the Trumpet somewhat,
and to create a difference between the two, previously similar, Open Diapasons,
by cutting up and loudening number I while softening number II. All of the
mixtures in the organ have been reconfigured with slightly lower breaks, and
generally re-balanced. The Swell has gained new Flute 4, and also a Double
Trumpet 16, allowing the former Contra Oboe 16 to return to a more useful 8ft
pitch. The Cornopean and Clarion which had both been shortened and produced a
very hard, cutting sound, have had extra pipes inserted to allow for a more
blending tone created by longer resonators. On the Choir organ, the Clarabella,
Principal and Flute have been retained, and the Cornet IV placed on a mounted
block. A new tapered Gamba 8, Flageolet 2 and Mixture III join these ranks,
while the former Clarinet has returned from its temporary sojourn as a
Placing
a Nave organ case in such a wonderful building has been a particular
responsibility. The blank area of wall below the great west window was crying
out for an organ case to be affixed to it, and there was just the right amount
of height between the window and the west door for an 8ft case. The new pipework
was made by Terry Shires of Leeds.
Tonally,
the new division has been a revalation. The main organ is extremely forceful at
the console, and indeed in the opposite transept, but quickly loses vitality and
power as one moves down the Nave. Adding one or two stops of the Nave section
instantly brings an immediacy and presence into the main body of the building,
which will be valuable for congregational accompaniment. The full chorus simply
makes one realise how wonderful it would have been to build a new west end organ
in such a building. Nevertheless, the slightly remote placement of the main
organ does allow almost its full resources to be used in cathedral-style choral
accompaniments, as was heard to good effect at the Easter services.
The work of
Kenneth Tickell and his craftsmen has been comprehensive: the end result being
effectively a new instrument within the Carpenter case, and using the existing
pipework. New slider soundboards have been made for each of the three manual
divisions, and the Bishop soundboards for the Pedal having been overhauled.
There is a new console and mechanical coupling chassis, with new tracker action
throughout the organ. The new Nave organ can be played on either the Great or
Choir keys.
Sherborne Abbey Organ - 2005
The
specification of the organ as rebuilt by Kenneth Tickell & Co. of
Northampton.
Main
Organ
Great
Organ – 11 stops
Choir Organ – 8 stops
Double Diapason
16
Clarabella
8
Open Diapason I
8
Gamba
8
Open Diapason
II
8
Principal
4
Stopped
Diapason
8
Wald Flute
4
Octave
4
Flageolet
2
Harmonic Flute
4
Cornet
IV
Twelfth
2⅔
Mixture
III
Fifteenth
2
Clarinet
8
Sesquialtera
III
Mixture
V
Pedal Organ – 8 stops
Trumpet
8
Open
Wood
16
Swell Organ – 12 stops Open Diapason 16
Bourdon 16
Open
Diapason
8
Quint
10⅔
Clarinet
Flute
8
Principal
8
Keraulophon
8
Super Octave
4
Vox
Angelica
8
Contra Batten
32
Principal
4
Trombone
16
Nason
Flute
4
Gemshorn
2
Nave Section – 6 stops
Mixture
IV
Double
Trumpet
16
Open Diapason
8
Cornopean
8
Stopped Diapason
8
Hautboy
8
Principal
4
Clarion
4
Fifteenth
2
Tremulant
Mixture
IV
Subbass (Pedal)
16
Couplers
Swell
to Great
Swell to Pedal
Nave on Great
Swell
to Choir
Great to Pedal
Nave on Choir
Choir
to Great
Choir to Pedal
Combination
Couplers
Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled
Generals on Swell Toe Pistons
Compass
Manuals: 58 notes
Pedals: 30 notes
Wind (mm) Pedal 100 Great 82 Swell 78 Choir 70 Nave 70
