THE ORGAN IN DURHAM CATHEDRAL

'Father' Smith built an organ on the screen in 1686. After various alterations, it was dismantled in 1873; the Choir Organ case and a few pipes survive in the chapel of Durham Castle, and the west-facing case has been reconstructed in the south aisle.

In 1877 a new organ was built by Henry Willis. It was rebuilt and revoiced by Harrison & Harrison in 1905; the scheme allowed for certain additions, which were completed in 1935  (indicated as # in the specification). In 1970 the organ was restored  and further additions were made (indicated as * in the specification, the Great and Pedal Mixtures also being revised). It was overhauled in stages between 1993 and 2001.

The organ is divided on each side of the quire. The Positive, Choir and Great Organs, and the console, are on the south side; the Swell and Solo Organs on the north side; and the Pedal stops on both sides.


 PEDAL ORGAN


GREAT ORGAN


SOLO ORGAN
 (84 - 96 enclosed)

    1. Double Open Wood
32         
50.
 Double Open Diapason                     

16        
#84.
 Contra Viola
16
    2. Open Wood I
16
 #51.
 Contra Clarabella
 (12 from 7)
 16
 #85.
 Viole d'Orchestre
8
  #3. Open Wood II
 (from 1)
 16
 #52.
 Open Diapason I
8
 #86.
 Viole Céleste
8
4.
Open Diapason
16
 53.
 Open Diapason II
8
 #87.
 Viole Octaviante
4
*5.
 Violone
16
 54.
 Open Diapason III
8
 #88.
 Cornet de Violes 10.12.15 III
6.
 Dulciana
 16 #55.
 Open Diapason IV
8
 89.
 Harmonic Flute
8
7.
 Bourdon
16
 56.
 Gamba
8
 90.
 Concert Flute
4
#8.
 Contra Viola
 (from 84)
 16
 57.
 Stopped Diapason
8
 91.
 Harmonic Piccolo
2
#9.
 Octave Wood
 (from 2)
 8
 58.
 Claribel Flute
 (24 from 57)
 8
 #92.
 Cor Anglais
16
10.
 Principal
8
 59.
 Octave
4
 93.
 Corno di Bassetto
8
*11.
 Violoncello
 (from 5)
 8
 #60.
 Principal
4
 94.
 Orchestral Oboe
8
*12.
 Dulciana
 (from 6)
 8
 61.
 Harmonic Flute
4
XVII   Tremulant

13.
 Flute
8
 62.
 Octave Quint
22/3
 #95.
 French Horn
8
14.
 Twelfth
 (from 5)
 51/3
 63.
 Super Octave
2
 #96.
 Orchestral Tuba
8
#15.
 Super Octave Wood
 (from 2)
 4
 64.
 Mixture
 19.22.26.29
 IV
 97.
 Tuba
8
16.
 Fifteenth
 (1996)
 4
 *65.
 Scharf
 26.29.33
 III
 98.
 Tuba Clarion 4
*17.
 Twenty Second
2
 66.
 Contra Posaune
16


18.
 Mixture
 19.22.26.29
 IV
 67.
 Posaune
8


#19.
 Double Ophicleide
 (from 21)
 32
 68
 Clarion
4



XVIII  Octave     XIX  Sub Octave       XX  Unison Off
(No 92 has an extra octave of pipes in the treble)
*20.
 Double Trombone
 (from 22)
 32




#21.
 Ophicleide
16




22.
 Trombone
16





#23.
 Cor Anglais
 (from 92)
 16
XI  Reeds on Choir   XII   Choir to Great



24.
 Tromba
8
XIII   Swell to Great   XIV   Solo to Great





*25.
 Cornett
4







I   Choir to Pedal   II   Great to Pedal







III   Swell to Pedal   IV   Solo to Pedal





COMBINATION
COUPLERS













POSITIVE ORGAN






XXI   Generals on Swell foot pistons






SWELL ORGAN


XXII Pedal to Swell pistons

*26.
 Flûte à Cheminée
8





XXIII  Great and Pedal Combinations coupled


*27.
 Quintade
8
 69.
 Double Diapason




*28.
 Prestant
4
 70.
 Open Diapason I





*29.
 Flûte Ouverte
4
 71.
 Open Diapason II





*30.
 Doublette
2
 72.
 Salicional





*31.
 Sesquialtera
II
 73.
 Vox Angelica (tenor c)

ACCESSORIES

*32.
 Larigot
11/3
 74.
 Lieblich Gedeckt





*33.
 Octavin
1
 75.
 Principal


Ten foot pistons to the Pedal Organ

*34.
 Octave Tierce
4/5
 76.
 Harmonic Flute


Ten pistons to the Choir  and Positive Organs

*35.
 Cymbale
 26.29.33
 III
 77.
 Fifteenth


Ten pistons to the Great Organ

*36.
 Dulzian
16
 78.
 Mixture 12.15.17.19.22

Ten pistons to the Swell Organ
 (duplicated by foot pistons)

*37.
 Trompette
8
 79.
 Oboe




V   Positive on Great
 80.
 Vox Humana


Ten pistons to the Solo Organ

VI   Positive on Solo
XV   Tremulant
      
Ten general pistons and general cancel





81.
 Double Trumpet


Reversible pistons: I - VI, VIII, IX,
 XII - XIV, XVI, XXII, XXIII;
1, 20, 22


CHOIR ORGAN (enclosed)

82.
 Trumpet




38.
 Bourdon
16
 83.
 Clarion


Reversible foot pistons: II, III, XIII, 1

39.
 Viole d'Amour
8
XVI   Solo to Swell

Piston for Solo Orchestral Tuba (96)

40.
 Gedeckt
8




Piston for Solo Tuba (97)

41.
 Flauto Traverso
8




Reversible pistons for Full Organ I and II

42.
 Gemshorn
4
# 1935 additions


Pedal cancel foot piston

43.
 Stopped Flute
4
* 1970 additions


Eight general and eight divisional piston memories (1994)

44.
 Flauto Traverso
4
Ø Stops 19,21, 97 and 98 are grouped together as the Bombarde Division

Balanced  expression pedals to the Choir, Swell and Solo Organs

*45.
 Nazard
22/3







46.
 Piccolo
2







*47.
 Tierce
13/5
The manual compass is 58 notes





#48.
 Dulciana Mixture
 15.19.22
 III
The pedal compass is 30 notes





49.
 Clarinet
8







VII   Tremulant  (2001)
The actions are electro-pneumatic





VIII   Swell to Choir   IX   Solo to Choir







X   Bombarde Tubas on Choir Ø











                



                   


           

Click here for pictures of the organ

HARRISON & HARRISON

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For further information, email Mark Venning:
h.h@btinternet.com