King's College Chapel, Cambridge

KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL,
CAMBRIDGE

In 1605-6 Thomas Dallam built an organ in the Chapel. The accounts for his work have survived, showing in detail the materials and hospitality provided by the College while the work was done. Successive rebuildings were undertaken by Lancelot Pease (1661), Thomas Thamar (1673-7), Renatus Harris (1686-8), John Avery (1803-5), and the firm of William Hill (1834,1859,1889 and 1911).
In 1934 the organ was enlarged and rebuilt in its present form by Harrison and Harrison, with some of the Hill pipework retained and revoiced. The specification, drawn up in consultation with Bernhard Ord (Organist 1929-57), included separate mutations on the Choir Organ, unusual in England at that time. Minor changes were made in 1950, when the Pedal Fifteenth and Mixture were added.
In 1968 the organ was overhauled and several new stops were provided (11, 12, 22, 48 and 50), four old ranks being displaced. Further restoration work was carried out in 1992, when the console was renovated and the electrical system modernised.
There is some uncertainty about the history of the case, which is one of the oldest in England. The main case is probably a survival from the organ of 1605-6, while the Choir case may date from 1661. The front pipes were originally coloured and patterned; the plain gilding dates from the eighteenth century. In 1859 the main case was doubled in depth to accommodate the enlarged organ, the console being moved to its present position on the north side.
Today, the Great and Swell Organs and the Tuba occupy the main case, facing east; the Choir Organ is at the lower level behind the Choir case; the Solo Organ and most of the Pedal stops are placed within the screen on the south side. 

PEDAL ORGAN




 1. Double Open Wood   (from 2)	32
 2. Open Wood			16
 3. Open Diapason      (from 39)	16
 4. Geigen				16
 5. Bourdon				16
 6. Salicional			16
 7. Echo Violone       (from 69)	16
 8. Violoncello	    (from 4)	 8
 9. Flute	           (from 5)	 8
10. Fifteenth	    (from 13)	 4
11. Rohr Flute			 4
12. Open Flute			 2
13. Mixture	       12.15.17.19.22	 V
14. Double Ophicleide (from 15)	32
15. Ophicleide			16
16. Trombone	       	     (from 51)	16
17. Double Trumpet      (from 66)	16
18. Cor Anglais	   (from 75)	16
19. Posaune	    	     (from 15)	 8
20. Tromba	    	     (from 51)	 8
21. Octave Tromba       (from 51)	 4
22. Schalmei			 	 4		




      I.  Choir to Pedal     II.  Great to Pedal

     III. Swell to Pedal     IV.  Solo to Pedal


CHOIR ORGAN (Enclosed)




23. Double Salicional  (12 from 6)	16
24. Open Diapason			 8
25. Claribel Flute			 8
26. Salicional			 8
27. Dulciana				 8
28. Gemshorn				 4
29. Suabe Flute			 4
30. Nazard				 22/3
31. Dulcet				 2
32. Tierce				 13/5
33. Larigot				 11/3
34. Twenty-second			 1
35. Corno di Bassetto  (1997)	 8

    V  Swell to Choir      VI  Solo to Choir

36. Contra Tromba 	    (from 51)	16
37. Tromba	            (from 52)	 8
38. Octave Tromba	    (from 53)	 4
 

ACCESSORIES

Eight general pistons and general cancel
Two general coupler pistons
Eight foot pistons to the Pedal Organ
Eight pistons to the Choir Organ
Eight pistons to the Great Organ
Eight pistons to the Swell Organ, 
duplicated by foot pistons
Six pistons to the Solo Organ
Reversible pistons: I-IX, XIII; 14
Reversible foot pistons: 
    II (twice), IV, VIII
Foot piston for Doubles Off
Balanced expression pedals to the Choir, 
   Swell and Solo Organs
The pistons are instantly adjustable, 
   with eight divisional and 32 general memories

The manual compass is 61 notes; the pedal 32 notes
The actions are electro-pneumatic


  	GREAT ORGAN

39. Double Open Diapason		16
40. Open Diapason I		 	 8
41. Open Diapason II		 8
42. Stopped Diapason		 8
43. Octave			 	 4
44. Principal			 4
45. Wald Flute			 4
46. Octave Quint			 22/3
47. Super Octave			 2
48. Open Flute			 2
49. Mixture		19.22.26.29	IV
50. Sesquialtera	  17.19.22     III
51.*Contra Tromba			16
52.*Tromba			 	 8
53.*Octave Tromba			 4

     VII  Choir to Great     VIII  Swell to Great
                    IX  Solo to Great
     *	51 - 53 are enclosed in the Solo swell-box

  

   	 SWELL ORGAN
54. Quintatön			16
55. Open Diapason		 	 8
56. Violin Diapason		 	 8
57. Voix Céleste		 	 8
58. Lieblich Gedeckt		 8
59. Echo Salicional		 	 8
60. Vox Angelica	(tenor c)		 8
61. Principal			 4
62. Lieblich Flute		 	 4
63. Fifteenth			 2
64. Mixture	      12.17.19.22     III
65. Oboe			 	 8
                          X  Tremulant
66. Double Trumpet			16
67. Trumpet				 8
68. Clarion				 4

   XI  Octave      XII  Sub Octave     XIII  Solo to Swell

   
	 SOLO ORGAN  (69 -78 enclosed)

69. ContraViola			16
70. Viole d'Orchestre		 8
71. Viole Octaviante		 4
72. Cornet de Violes  10.12.15    III
73. Harmonic Flute			 8
74. Concert Flute			 4
75. Cor Anglais			16
76. Clarinet			 	 8
77. Orchestral Hautboy		 8
                   XIV  Tremulant
78. French Horn			 8
79. Tuba			 	 8

        XV  Octave         XVI  Sub Octave
     XVII  Unison Off   XVIII  Great to Solo

75 has an extra octave of pipes at the top
        for use with XV and XVII

           COMBINATION COUPLERS

              XIX  Great to Pedal foot pistons     
              XX  Pedal to Great pistons
              XXI  Pedal to Swell pistons     
              XXII  Generals on Swell foot pistons


 

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