PROJECTS AND PLANS 2009
- 10
| Bristol,
St Mary
Redcliffe |
Fylingdales,
St Stephen
|
London,
The Temple Church
|
| Bury
St Edmunds, St
Edmundsbury Cathedral |
Glasgow,
Cottier Theatre |
London,
Westminster Central Hall |
| Cirencester
Parish
Church |
London,
Battersea,
St Luke's |
Paisley
Abbey |
| Crowthorne,
Wellington College |
London,
Muswell Hill, St James's |
Tamworth,
St Editha |
|
London,
Royal
Festival Hall |
|
|
|
|
Our new workshop is host to a
great variety of organs, both old and new.
NEW
ORGANS
CIRENCESTER PARISH CHURCH
Henry Willis built an organ for the church in 1895, retaining the
imposing organ case by George Gilbert Scott. The instrument was much
rebuilt over the years and had become unreliable. Harrison &
Harrison are to build a new organ of four manuals and 63 stops,
retaining the Scott case and some 30 surviving Willis stops.
The organ is situated in the former St John's Chapel, south of the
chancel and at the head of the south nave aisle. In this position it
must give effective leadership in the nave as well as accompanying the
choir in the chancel. The Great Organ will
face the
nave, with a new case; the Choir and Solo Organs will stand within the
Scott case in the chancel; the Swell Organ will have shutters facing in
both directions. The console will be placed on the north side of the
chancel.
Click here for the Cirencester
specification
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ST
EDMUNDSBURY CATHEDRAL
An
elevated organ chamber was created in the angle between the quire and
north
transept when the eastern extension of the Cathedral was built in 1970,
to the
design of Stephen Dykes Bower. He also planned the magificent central
tower, which was completed for the new millennium.The
organ will
incorporate pipework from the previous instruments by Norman &
Beard and
Nicholson.
It will speak primarily to
the west, but is also designed to accompany services in the quire. Two
organ
cases will eventually be provided, in accordance with the architect's
intentions: the main case in the transept facing west towards the nave,
and a
smaller case for the Choir Organ overlooking the quire, where the
console is
also situated.
REBUILD
WESTMINSTER CENTRAL
HALL
Close to Westminster Abbey, the Great Hall with its magnificent
dome
can accommodate more than 2,000 people. The organ was built by Hill
& Son in 1912; it was rebuilt, and much enlarged, by Rushworth
& Dreaper in 1970.
Harrison & Harrison are to rebuild the organ with new slider
soundboards and electro-pneumatic actions, an improved layout, and a
revised specification. The work is to be carried out in 2010 - 11.
Click here for the Westminster
Central
Hall
specification
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RESTORATION
GLASGOW, COTTIER
THEATRE
The organ was built by Henry Willis in 1876 for
Dowanhill
Parish Church. In 1954 Willis changed
the actions to electro-pneumatic and provided a new console; however,
the
structure and pipework were not changed.
After a period of neglect and vandalism, the organ was
removed to Harrisons’ workshop in 2006 with the intention of restoring
it to
its original state. This has entailed
the creation of new tracker actions and Barker machine, new mechanical
drawstop
and composition actions, and a new console, all strictly in the style
of Father
Willis and based on contemporary examples. All of the work has been
completed,
including extensive restoration of damaged pipework.
The church is being converted as The Cottier Theatre, and
the restored organ will be reinstated in the rear gallery when the
building is
ready, probably in 2010.
Click here for the Cottier specification
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The organ is the work of Lewis
& Co, dating mainly from c.1914 but including some pipework from
other sources. It is on the north side of the chancel; the console,
with a third manual prepared for a Choir Organ, is on the south side.
The organ is to be rebuilt with new soundboards and electro-pneumatic
actions. The musical style of Lewis is to be consolidated, with new
pipework replacing several uncharacteristic ranks: stops 11 and 18 are
additions.
Click here for the St Luke's
specification
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The specification was drawn up by
H.A. Bate, organist of the church from 1924 to 1978, in consultation
with the organ builders. It remains unaltered and is to be restored in
2010.
The organ stands in a chamber south of the chancel, the position
occupied by the 1913 Harrison organ which was destroyed in 1940. The
case was designed by Caroë & Partners.
Click here for the Muswell Hill
specification
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THE TEMPLE CHURCH
The organ was built by Harrison & Harrison in 1924 for the
castle of Glen Tanar
, Aberdeenshire, and moved to the Temple Church in 1954. The organ is
to be fully restored between 2011 and 2013.
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TAMWORTH, ST EDITHA
The organ was built by Harrison & Harrison in 1927, and is
completely unaltered ( 3 manuals 32 stops, pneumatic action). We are
overhauling the console and its mechanism, together with the pneumatic
coupler and piston machines, and releathering some of the Pedal
actions.
Click here for the St Editha specification
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ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL
H&H 1954. 4 manuals 103 stops. In August 2005 the organ was
dismantled and stored in a separate warehouse in Durham. The
Hall has been completely reconstructed with improved acoustics; it
reopened in June 2007. The
organ is being reconfigured to suit the new architectural
and acoustic requirements: its depth has been reduced by 1.1m, but the
basic principles of the layout have been respected. The Swell Organ,
Great flue stops and Pedal Principal 32ft, forming the left-hand
portion of
the organ, have been reinstated, together with the console, and will be
followed by the central and right-hand sections at a later date.
Click here for the Royal Festival Hall
specification.
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OVERHAUL
FYLINGDALES,
ST STEPHEN
The organ was built by Hill & Son in
1869 for Burton in Lonsdale, All Saints and was moved here in 1987. It
is being
overhauled and provided with a new blower between February and March
2009.
Click here for St Stephen's
specification
PAISLEY ABBEY
In 1872 Aristide Cavaillé-Coll built a two-manual organ in
the nave. In 1928, when the quire of the Abbey was restored, the organ
was rebuilt and enlarged by Hill, Norman & Beard and was installed
in a large chamber on the south side. There were four manuals and 65
stops; all of the Cavaillé-Coll pipework was retained, though
with some changes in its character. The new organ case was designed by
Sir Robert Lorimer.
In 1968 the organ was rebuilt by J. W. Walker with a completely new
tonal structure, planned by Ralph Downes in association with the Abbey
organist Dr George McPhee. Once again the Cavaillé-Coll pipework
was retained, the reeds regaining much of their original original
quality. Three of the manual departments are arranged vertically behind
the quire case, with the Swell at the top, then the Positive, and the
Great at the lower level; the Bombarde speaks westwards into the south
transept. The console is in the south choir stalls.
The organ is to be restored; a new wind system will be
provided, with traditional reservoirs replacing the present wind
regulators. The organ's musical character will be fully preserved, and
a 32ft reed will be added.
Click here for the Paisley Abbey
specification
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BRISTOL, ST MARY
REDCLIFFE
John Harris and John Byfield built a
three-manual organ in the church in 1726. It stood in a west gallery,
and was one of the largest English organs of its day. It was rebuilt in
1829 by
John Smith of Bristol, and completely altered by W.G. Vowles in 1867,
when
it was installed on each side of the chancel.
Harrison
& Harrison built the present organ in 1912,
incorporating a small amount of pipework from the previous instrument. The
Swell Organ, which
includes a group of orchestral stops, was placed in a new
stone chamber, built in the angle between the north transept and the
north choir aisle. The Great Organ is on
the
north side of the
chancel; the Choir, Echo (containing the
quieter accompanimental stops) and Solo Organs are on the south side;
the Pedal
Organ is distributed among the three sections; and
the console is in the north-west corner of the chancel.
In 1947
the Swell Organ (which had
been badly damaged by fire in 1941) was rebuilt, and the Pedal Double
Ophicleide added. Stops 9, 11, 12, 13 and
40 were added during selective restoration work in 1974.
Full restoration of the organ will start early 2009.
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WELLINGTON COLLEGE CHAPEL
The organ was built by Harrison & Harrison in 1921. In 1981 the
actions were changed to electro-pneumatic and a few tonal alterations
were carried out.
During the summer of 2009, Harrison & Harrison
will be overhauling the keyboards and upgrading the piston system.
Click here for Wellington College
specification
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