Projects

The Priory Organ

Organ Restoration

The massive task of restoring the Priory's historic organ was completed in 2006.

The pipes of the organ are the secret of its sound. Hidden from view, they produce the wonderful array of colours that you hear. Flutes, diapasons, trumpets, clarinets and oboes all join together to excite the ear. The Priory Organ contains 4212 individual pipes, some made of wood, others of different types of metal. Each pipe produces only one note, and they range in length from a few inches to nearly 32 feet. During the organ's restoration, each pipe was removed and cleaned individually.

Many of the larger metal pipes were collapsing under their own weight, and others had become badly deformed, and some of the wooden pipes had splits in them; and the stoppers on many pipes were loose and required refitting. Many of the reed pipes needed new tongues to enable them to 'speak' properly. All these damaged pipes were taken to Nicholson's workshops in Malvern to be repaired.

All the cleaned and repaired pipes were reassembled on new soundboards, then every pipe had to be 'voiced' to make it 'speak' properly and blend with the rest of the instrument. Finally, every pipe was individually tuned by slightly manipulating its length.

Organ History

forward to Great Organ Playing the Organ

First organ	1789	Nothing Known
Barrel Organ	1834	Robert Postill of York
Original organ	1889	Charles Anneessens
Restorations	1909	Abbott & Smith
	1922	Hill & Son, Norman & Beard
	1949	John Compton
	1968	Laycock & Bannister
Complete rebuild	2004-2006	Nicholson

Compass

manuals	61 notes
pedals	32 notes

Great Organ

forward to Swell Organ

	Double Open Diapason	16 ft
*	Bourdon	16
	Open Diapason I	8
	Open Diapason II	8
*	Open Diapason III	8
*	Violon	8
*	Flûte Harmonique	8
*	Bourdon	8
	Octave	4
*	Principal	4
*	Ocarina	4

	Octave Quint	2 2/3
*	Twelfth	2 2/3
	Super Octave	2
*	Piccolo	2
	Cornet V	1.8.12.15.17
	Fourniture III	19.22.26
	Sharp Mixture III	26.29.33
	Bombarde	16
	Trompette	8
	Clarion	4
*		Tremulant

*=Stops on chancel soundboard

Swell Organ

forward to Solo Organ

Lieblich Bourdon	16 ft
Open Diapason	8
Stopped Diapason	8
Viola da Gamba	8
Voix Célèste	8	T.C.
Geigen Principal	4
Flûte Harmonique	4
Fifteenth	2

Sesquialtera II	12.17
Mixture III	15.19.22
Plein Jeu IV	19.22.26.29
Double Basson	16
Trompette	8
Basson	8
Hautboit	8
Clairon	4
	Tremulant

Solo Organ

forward to Positive Organ

Viole d'Orchestre	8 ft
Viole Célèste	8	T.C.
Flûte Harmonique	4
Clarinet	8
Cor Anglais	8
Voix Humaine	8
	Tremulant
Tromba (Pos.)	8
Tuba Mirabilis	8

Positive Organ

forward to Pedal Organ

Open Diapason	8 ft
Gedackt	8
Principal	4
Koppelflöte	4
Nazard	2 2/3
Fifteenth	2
Blockflöte	2

Tierce	1 3/5
Larigot	1 1/3
Mixture IV	22.26.29.33
Cromhorne	8
	Tremulant
Tromba	8
Tromba Clarion	4

Pedal Organ

forward to Couplers and Accessories

A	Double Grosse Flöte	32 ft
B	Double Soubasse	32
	Open Diapason	16
A	Grosse Flöte	16
B	Soubasse	16
	Bourdon	16
	Principal	8

A	Flöte	8
B	Flûtebasse	8
	Fifteenth	4
B	Flûte	4
	Mixture IV	19.22.26.29
C	Contra Tuba	32
C	Tubasson	16
	Trombone	16
	Tromba (Pos.)	8
	Schalmei	4

Couplers and Accessories

Couplers

Couplers with Pistons

	Great	Swell	Solo	Positive
Swell	*†
Solo	*†	*
Positive	*	*	*
Pedal	*†	*	*	*

* Coupler with 1 reversible toe piston
† Coupler with 1 reversible thumb piston

Other Toe pistons

10 toe pistons to Pedal | 10 toe pistons for Swell Stops
1 reversible toe piston for each of:
Pedal Contra Tuba 32ft | Pedal Double Grosse Flöte 32ft | Pedal Soubasse 32ft

Thumb pistons for Stops

8 each for Positive and Solo Stops | 10 each for Great and Swell Stops

Other Accessories

Drawstop, Great and Pedal Combination coupler
Drawstop, Generals on Swell toe pistons
10 general pistons with 96 channels
Departmental pistons have 16 channels
Stepper (operating on general pistons)
Sequencer with 999 combinations (plus A inserts on each)
General cancel piston (beneath positive manual)
2 balanced crescendo pedals to Swell and Solo Organs
Signal lights for Rector's Vestry and Choir Vestry