The Recent Revolution in Organ Building / Being an Account of Modern Developments

by George Laing Miller

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL ORGAN, LONDON, ENG.

The old organ in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, on which Sir John Goss played, and which had felt the magic touch of Mendelssohn, had 13 stops on the Great, 7 on the Swell, 8 on the Choir and only one on the Pedal. It stood in a case on the screen between the choir and the nave of the Cathedral. We have noted elsewhere in this book how Willis had this screen removed, and rebuilt the organ on each side in 1872. In 1891 it was rebuilt in its present form as noted below. The writer first saw and heard this organ in 1873, and never failed, on his frequent visits to London in later years, to attend a service in St. Paul's Cathedral, where there are two choral services daily all the year round. No summer vacations here. The effect of the Tuba ringing up into the dome is magnificent. Willis looked upon this organ as his chef d' oeuvre, saying "There is nothing like it in the whole world!"

The Great organ is situated on the north side of the chancel. The Swell and Choir organs are on the south side. The Solo organ and one-third of the Pedal organ are under the first arch on the north side of the chancel. The Altar organ, which can be played through the Solo organ keys, is under the second arch on the north side of the chancel. The remaining two-thirds of the Pedal organ and three Tuba stops occupy the northeast quarter gallery in the dome. The keyboards are on the north side of the chancel, inside the organ case, and can be seen from the "whispering gallery." There are five manuals, CC to c³, 61 notes; pedals CCC to g, 32 notes.

PEDAL ORGAN (NORTHEAST GALLERY OF DOME), 10 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Double Diapason 32 Octave 8
Open Diapason, No. 1 16 Mixture, 3 ranks
Open Diapason, No. 2 16 Contra Posaune 32
Violone Open Diapason 16 Bombardon 16
Violoncello 8 Clarion 4
PEDAL ORGAN (UNDER ARCH, NORTH SIDE OF CHANCEL), 8 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Violone 16 Octave 8
Bourdon 16 Ophicleide 16
Open Diapason 16
CHOIR ORGAN, 11 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Contra Gamba 16 Flute Harmonique 4
Open Diapason 8 Principal 4
Dulciana 8 Flageolet 2
Violoncello 8 Corno di Bassetto 8
Claribel Flute 8 Cor Anglais 8
Lieblich Gedackt 8
GREAT ORGAN, 16 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Double Diapason 16 Principal 4
Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Octave Quint 3
Open Diapason, No. 2 8 Super Octave 2
Open Diapason, No. 3 8 Fourniture, 3 ranks
Open Diapason, No. 4 8 Mixture, 3 ranks
Open Diapason 8 Trombone 16
Quint, metal 6 Tromba 8
Flûte Harmonique 4 Clarion 4
SWELL ORGAN, 13 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Contra Gamba 16 Fifteenth 2
Open Diapason 8 Echo Cornet, 3 ranks
Lieblich Gedackt 8 Contra Posaune 16
Salicional 8 Cornopean 8
Vox Angelica 8 Hautbois 8
Principal 4 Clarion 4
SOLO ORGAN (NOT IN SWELL BOX), 3 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Flûte Harmonique 8 Piccolo 2
Concert Flûte Harmonique 4
SOLO ORGAN (IN SWELL BOX), 10 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Open Diapason 8 Tuba 8
Gamba 8 Orchestral Oboe 8
Contra Fagotto 16 Corno di Bassetto 8
Contra Posaune 16 Cornopean 8
Cor Anglais 8 Flute 8
ALTAR ORGAN (PLAYED THROUGH SOLO ORGAN KEYS), 5 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Contra Gamba 16 Vox Humana 8
Gamba 8 Tremulant
Vox Angelica, 3 ranks 8
TUBA ORGAN, 6 STOPS
FEET. FEET.
Double Tuba (in Tuba (in quarter gallery) 4
quarter gallery) 16 Tuba Major (over Great organ) 8
Tuba, (in quarter gallery) 8 Clarion (over Great organ) 4
COUPLERS AND ACCESSORIES--PNEUMATIC
Swell to Great Sub-octave. Dome Tubas to Great.
Swell to Great Unison. Chancel Tubas to Great.
Swell to Great Super-octave. Chancel Tubas to Great.
Solo to Swell.
COUPLERS--MECHANICAL
Tuba Organ to Pedal. Great Organ to Pedal.
Solo Organ to Pedal. Choir Organ to Pedal.
Swell Organ to Pedal.
Six Pistons operate on the whole Organ.
About forty Adjustable Pistons and Composition Pedals.

The mechanism is entirely new. The quarter dome portion of the organ is playable by electric agency; the rest being entirely pneumatic. There are one hundred draw-stops. The most novel features are the new Altar and Tuba organs. The former, containing Vox Humana, Vox Angelica (3 ranks), and two Gambas (16 and 8 feet) serves for distant and mysterious effects and to support the priest while intoning at the altar; while the Tuba organ produces effects of striking brilliancy; three of the Tubas being located in the northeast quarter-gallery and speaking well into the body of the building. Among the accessories, also, may be noted the large supply of adjustable combination pistons, which bring the various sections of the instrument well under the player's control. Various wind pressures are employed, from 3 1/2 to 25 inches.