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.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY ORGAN, LONDON, ENG.
All good Americans when they visit London go to Westminster Abbey, and will be interested in the organ there; in fact we believe it was largely built with American money. The house of William Hill & Son, who built this organ, is the oldest firm of organ-builders in England, being descended from the celebrated artist, John Snetzler, whose business, founded in 1755, passed into the possession of Thomas Elliot, and to his son-in-law, William Hill (inventor of the Tuba), in the earlier part of the Nineteenth Century. The business has been in the Hill family nearly a hundred years and is now directed by William Hill's grandson. The firm has built many notable instruments in Great Britain and her colonies (Sydney) celebrated for the refinement and purity of their tone.
The Console, Westminster Abbey
The organ in Westminster Abbey is placed at each side of the choir screen, except the Celestial organ, which is placed in the triforium of the south transept (Poets' Corner) and connected with the console by an electric cable 200 feet long. The form of action used is Messrs. Hill's own, and the "stop-keys" therefor (made to a pattern suggested by Sir Frederick Bridge) will be seen in the picture to the left of the music desk. Note that this organ can be played from two keyboards. The main organ has pneumatic action throughout. It was commenced in 1884, added to as funds were available, and finished in 1895. The specification (containing the additions made in 1908-9) follows:
GREAT ORGAN (14 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Double Open Diapason 16 Harmonic Flute 4
Open Diapason, large scale 8 Twelfth 2 2/3
Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Fifteenth 2
Open Diapason, No. 2 8 Mixture, 4 ranks
Open Diapason, No. 3 8 Double Trumpet 16
Hohl Flöte 8 Posaune 8
Principal 4 Clarion 4
CHOIR ORGAN (11 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Gedackt 16 Nason Flute 4
Open Diapason 8 Suabe Flute 4
Keraulophon 8 Harmonic Gemshorn 4
Dulciana 8 Contra Fagotto 16
Lieblich Gedackt 8 Cor Anglais 8
Principal 4
SWELL ORGAN (18 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Double Diapason, Bass 16 Dulcet 4
Double Diapason, Treble 16 Principal 4
Open Diapason, No. 1 8 Lieblich Flöte 4
Open Diapason, No. 2 8 Fifteenth 2
Rohr Flöte 8 Mixture, 3 ranks
Salicional 8 Oboe 8
Voix Celestes 8 Double Trumpet 16
Dulciana 8 Cornopean 8
Hohl Flöte 8 Clarion 4
SOLO ORGAN (8 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Gamba 8 In a Swell Box Rohr Flöte 8 Orchestral Oboe 8
Lieblich Flöte 4 Clarinet 8
Harmonic Flute 4 Vox Humana 8
Tuba Mirabilis
(heavy wind) 8
CELESTIAL ORGAN (17 STOPS)
First Division--
FEET. FEET.
Double Dulciana, Bass 16 Voix Celestes 8
Double Dulciana, Treble 16 Hohl Flöte 8
Flauto Traverso 8 Dulciana Cornet, 6 ranks
Viola di Gamba 8
The following Stops are available, when desired, on the Solo keyboard,
thus furnishing an independent Instrument of two Manuals; whilst in
combination with Coupler Keys, Nos. 1 and 2, Coupler Keys Nos. 3 and 4
can be interchanged, thus reversing the Claviers.
Second Division--
FEET. FEET.
Cor de Nuit 8 Vox Humana 8
Suabe Flute 4 Spare Slide
Flageolet 2 Glockenspiel, 3 ranks
Harmonic Trumpet 8 Gongs (three octaves of
Musette 8 brass gongs, struck by
Harmonic Oboe 8 electro-pneumatic hammers).
ORGAN (10 STOPS)
FEET. FEET.
Double Open Diapason 32 Bass Flute 8
Open Diapason 16 Violoncello 8
Open Diapason 16 Contra Posaune 32
Bourdon 16 Posaune 16
Principal 8 Trumpet 8
Manuals--CC to a|3|. Pedal--CCC to F.
The entire instrument is blown by a gas engine, actuating a rotary
blower and high pressure feeders.
There are 24 Couplers; 10 Combination Pedals affecting Great, Swell,
and Pedal stops; 24 Combination Pistons, and 3 Crescendo Pedals.