The Organ

The present organ was built by William Hill and Sons of London in 1911. It replaced a very small two manual organ built in 1806 by the London firm, Gray and Davison, who, at the time, had provided most of the organs in the various churches and chapels in the Town!

Towards the end of the 19th century, the east end of the Abbey was extended and re-ordered by the famous architect John Loughborough Pearson, as it was thought that the Abbey might achieve Cathedral status. This never materialised. Subsequently, Pearson’s extension was never finished! The Hill organ was designed by Arthur Hill in conjunction with George Sinclair, organist at Hereford Cathedral with anticipated cathedral status in mind.

The Hill organ [the original hand-drawings and letters can be seen the British Institute of Organ Studies at Birmingham Library,] was, like the building, never fully completed. The more forceful stops were never added, and those that were added during the 1940’s and 1950’s were out of character with the original 1911 scheme. As a result, the organ lacks ‘punch’ when the church is full.

The action is pneumatic and is largely Hill’s original. However, nearly one hundred years of wars, floods, and normal church life have taken their toll and as such the Hill organ is coming to the end of its serviceable life! All of the bellows, reservoirs and trunks leak wind, the purses and motors [pneumatics] are very worn tired and increasingly unreliable. The organ was last cleaned during the 1950’s and as a result, the whole thing is filthy dirty! Whilst the instrument sounds very fine in the church, playing it is something of a nightmare!!

We anticipate that during 2008, an appeal will be launched in the hope of re-ordering the north east vestry [Pearson] which will necessitate the rebuilding of the Hill organ. The intention is to complete Hill’s original concept with modest additions, electrify the action and incorporate a host of modern playing aides. We hope to have completed this by September 2011, the organ’s one hundredth birthday!!

A recording of the organ was made in 2001 by the Abbey’s previous Organist, David Leeke, and is available from the Abbey Shop.

Great Organ.

Double Open Diapason 16
Open Diapason 1 8
Open Diapason 2 8
Hohl Flute 8
Principal 4
Harmonic Flute 4
Twelfth 2.2/3
Fifteenth 2
Mixture 17/19/22 111 Rks
Posaune 8

Swell Organ.

Open Diapason 8
Stopped Diapason 8
Salicional 8
Voix Celeste [TC] 8
Principal 4
Fifteenth 2
Mixture 19/22 11 Rks
Contra Oboe [TC] 16
Horn 8

Swell Octave/Swell Sub Octave

Choir Organ.

Viol di Gamba 8
Dulciana 8
Lieblich Gedeckt 8
Suabe Flute 4
Nazard 2.2/3
Piccolo 2
Clarinet [AA#] 8
Orchestral Oboe 8

Pedal Organ.

Open Diapason [Wood] 16
Violone [Great-Metal] 16
Bourdon 16
Octave [Ext] 8
Bass Flute [Ext] 8

Swell-Pedal, Great-Pedal, Choir-Pedal,
Swell-Great, Swell-Choir, Great & Pedal Combs Coupled

4 thumb pistons to the Swell, 4 thumb pistons to the Great,
4 combination pedals to Swell and Pedal organs,
Great-Pedal reversible pedal.