organs in churches

Organs have been in churches since 900 A.D. By the 1400s, organs were well established in monastic churches and cathedrals throughout Europe.

The Reformation saw music frowned on in Presbyterian churches. Organs were disparagingly called a “kist (coffin) of whistles”.

It was only in 1864 (Church of Scotland), In the North East there was: • The Carnegie Foundation offering funds 1872 (United Presbyterian Church) and to double the money a church raised. • a very prosperous fishing and farming 1883 (Free Church of Scotland) that the economy, getting produce to market via Into this market, in 1877, moved John use of organs was approved. the new railways; Wardle, a young organ-builder from Parish churches became very competitive Wadsworth’s of Oldham. • greater church attendance (needing to obtain the best organ. The ‘king of more volume to lead the singing) and instruments’ were very popular. substantial church incomes

Why is an organ suitable for a church?

Range of Sounds… Enough Volume… Only one player… Leading the Required for everything To reach the back, To pay (plus a boy to Congregation … from stirring hymns to and to lead the pump the air!). Keeps The legato sound reflective interludes. congregation singing the Treasurer happy. and impact of an in bigger churches organ is ideal to sing along with.

St James’ organ was built in 1881 and uses a ‘tracker action’, connecting the keys to the pipes. It is a mechanical link, usually of wood or aluminium, from key to the valve (known as the pallet) that lets air into the pipe. As organs grew larger and more distributed, this type of action was superseded by first, pneumatic transmission, then electric/electronic transmission.

Tracker action

Many visiting organists remark on Responsive The St James’ organ is essentially how pleasant an instrument the St A delay between the movement the instrument installed over James’ organ is to play, and that is of the organist’s finger and the 135 years ago. It only requires primarily due to the tracker action. start of the sound is offputting. A an annual adjustment and It has to be: tracker action is very immediate. tuning. The only changes since installation are a) installing an Light Easy to maintain electrical blower (to replace the If the action is heavy, the organist’s An organ is usually in regular use, choirboy!) and the replacement fingers will get tired quickly, and by many players. A tracker action of the pedal board in the 1950’s, playing large chords or fast runs of is straightforward and has simple putting in an electrical relay action. notes gets difficult. adjustments.

The King of Instruments name Pitch Family Open Diapason 8ft Grand Chorus An organ of any size consists of ‘ranks’ Principal 4ft Grand Chorus Stopt Diapason/Clarabella 8ft Flute of pipes (sometimes called stops). The GREAT ORGAN Dulciana 8ft Flute St James’ organ has 18 ranks. Each rank Harmonic Flute 4ft Flute is designed to make a specific type of Twelfth 2⅔ft Mutation sound, and can be used on their own or in Fifteenth 2ft Mutation combination. Each rank has enough pipes Lieblich 16ft Grand Chorus to cover the full range of the keys across the Violin Diapason 8ft String keyboard (usually about 6 octaves, implying Gamba 8ft String Lieblich Gedact 8ft Flute 72 pipes per rank). SWELL ORGAN Vox Celeste 8ft Flute Giegen Principal 4ft Flute If you would like an opportunity to play the (2 ranks) Mutation St James’ organ, please get in touch. Cornopean 8ft Reed Oboe 8ft Reed Open Diapason 16ft Grand Chorus PEDAL ORGAN Bourdon 16ft Grand Chorus

More information can be found by visiting our website www.stjames-stonehaven.org.uk

Panel 11 : March 2019