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E. J. Johnson 1972HW IV, V + VI
This is a modern instrument built by the well respected Cambridge firm of Johnson. It is a typical box / continuo instrument with five stops and is situated in a tiny church in the middle of the Somerset countryside. Several identical and almost identical instruments can be found in a number of other locations including universities and cathedrals. The church is interesting in that the original footprint of the building remains showing a larger building. However, a fire destroyed much of the fabric and when the church was rebuilt, the original sacristy area was not rebuilt leaving the church shortened to its present size. The footprint of the original sacristy is still visible. The organ is adequate to accompany the small occasional congregations that attend in this remote village.
When the organ was first installed, only three stops were provided with the remaining stops prepared for. These were added some decades later so that the instrument is now complete. The quality of craftsmanship is typical of the firm and the materials used are of high quality with spotted metal and hardwood being used for the pipework. The tonal quality of the instrument is neither old English chamber organ or too modern European and therefore strikes a useful balance between the two schools.
There is an amusing anecdote connected with the sampling of this instrument in that I got imprisoned in the church when the caretaker came to lock up late in the afternoon without checking that there was anyone inside. It was only by fortune that my other half was passing by and discovered the church locked with me inside it (I was still sampling). With no mobile phone (and no signal anyway) things might have been difficult since the church is literally in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, we were able to get to a point where a signal could be found about half a mile down the road, contact was made with the caretaker and I was eventually released from my prison. The vicar and the whole hamlet were highly amused.
Our facsimile instrument has been compared with one of the identical real life instruments situated in a famous university chapel. Apart from the obvious difference in acoustics, the report back is that our Hauptwerk version of the instrument is a very authentic representation of what the real instrument sounds like.
The specification is as follows:
Gedeckt 8'
Rohrflute 4'
Principal 2'
Tierce 1 3/5' (Middle C)
Mixture II rks (22:26)
E.J. JOHNSON 1971: £55.00
The photos below show the real instrument and church together with the Hauptwerk instrument graphics. The graphics and ODF have been developed by Olivia Nagioff.
N.B. The licencing for use of this set is strictly limited to private home use. For non domestic or other use please contact us directly.
There is no restriction on publishing performances of this instrument on YouTube or similar providing that the basic sound of the instrument has not been altered significantly.
The incorporation of the samples and stops contained within the set into other composite instruments or the re-engineering of the same is not permitted without permission from us. Please contact us directly should you wish to do so.
"It's absolutely glorious! Straight out of the box it sounds fantastic - no further voicing needed. It's amazing what 5 stops can do, especially when you play things an octave lower. The sound of the flute 4 plus Principal 2 played an octave lower is quite nice, and the flute 4 by itself is lovely - either at normal pitch or an octave lower. The mixture balances beautifully, and can readily be used by itself with just the flute 8, or flutes 8 & 4, without the Principal 2".
"Johnson's built a number of chamber organs similar to this one, including two continuo instruments that were for many years used in Kings College Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds Cathedral. This sample set reproduces the Johnson chamber organ sound very faithfully".
Demos
