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Pre-Victorian Series Models

8 Stop £25.00

This is designed as a single manual and pedal instrument capable of fulfilling the demands of a chamber organ at the time of Handel. However, it provides a full 61 note compass keyboard as well as a separate pedal department which would not have been typical of the time. There are two versions of the instrument available - both having the same specification but in one case, the stops are split into bass and descant halves.

The specification is as follows:-

Open Diapason 8'

Stopped Diapason 8'

Principal 4'

Chimney Flute 4'

Fifteenth 2'

Sesquialtera II Rks. 12;17

Mixture III Rks. 19;22;26

Pedal Bourdon 16'

Thanks to Andrew Grahame for the provision of the demonstrations below*

1 – Voluntary in D minor – William Croft (1678 – 1727)

2 – Interlude in G major – Starling Goodwin (18th century)

3 – Interlude in A major – Starling Goodwin (18th century)

4 – Interlude in F major – Starling Goodwin (18th century)

5 – Gavotte – S S Wesley (1766 – 1837)

6 – Chorale prelude “Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzuchleich” – J G Walther (1684 – 1748)

7 – Chorale prelude “Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sein” – Marcel Dupre (1886 – 1971)

8 – Chorale prelude “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” – J G Walther (1684 – 1748

9 – Variations from Organ Concerto Set 1, Op. 4, No. 1 – G F Handel (1685 – 1759)

*The above pieces were played and recorded on the HW IV version and can be found on the Contre Bombarde website

15 Stop; £45.00

This is a very basic two manual instrument suitable for home practice or small chapels. The specification provides for an usable two manual and pedal instrument with examples of all of the stop families together with coherent choruses for each manual. Whilst it is limited, it offers more than most pipe instruments of a similar size which are to be found in churches or homes. (See also remarks about design under the subsequent instruments below). All of the pipe work used is from a single Joseph Walker instrument of 1830 so this can be considered to be a facsimile Georgian instrument. The only stops that are additional to the real life instrument are the two mixtures which have been added for greater flexibility. They have been created from the existing pipework of the same instrument

Despite having identical stop names on both Great and Swell manuals, the choruses on each are different. Although there are no octave and sub-octave couplers on the original instrument the provision of these allows for a "full Swell" effect. The Swell "Horn" has more in common with a Cornopean type stop and its physical construction confirms this. The original instrument has 3 combination pedal levers for each division plus a reversible Great to Pedal coupler.

All ranks including the Mixtures are independent and can be altered using the Hauptwerk voicing tools to suit differing rooms and equipment. Tuning of the instrument is at A440 Equal Temperament but can be altered by loading one of the many different ones available or via the HW voicing tools on a stop by stop / note by note basis.

GREAT ORGAN

Open Diapason 8'

Stopped Diapason 8'

Principal 4'

Chimney Flute 4'

Fifteenth 2'

Mixture III Rks (19:22:26)

Swell to Great Octave

Swell to Great

Swell to Great Sub Octave

SWELL ORGAN

Open Diapason 8'

Stopped Diapason 8'

Principal 4'

Fifteenth 2'

Mixture III Rks (15:19:22)

Horn 8'

Swell Octave

Swell Unison Off

Swell sub Octave

Tremulant

PEDAL ORGAN

Open Diapason 16' (wood)

Bourdon 16'

Bass Flute 8'

5 x Thumb Pistons

5 x Toe Pistons

Button
Button
Button

Button
Button

25 STOP £75.00

This is a small but comprehensive two manual and pedal instrument with sufficient resources for performing much of the organ repertoire. The specification is designed to provide most of the facilities that would have been found in a slightly earlier instrument than the 1830 Walker above with some unauthentic additions to allow for greater versatility. The provision of a string toned stop, Celeste, III rank Mixture and 16' reed in the Swell division would definitely not have been found in any English instrument of the Georgian period. The Vox Celeste in particular would not have been found on any English instrument until at least half way through the 1800's. It is quite likely that there would have been an additional higher pitched Mixture on the Great Organ either with or without a third sounding rank or perhaps in part of the composition only. A Cornet would have been normal and the Sesquialtera is designed to provide this effect. The Swell organ would have been very unlikely to have any form of Mixture and the 16' reed might have been a Vox Humana 8'. Such an instrument would only have been found in the larger parish churches and cathedrals perhaps with a third manual containing a similar specification to the Swell Organ here. The pedal organ (where provided) would either have been coupled to the Great permanently without separate pedal pipes or would have been provided with a single small compass 16' stop. We have named the string stop in the Swell Viola da Gamba as opposed to the singular Viola or Gamba (leg). The instrument is fundamentally based on the Walker instrument above and the additions are designed to blend in accordingly.

As regards compass, a typical instrument of the period would have had a long bass Great organ down to GGG, a Choir (or Chair) organ with a similar or lesser compass and a Swell organ with just two or two and half octaves. The Pedal organ would have been of a short compass and most likely starting from GGG for one or one and a half octaves.