W.H. Prosser 1883

William Henry Prosser also known as Henry Prosser was a London organ builder who built a small number of modest instruments of which just a few now remain. He learned his trade under Bryceson, best known for their production of barrel organs although they also produced larger church instruments. He was followed by his son who operated out of Frome in Somerset.

Believed to date from before 1883 when the company ceased trading. The organ is a very modest free standing single manual instrument situated in a beautiful medieval church in a small Somerset village. Despite being of such modest proportions, it is capable of considerable variety which is helped by all of the stops except the Open Diapason and Pedal Bourdon being enclosed. Under capable hands, one might be led to believe that a two manual instrument is being used. The instrument possesses a pleasant mellow sound and despite the player being directly in front of the pipes, it is not overpowering yet it fills the church and is more than adequate for the hymn accompaniment and undemanding voluntaries that are required of it. The only slightly disconcerting aspect of the instrument is that whilst the pedalboard (parallel) is of 27 notes (permanently coupled to the manual), the Pedal Bourdon 16' only plays in the bottom octave, there being no pipes to carry the stop up further. 

This particular instrument holds a certain personal connection in that it is situated in the village where my parents lived for most of my adult life after we moved from Buckinghamshire. Although it was many years before I actually got around to playing it, I did hear it on a few occasions played by an accomplished former London organist who lived locally. I was always impressed by the way in which she managed the organ, her playing and the overall musicality of the instrument. The same organist played this instrument for both of my parents funerals which took place in latter years. My mother and father are both buried in the churchyard.

As I continued to work on this instrument and it became closer to release, I was struck by what a very nice little organ it is despite its very limited size. Unlike many pipeless organs, there is a certain melodious quality which does not tire the ear and the whole little instrument is capable of so much. Having had a look at the specifications of the few instruments that Prosser built, several are identical to this example. One or two have a few less stops and a small number have two manuals where the few resources are split into two so that neither manual has a complete chorus.

The specification is as follows:

Pedal Bourdon 16' (12 pipes)
Open Diapason 8'
Stopped Diapason Bass 8' (enc.)
Clarabella 8' (enc.)
Gamba 8' (enc.)
Principal 4' (enc.)
Flute 4' (enc.)
Fifteenth 2' (enc.)

Nags Head swell pedal

In order to correct the strange anomaly in the pedal organ, the Bourdon has been extended to complete the compass using the Stopped Diapason Bass and Clarabella 8'. The manual stops are permanently coupled to the pedal organ.

The organ is presented in two positions: 1. At the console and 2. From about 10' distance. Either or both positions can be chosen and volume sliders on the HW console screen allow the two different perspectives to be combined as desired.

The graphics and design of the facsimile console have been developed by Olivia Nagioff.

Demos
Lully: March for the Turkish Ceremony (Distant)
Lully: March for the Turkish Ceremony (Close)

Church Photos

Though mainly dating from the 15th. and 16th. centuries, there has been a church on this site since Saxon times. This was replaced by a Norman stone church of which some stones still remain in the fabric. This beautiful limestone church sits in a small village pretty much in the middle of nowhere - it's easy to get lost finding it. Most notable amongst the features of the church is the perpendicular fan vaulting in the tower space which is similar and dates from the same time as King's College, Cambridge. Although much of the stained glass is by Nicholson, some of the plain glass in the windows came from the above college chapel. The bell tower contains 5 bells. Unlike many of the other nearby villages and towns, the village stood apart from others nearby during the Civil War and even today, if any member of the royal family wishes to make an official visit, they are challenged before entering the village. 

PROSSER 1883

 

£35.00


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.
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