|
Features:
Organ designed to illustrate how a large, low-pressured, organ can produce powerful and beautiful tone.
Its siting in Westminster Cathedral is not to eclipse the celebrated Willis III Grand organ, but simply to put it in a building with exceptional acoustics.
The organ is not designed to be used with, against, or in place of the Willis III organ.
It is positioned in the north east bay of the Nave tribune: facing into the nave with a flat Italianate 32' case.
Entire organ is encased - top, back, sides. Some wood pipes are in the side of the case, and only Pedal 32'/16' Bourdon rank is outside case (against Cathedral wall).
Compasses: Manual: CC-A 58 notes, Pedal: CCC-F 30 notes. 5,224 pipes.
All key and coupler action: Barker-lever.
All stop action: mechanical with high powered solenoids for piston action. Usual pistons etc, with sequencers.
Pressures: Pedal: 4"; Manuals: flues and reed basses: 3¾"; chorus reed trebles: 5"; Grand Ophicleide: 25".
Grand and Swell soundboards: pipes arranged in single rows, giving wide but shallow soundboards, allowing most pipes, including large ones, to be winded on soundboard and not via off-notes.
Swell and Great/Choir shutters are full height and vertical, allowing maximum egress into building.
Organ designed to flood cathedral with brilliant chorus tone, ample foundation, and bright, firm reeds.
Choruses are big and brilliant, underpinned by firm, large foundations.
Scales are quite large, including Pedal 32' stops: flue scales designed to ensure blend with, not domination by, reeds.
Chorus reed trebles on slightly higher wind to maintain power. Reeds have French shallots.
All strings (inc Major Violon) are bridged (as are Quintaten and some larger diapason pipes, to aid prompt speech and tone).
Grand Ophicleide is a very brilliant, bright, tuba. Grand Cornet is of equivalent power.
80 speaking stops. Several extended/borrowed ranks on Pedal (32'/16' ranks, 64'/32' mutations, 2 borrowed reeds from Swell) done mechanically via Barker machines.
Console has terraced horizontal (curved) jambs as above.
Unusual stops: 32' Grand Organ Fourniture (from Middle C upwards), half-length Swell 32' reed, Great Diapason celeste (it is an Italian looking organ after all....), Pedal 64' reed mixture (12 4/5 tierce, 9 1/7 septième).
|
