Pipe Organs of Durham and the North East
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St John's College Chapel, Durham
 |
St John's College
is
one of the smallest colleges in the University, with approximately 300
undergraduate students. Incorporated, an integral part of the college,
is Cranmer Hall, a Church of England theological college.
The organ in the Chapel
of St Mary the Less was built by Harrison
& Harrison in 1963, originally for an earlier chapel (now the
College
library), but was moved into its present home some years later, when
the
College acquired St Mary the Less Church. across the road. as its
chapel.
This church formerly contained an
Abbott &
Smith instrument with seven stops over two manuals and pedals:-
| Gt |
8,8,8 (or 4) |
| Sw |
8,8,8 |
| Pd |
16 |
|
The present instrument is sited caseless on
the
north side of the west end gallery of the Chapel, exposed Great
pipework in front of the Swell box. The Pedal 16'/8'
unit runs along the side of the organ returning in front of the west
window, in rather unsightly fashion. The console is detached (the
organist faces south, with his back to the organ) and the action is
electric.
The tone of the organ is typical of the period - extremely
lively, almost brutal. It seems when the organ was moved, no adjustment
was made to accommodate the change of environment and acoustic.
The organ is presently too loud for its setting, if nonetheless a
versatile solo instrument. However with few if any soft stops,
accompanying services and choirs presents the organ scholars and other
organists of the College with quite a challenge!
Plans were put forward a number of years ago for a complete
restoration,
including extensive revoicing and taming of the pipework, but it seems
that these have been deferred. The Chapel has recently undergone
extensive
refurbishment, with a clearout of furniture and new stone floors (which
can only add to the perceived harshness of the organ), and it
is hoped that the organ can now be given the attention it deserves.
The console may look rather basic, but does all that's required of
it.
The stop tabs, by virtue of their small number and close proximity to
the
keys, allow the player to quickly change registrations whilst still
actually
playing with both hands (not something you can do at the average stop
knob
console).
The pipes of the single extended Pedal rank can be seen against
the back wall
to the right of the console. The lowest sounding pipes are immediately
behind the seat, just inches from the player's back, and pedalling
provides interesting stereophonic "whole body" experience.
..........