Pipe Organs of Durham and the North East
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The Cathedral, Newcastle
The first recorded instrument for St
Nicholas'
Parish Church was built in about 1670 by the older Harris, comprising
just
Great and Choir, with 17 stops. The Harris double fronted casework
still
remains, the distinctive east case design surviving as the central
section
of the present transept front, whilst the Harris west front now faces
east
into St George's Chapel.
The organ was rebuilt as a 3 manual
instrument
in 1767 by Snetzler. Further significant work was carried out by Wood,
Small & Co.of Edinburgh (1814), Bruce (1839) and John
Nicholson
of Newcastle (1844), resulting in a 28 stop instrument including two
pedal
ranks. In about 1880 Lewis made what was essentially new organ
incorporating
older material - a substantial 4 manual instrument with 58 stops and
tubular
pneumatic action.. The Great contained a typically virile Lewis chorus,
from Double Open through to seven ranks of Mixtures. Just 31 years
later,
after St.Nicholas's became a Cathedral, Harrison & Harrison rebuilt
the instrument in Edwardian style, moving the physically separate
unenclosed
Choir division closer to the console, and adding a handful of stops.
The
same firm did further work in 1954.
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The present state of the instrument dates from a substantial re-ordering by Nicholson & Co.(Worcester) in 1981, resulting in a 4 manual instrument with 7 divisions and 110 stops. Tonally, the organ was considerably brightened, and much upperwork was added. A second console (moveable, of 3 manuals) was provided, based in the transept, in 1991.
The instrument really comprises two
separate entities: the Main organ (Great,
Swell, Chaire, Bombarde and Pedal) in
the north Transept, and the Choir
organ (Great, Swell and Pedal) in the
Quire. The main console (see picture) is
adjacent to the Choir organ, in the
westernmost bay of the north Quire
arcade.The organ is dominated by bright, glittering intonation,
with fiery, colourful reeds. The result is an exhilaratingly
exciting sound, but with little subtlety. The Chaire organ
(in the lowest part of the Transept case) is delightful, with
refreshing delicacy and charm. The Italian Principale is
particularly beautiful, with a thin, melodious sound that
seems to float around the church. The Tuba-en-Chamade
sits atop of the Swell box, and is just visible in the photograph
at the very top of this page. With such a commanding position
there is nothing shy about this rank! The Pedal department is
not overly large, but again dominated by the reeds. The flues
suffer from lack of clarity, and the player is not aided by a
rather slow action. The Choir organ is of great use in choir
service accompaniment, but should not really be thought of
as part of the main instrument. The lack of an enclosed
Clarinet anywhere on the organ is surprising (the Corno di
Bassetto so often written as being on the Choir Swell is in
fact on the Choir Great), and this is just one of the
shortcomings which might not be expected in so large an
organ. Nonetheless, the spine tingling sound of reeds and
mixtures is incredible, and really has got to be heard to be
believed.
Above: Choir organ case in the Quire
..........
Left: back of the Choir organ case (the
console
is just to the right, behind the panelling)
Right: main case in the north transept
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