Organ and organists of Chester Cathedral

The organ of the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester, Cheshire, England, is its major source of instrumental music at the cathedral, played for daily services and accompanying the choir, as well as being used for concerts and recitals. The choral tradition at Chester is over 900 years old, dating from the foundation of the Benedictine monastery.

The organists of Chester Cathedral have included composers Robert White and Malcolm Boyle. The present Organist and Director of Music is Philip Rushforth and the assistant organist is Alex Palotai; the post of Assistant Director of Music and Sub Organist is presently Daniel Matheson.[1]

There are lunchtime organ recitals weekly on Thursday.[2] The monthly programme of music is available on the cathedral's website.[3]

Grand Organ

In 1844, an organ by Gray & Davison of London was installed in the cathedral, replacing an instrument with parts dating back to 1626, possibly by Father Bernard Smith. Its organ case was built and designed by George Gilbert Scott.[4]

The organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Whiteley Bros. of Chester in 1876, to include harmonic flutes and reeds by Cavaillé-Coll. It was later moved to its present position at the front of the north transept. In 1910 William Hill and Son of London extensively rebuilt and revoiced the organ, replacing the Cavaillé-Coll reeds with new pipes of their own. The Choir division of the organ was enlarged and moved behind the choir-stalls on the south side. The instrument was again overhauled by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool in 1969, when a new mechanism and some new pipework made to a design by the organist, Roger Fisher, was installed; the following year, the instrument was inaugurated by Maurice Duruflé and his wife Marie-Madeleine Duruflé.

Since 1991, the organ has been in the care of David Wells, a Liverpudlian organbuilder.[5]

Specification

The organ's four manual keyboards run through a five-octave range (C-c''''; sixty-one keys) and its radiating concave pedalboard runs through a two-and-a-half-octave range (C-g'; thirty-two keys). The key and drawstop mechanisms employ electro-pneumatic action. Its bellows are pumped electrically, which is triggered by a key at the console, thus powering the instrument. The console labels and keys are veneered in ivory; and it has 109 pistons including fourteen generals on thirty-two memory channels.

It is tuned to a' = 440hz in equal temperament. In total, the instrument carries sixty-nine stops accounting to eighty-six ranks of pipes.

The list of the organ's stops is as follows:

i. Choir

ii. Great

  • Double Diapason 16' — pipework polished in brass, partially displayed in façade
  • Open Flute 8'
  • First Open Diapason 8' — pipework polished in brass; partially displayed in façade
  • Second Open Diapason 8'
  • Third Open Diapason 8'
  • Flûte à pavillon 8'
  • Hohlflöte 8'
  • Principal 4'
  • Octave 4'
  • Harmonic Flute 4'
  • Spitzflöte 2'
  • Fifteenth 2'
  • Tierce 1+3⁄5'
  • Mixture V (15.19.22.26.29)
  • Sharp Mixture III (29.33.36)
  • Contra Posaune 16'
  • Trumpet 8'
  • Clarion 4'

iii. Swell

This division is expressive; it is enclosed in a swell box.

  • Vox Angelica 8' — from Tenor c
  • Stopped Diapason 8'
  • Salicional 8'
  • Open Diapason 8'
  • Suabe Flute 4'
  • Principal 4'
  • Fifteenth 2'
  • Mixture IV (19.22.26.29)
  • Sharp Mixture IV (26.29.33.36)
  • Double Trumpet 16'
  • Bassoon 16'
  • Oboe 8'
  • Horn 8'
  • Clarion 4'
  • Tremulant

iv. Solo

This division is partially expressive, with its affected stops enclosed in a swell box. The Bourdon, Koppelflöte, Nazard, Tierce and Cymbel are unenclosed in order to form a cornet or sesquialtera should the organist draw them in unison; as is the Tuba, which is customarily inexpressible.

  • Viola 8'
  • Céleste 8' — from Tenor c
  • Bourdon 8'
  • Koppelflöte 4'
  • Nazard 2+2⁄3'
  • Tierce 1+3⁄5'
  • Cymbel III (29.33.36)
  • Vox humana 8'
  • Tuba 8'
  • Clarinet 8'
  • Tremulant
  • Zimbelstern

Pedal

The Double Open Wood and the three reed stops of this division are located in their own case in cathedral's north transept.

  • Double Open Wood 32'
  • Violone 16'
  • Open Wood 16'
  • Open Diapason 16' — cast in lead
  • Dulciana 16' — transmission of the Choir Double Dulciana 16'
  • Bourdon 16'
  • Violoncello 8'
  • Principal 8' — cast in lead
  • Bass Flute 8'
  • Fifteenth 4'
  • Mixture IV (19.22.26.29)
  • Contra Trombone 32'
  • Trombone 16'
  • Trumpet 8'

Couplers

  • Swell to Pedal
  • Swell to Great
  • Swell to Choir
  • Swell Octave
  • Choir to Great
  • Choir to Pedal
  • Great to Pedal
  • Solo to Pedal
  • Solo Sub-Octave
  • Solo Octav
  • Solo Unison Off
  • Great to Choir
  • Solo to Choir
  • Solo to Great

Portable chamber organ

This instrument, commissioned by the cathedral, was built in 2019 by Robin Jennings, with the purpose of accompanying choral and chamber (especially Renaissance and Baroque) music. It was made from French oak with boxwood naturals and ebony accidentals, and can easily be transported around the building.

Disposition

  • Stopped Flute 8'
  • Stopped Flute 4'
  • Gemshorn 4'
  • Fifteenth 2' — cast from tin

Organists

Assistant organists

References

  1. ^ "Music Staff". Chester Cathedral. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
  2. ^ "Organ Recitals". Chester Cathedral. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Music Scheme". Chester Cathedral. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  4. ^ National Pipe Organ Register
  5. ^ "The Organ". Chester Cathedral. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Cathedral Organists. John E West. 1899
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i The Succession of Organists. Watkins Shaw. 1991
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