The Organ

History

The organ began life as a one-manual chamber organ of 54-notes by the Edinburgh organ builder David Hamilton (1800-1863), probably for Dalmahoy House, the home of the Earl of Morton (now the Marriott Hotel). Several features of the organ suggest that the original instrument dates to 1840, or even earlier. The church was opened on 24th September 1850, and at some point between 1850 and 1890 the organ was installed in the alcove by the north door of the nave. Later, David Hamilton’s brothers, Thomas and James, added the 30-note Pedal Organ.

In 1902, the organ was moved and reconstructed in its present position in an organ chamber on the north side of the chancel, enlarged to two 58-note manuals and re-voiced by Charles and Frederick Hamilton under the direction of T.H.Collinson, organist of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, who gave the opening recital on 9th March 1902. The casework, console, new mechanical action, Swell Organ, and several stops were added. The original 54-note soundboard was re-used for the Great Organ, and the pipes for the extra 4 notes were added on a separate 4-note pneumatic action soundboard. Because of the restrictions of space in the organ chamber, the Swell Box could not accommodate the bass of the 8' Open Diapason, so the bottom 8 pipes are on a separate pneumatic action chest outside the Swell Box!

In 1979, the Clarinet on the Great was replaced by a very strange and loud Mixture stop (19,22 but breaking back an octave to 12,15 at middle-C, thus duplicating the existing Twelfth and Fifteenth stops!).

Much of the surviving pipework is made of good quality thin, high tin content alloy, a feature of Saxon organ builders, and we know that David Hamilton received his training in Saxony.

Refurbishment

The organ is under the care of Henry Willis and Sons Ltd., who have been engaged to completely refurbish, re-voice and enlarge the organ in 2008. The contract with Henry Willis & Sons Ltd., was signed on 8th October 2007. The organ was removed to their factory in May 2008. They expect to have the work completed, and our organ re-installed in the church within 6 months. They have removed the entire instrument, with the exception of the wooden casework on the north wall of the chancel. This will also give us a chance to attend to the “spalling” stonework within the organ chamber caused by previous roof leaks.

We have the loan of a very good and fairly new electronic organ from St Hilda’s church, and this is now installed in the church and producing some reasonable organ sounds. The electronic organ has fitted more or less in the same position as the pipe organ console, so there is very little visual impact. We have attached suitable material to the inside of the remaining wooden casework to replace the missing front display pipes, which are to be re-rolled and burnished.

In addition to the complete refurbishment and re-voicing of the organ, and the replacement of the strange 1979 Mixture stop on the Great Organ (116 pipes), we were planning to replace two good stops with new, even better, stops. They were a new Trumpet on the Great in place of the Dulcet Twelfth and a new Mixture on the Swell Organ, replacing the Oboe. I am very pleased to report that David Wyld, the Managing Director of Henry Willis & Sons Ltd., had a good crawl round the insides of the organ (and came out looking like a chimney sweep!!). He advised that they would be able to include the two new stops as ADDITIONS rather than replacements. This means that we will have an even more magnificent and fully balanced instrument than we were initially contemplating. The cost is slightly above our initial estimate, but still easily covered by the truly magnificent donations to the organ fund. The only visual effect of these additional stops is that the organ will extend a further 8 or so inches back into the Sacristy/Vestry to accommodate the Swell Mixture (116 pipes), but only above head-height, and of course two extra drawstops at the console. The Great Trumpet (58 pipes) will be installed behind the front display pipes. The variety, range and quality of tone will be superb. A new radiating and concave pedal board will replace the present concave but parallel pedal board, and the Swell Pedal will be re-positioned so that it does not touch the pedal board when closed.

For further information on Henry Willis & Sons Ltd., visit their web site at: www.willis-organs.com