Why was the organ rebuilt?
Great Malvern
Priory was founded over 900
years ago, and there are records of organs
in the Priory since 1551. The present organ
is based on a instrument built in 1850,
originally with two manuals. In 1862 a 'Choir'
manual was added, followed by a 'Solo' manual
in 1880. In 1927 the organ was completely rebuilt,
incorporating much of the earlier pipework, and
the magnificent oak case was added. The most recent
major work on the organ was in 1977, when an
overhaul of as much of the instrument as was accessible
was undertaken. (More details may be found
in the
Organ History
section).
Although the
organ had been regularly maintained,
it had deteriorated considerably. An
April 2000 report by Nicholson and Co., who
maintained the organ, concluded that '
it is in a very poor state and we are
having difficulty containing the situation'
. Over the past few years,
the reliability of the instrument became unacceptably
poor.
Several major problems were identified:
- The
complex and unusually cramped
internal layout made maintenance difficult,
since much dismantling of
the organ was required for access. Indeed,
some parts could not be reached, either
for tuning or for maintenance and repair.
- The
pipes operated at unusually
high wind pressure, resulting in continual
wind leaks in both wooden trunking
and leatherwork. The need for frequent
repairs was very costly, while those
leaks that could not be repaired caused a highly
disturbing level of background noise.
- Many
ranks of pipes were so located
that their sound was not effectively
projected into the church.
- Maintenance
of the pneumatic action, which
included extensive lead piping, was expensive
and difficult.
- The
pneumatic action resulted in a significant
delay between key action and note production,
and gave a far from ideal response
for the organist.
The Rebuilding
Following discussions with our organ
consultant, Adrian Lucas (Organist
and Master of the Choristers at Worcester
Cathedral), and with various organ manufacturers,
the Priory PCC adopted the following, which
was considered to be an achievable, cost-effective
and long-term solution which best met the musical
requirements of all the Priory’s
activities.
- The organ was completely rebuilt,
the current pneumatic action
being replaced with an electro-pneumatic action
incorporating the latest developments
in construction techniques and long-lasting
materials.
- The new organ is similar in
size to the previous organ.
- Nearly all the pipes from the
previous organ have been retained and have undergone extensive
refurbishment.
- A new blower system has been constructed
to remove the noise problems associated with the previous
arrangement.
- The internal layout of the organ
was completely
redesigned with two principal objectives –
to improve the access for tuning and
maintenance, and to ensure that the sounds generated
by all sections of the organ are more effectively
projected into the church.
- The new
action is now far more controllable
and responsive.
- The existing magnificent oak
case of the organ has
been retained and cleaned and waxed.
The Cost
The cost of
the rebuilding was about £380,000.
The Contract was awarded to Nicholson
& Co., the world-renowned Malvern
firm of organ builders. They have
a long history of making fine organs and have an
unequalled reputation for the
quality of their work. Recent examples include
Portsmouth and Gloucester Cathedrals, and Christchurch
Priory. The Priory project was the first to be completed in their
new, extensive factory near Malvern.
Organ History
This section is taken mainly
from 'History of Organs
at Malvern Priory', an excellent booklet written
in 1979 by Richard Dacey, the Priory organist
from 1977 to 1980. This booklet, although
out of print, contains fascinating details
and specifications of all Priory organs for
the past 200 years.
The first record of an organ occurs
in an inventory of 1551 which
listed 'a Peyre of Organyes' (pair of organs),
the phrase used in those days to denote
a single instrument. It would probably
have stood upon a screen at the entrance
of the choir. Towards the end of the 18th century,
a gallery was erected at the west end of
the church for the "psalm singers". In 1817/18
the church bought an organ by the English builder
Samuel Green, which is thought to have come from
the Concert Room in The Opera House, Covent Garden,
where it had been installed in 1794. This was subsequently
sold in 1850 to the United Methodist Church at Dudley
Port, Birmingham, and replaced by a new two manual
instrument from Nicholson's of Worcester.
In 1861, during the restoration
of the building by Sir Gilbert
Scott, this instrument was moved from
the west end to a gallery position under
the south arch of the central tower,
the position of the present organ. A third
manual (Choir) was added at this time, and in
1880 a fourth manual (Solo). The gallery was
then removed and the console placed at floor
level. With the addition of lever pneumatic
action, the organ was now 'an imposing instrument',
but its great size required three men to operate
the bellows! By 1904 the organ was in serious need
of repair, but work had to be postponed because of
the First World War.
Dr Louis Hamand FSA (organist
1910-1945) was responsible
for the specification and also raising nearly
£6,000 for the four
manual organ. This
was built by Rushworth and Dreaper
Ltd in 1927. A portion of the existing
pipework, mostly from the organs of 1861
and 1880, was incorporated in an otherwise
entirely new instrument. The oak case,
which was added in 1932, was designed by Mr
W D Caroe, the Priory architect. It was
made by Messrs Haughton Brothers of Worcester
from wood grown in Malvern Chase.
The organ loft (i.e. the oak screen
around the organ console)
was erected in 1961 in memory of Dr Hamand,
who not only master-minded the specification
and fund-raising for the 1927 organ,
but also meticulously supervised the storage
of the Priory's mediaeval glass during
the Second World War.
In 1977 a complete overhaul was
undertaken by Rushworth
and Dreaper Ltd, the builders.
