The Cathedral Organs

The Grand Organ

PlaceholderThe Cathedral Grand Organ was designed and built by J W Walker & Sons, in 1967.    It has four manuals, 88 speaking stops (108 in all) and 4565 pipes.  
The action is electro-pneumatic apart from the mechanical swell boxlinks, and the console is situated at the nave level.    Built as an integral part of the new Cathedral, the architect Sir Fredrick Gibberd saw the casework as part of his brief and so designed the striking front to the organ.   Using little decorative woodwork, Gibberd was inspired by the innovative use of the pipes as had been precedented at Coventry Cathedral and the Royal Festival Hall and so arranged the shiny zinc and wooden pipes and brass trumpets en chamade to contrast strikingly with the concrete pillars which surround it.

 

The Box Organ

Box organIn 1992 a new box organ was commissioned, with generous support from the Cathedral Choir Association and other donors.   The one-manual organ of three stops was built by Kenneth Tickell, organ builders based in Northampton.   It was designed for use as a solo and accompanying instrument, played regularly for services in the Cathedral´s Blessed Sacrament Chapel and as a continuo instrument for the orchestral masses sung liturgically throughout the year in the Cathedral.   The organ can be divided into two parts for ease removal.

 

The Crypt Organ

The Crypt Chapel houses an organ originally built by Rushworths in 1931 and transferred from the redundant Church of St Patrick, Widnes in 1999.    It is a two manual with tracker action. 

 

ORGAN SPECIFICATIONS

GRAND ORGAN

J W Walker & Sons Ltd, 1967

 

GREAT ORGAN 15 stops

1 Violone 16ft 61 pipes
2 Open Diapason 8 61
3 Principal 8 61
4 Gemshorn 8 61
5 Stopped Diapason * 8 61
6 Octave 4 61
7 Chimney Flute 4 61
8 Twelfth 2 2/3 61
9 Fifteenth 2 61
10 Blockflöte 2 61
11 Mixture 15-19-22 3 ranks 183
12 Plein Jeu 19-22-26-29 4 ranks 233
13 Contra Posaune 16 61
14 Trumpet 8 61
15 Clarion 4 61

Stops using wooden pipes marked *
Wind pressure 3½” except for 2, 13, 14, 15 on 5” pressure

SWELL ORGAN 16 stops (enclosed)

16 Open Diapason 8ft 61 pipes
17 Rohflöte 8 61
18 Salicional 8 61
19 Vox Angelica TC 8 49
20 Principal 4 61
21 Gedeckt Flute 4 61
22 Twelfth 2 2/3 61
23 Super Octave 2 61
24 Flageolet 2 61
25 Sesquialtera 12-17 2 ranks 122
26 Scharf 22-26-29-33 4 ranks 244
27 Double Trumpet 16 61
28 Bassoon 16 73
29 Trumpet 8 61
30 Oboe da Caccia from 28 8 61 notes
31 Shawm 8 61 pipes

Tremulant
Mechanical action balanced Swell PedalWind pressure 3½” except for 27, 29, 31 on 5"

POSITIVE ORGAN 14 stops

32 Gedeckt 8ft 61 pipes
33 Spitzflöte 4 61
34 Koppelflöte 4 61
35 Nazard 2 2/3 61
36 Principal 2 61
37 Blockföte 2 61
38 Tierce 1 3/5 61
39 Larigot 1 1/3 61
40 Sifflöte 1 61
41 Cymbale 29-33-36 3 ranks
 183
42 Krummhorn 8 61
43 Contra Posaune from 13 16 61 notes
44 Trumpet from 14 8 61
45 Clarion from 15 4 61

Tremulant
Wind pressure 2½” except for 43, 44, 45 on 5” pressure

ACCOMPANIMENTAL ORGAN 7 stops (enclosed)

46 Quintatön from 53 16ft 61 notes
47 Lieblich Gedeckt from 57 8 61
48 Dulciana from 58 8 61
49 Dulcet from 58 4 61
50 Quintadena from 53 4 61
51 Nazard from 61 2 2/3 61
52 Quartane from 63
2 ranks 61

 

SOLO ORGAN 15 stops (enclosed)

53 Quintatön 16ft 85 pipes
54 Orchestral Flute * 8 61 pipes
55 Viola da Gamba 8 61
56 Voix Celeste AA 8 52
57 Lieblich Gedeckt 8 61
58 Dulciana 8 73
59 Suabe Flute * 4 61
60 Quintadena from 53 4 61 notes
61 Nazard 2 2/3 61 pipes
62 Piccolo 2 61
63 Quartane
2 ranks 122
64 Clarinet 8 61
65 Tuba 8 73
66 Orchestral Trumpet 8 61
67 Octave Tuba from 65 4 61 notes

TremulantMechanical action balanced Swell PedalStops using wooden pipes marked *
Wind pressure 4;” except for 65, 66, 67 on 10;” pressure

PEDAL ORGAN 21 stops

68 Contra Spitzflöte 32ft 56 pipes
69 Principal 16 32
70 Violone from 1 16 32 notes
71 Spitzflöte 16 32 notes
72 Bourdon * 16 44 pipes
73 Quintatön from 53 16 32 notes
74 Octave 8 44 pipes
75 Octave Spitzflöte from 68 8 32 notes
76 Bass Flute from 72 * 8 32
77 Twelfth * 5 1/3 32 pipes
78 Fifteenth from 74 4 32 notes
79 Nachthorn 4 44 pipes
80 Octave Flute * 4 32 pipes
81 Sifflöte from 79 2 32 notes
82 Mixture 19-22-26-29 128 pipes
83 Contra Posaune from 13 32 12 pipes
32 notes
84 Posaune from 13 8 32 notes
85 Bombarde 16 44 pipes
86 Bassoon from 28 8 32
87 Tromba from 84 8 32
88 Schalmei 4 32 pipes

Wind pressure 3” except for 83, 85, 86 on 5" and 84, 87 which are on 10”

 

ANALYSIS

89 Positive to Pedal
90 Great to Pedal
91 Swell to Pedal
92 Swell Octave to Pedal
93 Solo to Pedal
94 Solo Octave to Pedal
95 Swell to Great
96 Swell to Positive
97 Positive to Great
98 Solo to Great
99 Solo to Positive
100 Solo to Swell
101 Swell Octave
102 Swell Sub Octave
103 Swell Unison Off
104 Great and Pedal Combinations Coupled
105 General Pistons on Swell Toe Pistons

 

ACCESSORIES

8 Thumb Pistons to Great
8 Thumb Pistons to Swell
8 Thumb Pistons to Positive & Accompanimental
8 Thumb Pistons to Solo
8 Toe Pistons to Swell (duplicating Generals)
4 General Thumb Pistons
3 Thumb Pistons controlling Positive & Accompanimental Divisions
General Cancelling Thumb Piston
Reversible Thumb Piston for Great to Pedal
Reversible Toe Piston for Great to Pedal
Reversible Thumb Piston for Swell to Great
Reversible Thumb Piston Positive to Great
Reversible Thumb Piston for Solo to Great
Reversible Thumb Piston for Swell to Pedal
Reversible Thumb Piston for Positive to Pedal
Reversible Thumb Piston for Solo to Pedal

16 channels for manual pistons
16 channels for general pistons
999 stage sequencerPitch C = 261cps

ANALYSIS

  Stops Pipes
Great Organ 15 1220
Swell Organ 16 1159
Positive Organ 14  793
Solo Organ 15  893
Accompanimental  7  
Pedal Organ 21  500
Couplers 17  
Tremulants  3  
 TOTALS 108 4565

 

 

BOX ORGAN

Kenneth Tickell, 1992


3 stops

1 Gedeckt 8ft 54 notes
2 Röhr Flute 4 54
3 Principal 2 42

 

 

CCRYPT ORGAN

Rushworth & Dreaper, 1931

 


GREAT ORGAN 5 stops

1 No 1 Diapason 8ft 61 pipes
2 No 2 Diapason 8 61 pipes
3 Clarabella 8 61
4 Dulciana 8 61
5 Principal 4 61

 

SWELL ORGAN 6 stops

6 Open Diapason 8ft 61 pipes
7 Salicional 8 61
8 Lieblich Gedeckt 8 61
9 Gemshorn 4 61
10 Fifteenth 2 61
11 Cornopean 8 61

Mechanical action balanced Swell Pedal

 

PEDAL ORGAN 3 stops

12 Open Diapason 16ft 30 pipes
13 Sub Bass 16 30
14 Bass Flute 8 61

 

COUPLERS

15 Great to Pedal
16 Swell to Pedal
17 Swell to Great
18 Swell Octave

AACCESSORIES

2 Composition Pedals to Great
2 Composition Pedals to Swell

Mechanical action Balanced Swell Pedal