David Bridgeman-Sutton muses about organ cases - big and small, old and new. The second item in this series.

CASES for PLACES # 2

Organ cases probably originated as small cupboards for the storage of portative organs when they were not in use. The resemblance to furniture continued long after organs lost their portability and is frequently seen in modern cases

Picture 1 shows the case at Old Radnor, Wales. This dates from the early 1500s and, with doors instead of pipes, might well have been a large cupboard or press from that period. Note the decorative frieze ("cresting") at the top and the use of linenfold panels. (www.artencyclopaedia.com is a useful reference when technical terms slip the memory) Close examination shows that some of the panels have been turned on their side - with the folds running horizontally instead of vertically - a sure sign that the case was altered at some time.

This early arrangement of towers of tall pipes alternating with flats of smaller ones (here in two tiers) is noteworthy.
(A simpler case at least 150 years older than this is to be found in Switzerland .) The organist here, whose back seems familiar, is probably of more recent date.

The second case, picture 2, by Christopher Wren, was designed for his city of London church of St Stephen, Walbrook. The design and building church date from 1672 though the organ was not installed until a few years later. The integrated design of door, gallery and organ, filling the centre bay of the West end is extremely satisfying and worthy of what many consider to be the architect's finest church.

Note that the general arrangement of the case is exactly the same as that at Old Radnor with three towers enclosing two flats, each of two tiers of pipes. The proportions and the decorative carving are typical of the period. The use of oval compartments was a favourite device that lent itself to contrary motion of pipe mouths and pipe tops, which is used exclusively here. These ovals are surrounded by carved garlands of ribbons, falling into swathes ("swags") below, which act as shades to the tops of pipes in the lower compartment.

The only non-original feature is the swell box showing behind the central tower: it is not a feature that would have appealed to Wren.

Cases along these lines were exported to America in the early days. A number have been made in recent years, often in pairs to house larger instruments in buildings of colonial style.

The city of London is, with planning and some research, a splendid centre for an organ-crawl. St Stephen's is less than two miles from St Pancras Parish church which has the second-largest Rieger in the UK.

(The largest is in St Giles cathedral, Edinburgh: Martin Setchell played there on Sunday, July 06, 6pm in 2003)

Figure 3Pietermaritzburg

In the mid Victorian organ of Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) Town Hall (Picture 3) the oval compartment is again used - this time "on its side" in a curved case wider than it is high. Sideboards and cupboards designed along similar lines may still be found in antique shops.

Wren would have been pained to have seen considerable lengths of pipe sticking up above the top rails.

Pictures: (1) Jenny Setchell; (2) T Francis Bumpus (3)Archives of CW Laycock - permission doctorjohn@laycock.com

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