Liverpool Anglican cathedral, the fourth largest cathedral in Europe — after those of Rome, Seville and Milan — is provided with a 5-manual, 140+ speaking stop instrument built by Henry Willis III.
This was installed
in 1926, as the building progressed. Picture 1, a sketch made at
the time, shows a scene of apparent confusion. Floor tiles are
being laid, men, ant-like in the vastness, work on pulpit and reredos,
the latter from a ladder and sightseers look on as large pipes
are hoisted with block and tackle. There is not a warning notice
or a hard hat in sight - though a foreman wears the traditional
badge of his office, a bowler (derby). Health and Safety Inspectors,
if such had existed, would have called an immediate halt to work.
The console in its original form is shown in picture 2. It was very well-equipped by the standards of the day, the provision of a sequencer acting on Great and Pedal is believed to have been the first-ever use of this accessory. Over the years since completion in 1926, only minor modifications have been made, as shown by comparison with a recent picture on NPOR here:
Changes have included a more flexible swell-box control system and the provision of general pistons.
The placing of the console, had been a matter of debate from the beginning. This needed to be close to the choir stalls; the possible advantages of a position at ground level were considered before the present placing in a gallery at triforium level was adopted. In effect this is about one quarter the way along the 482feet (146 metre) length of the building and somewhat cut off from the Great Central Space and the Nave. Leading congregational singing and taking part in performances in the great Central Space and the Nave proved difficult for an organist in days before cctv links had appeared on the scene.
Electric action made it possible for an additional central space console to be installed. In effect, this was a duplicate of the main console and allowed the full resources of the instrument to be played from the main body of the building. For some reason it was placed near the central-heating installation and in time became unusable through the effects of heat and dust. As an economy measure, replacement with a smaller, two-manual console was decided in 1956: this "accessed", only part of the intstrument.
In 1989, a generous benefactor, who attended a number of recitals each year, enabled a full-scale five-manual, mobile, central space console to be provided: in future, recitalists could be seen as well as heard! The work was carried out by David Wells, who has charge of the organ.
Picture 3 shows this: its housing is rather like a Tudor telephone kiosk, with linen-fold panels and removable door.
Among the many figures portrayed in the East window is that of John Coleridge Patteson who, in 1855, sailed to New Zealand with Bishop Selwyn. Another window on the North side is in memory of Edward John Smith, Captain of the ill-fated Titanic.
Liverpool's Catholic cathedral has never suffered from remote-console troubles: the building is "in the round" with altar, choir stalls and organ (IV/P88) placed centrally; the player can never be far from events. A picture of this organ is found on NPOR here
Thanks to David Wells for picture 3.
