David Bridgeman-Sutton wonders what might have been in a. . . .

A Tale of Two organs . . .

Fig 1. Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand
(Click image to enlarge)
Christchurch Cathedral website

 Did Neville Barnett intend William Hill to build the new organ for Christchurch cathedral?

The specification he drew up in 1880 was typical of that firm’s work with details of, perhaps, a decade earlier. The instrument actually installed two years later (job no: 1772 in Hill’s Shop Book) differs only slightly from Barnett’s proposal, with more modish stops (Salicional and Harmonic Flute) substituted for the obsolescent Keraulophon and unfashionable Wald Flute.

Barnett specified a Great Open Diapason of “No 1 scale”; the Shop Book shows that the firm’s “Full scale” of c. 6 ¼” (160mm) diameter at CC was employed.

Fig 2. St David's Wales
(Click image to enlarge)
St David's Cathedral website

Just as typical of its builder was the markedly different Willis organ made, at the same time, for St David’s cathedral in Wales.

In the course of extensive consultation, influential voices recommended the Christchurch authorities to engage Willis to undertake their work. These included that of Sir F.A.G. Ouseley, Professor of Music at Oxford. Estimates were obtained from both firms. Hill’s at £1400 was £544 below Willis’s, a substantial difference that decided the matter in the former’s favour.

The cost of St David's organ appears to have been only £1450, which was £150 less than the original estimate. It is possible that, if Willis had won the Christchurch contract, he would have supplied an organ with a more comprehensive stop-list than that of his Welsh organ.

The two specifications may be compared in the table below.

The different structure of the diapason choruses is worth study. The Willis standard mixture, then and for years thereafter, was the 3 rank sesquialtera, 17-19-22. His tierce rank was always voiced more softly than the quint and unison, so that the mixture is less anti-social than many of this composition. The omission of a swell mixture is surprising but not remarkable; many Willis organs, some larger than this, lacked the stop at this time. It is difficult to determine the rationale on which the decision to omit or include was made.

People at both Christchurch and St David's seemed well-pleased with their organs, especially, perhaps, Neville Barnett who got almost exactly what he wanted. One thing is certain: if Willis had secured the contract, Barnett and everyone else would have got what Willis thought they ought to have wanted.

The early history of Christchurch cathedral organ – and of many others in the Province is treated fully in Dr Ronald Newton’s Organa Cantuariensia which has been consulted extensively.

Figure 1. is reproduced from Dr Newton’s book with his permission and that of the Dean and Chapter of Christchurch.

Figure 2. from The Organs of St David's by Geraint Bowen is reproduced by permission of the Dean and Chapter of that cathedral.

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