ROMSEY ABBEY NAVE ORGAN
When plans for the restoration of the 1858 Walker Organ were being drawn up in 1992 the need for a smaller, new organ in the nave had been identified.
In 1888 the existing organ was put into its present chancel position when the layout of the Abbey was very different from that of today.
The choir stalls were in the chancel and the front of the congregation came all the way up to the east end of the crossing. The three most western bays of the nave were not used for seating. Since then, the congregation has been moved westwards and the choir stalls into the crossing. The position of the main organ does not enable it to provide an adequate lead for large congregations.
With continued fundraising and financial support from the Arts Council Lottery Fund, the Woodhouse Foundation and the Rufford Trust, we have secured the funds to install a small, nine stop nave organ. The Trumpet stop is a generous gift in memory of Mr Peter Jury.
The pipes are in the third bay south triforium and can be played from the console of the main instrument. The nave organ has also been equipped with its own mobile console so that it can be played independently of the main organ, as a continuo instrument in concerts, for example. This, together with the 1995/96 restoration of the 1858 instrument, has completed the organ project and opens up new and exciting possibilities for music at the Abbey. The new organ was installed during December 1998 and January 1999.
THE 1999 NAVE ORGAN
The new nave organ, built by Messers J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd of Brandon, Suffolk and comprises of the following specification:
| MANUAL |
| Open Diapason Metal 8 |
| Stopped Diapason Wood & metal 8 |
| Octave Metal 4 |
| Nason Flute Metal 4 |
| Super Octave Metal 2 |
| Mixture 19 22 26 29 IV ranks |
| Trumpet 8 |
| Manual to Pedal |
| Nave Organ on Great * |
| PEDAL |
| Bourdon Wood 16 |
| Octave Metal 8 |
NAVE CONSOLE
Finished in oak with drawstops of turned blackwood with contrasting inlaid discs. The natural keys are covered in polished bone with sharps of solid blackwood.
A radiating and concave pedalboard has naturals of maple and sharps of maple with blackwood capping. The console, with adjustable bench of matching timber and finish, is mounted on a mobile platform. The pipework is in the third bay of the of the south triforium.
* The nave organ is also playable from the main organ.
 |
TOP |