DREAM ORGANS
JULIAN RHODES' IMAGINARY ORGANS

 

The Royal Pavilion at Brighton on the Sussex coast was built for George, Prince of Wales (later Prince Regent, then King George IV) between 1787 and 1823. A modest neo-classical design by Henry Holland was transformed into a grand oriental fantasy (left) by John Nash.

The contemporary interest in pseudo-Indian and Chinese style is evident throughout the Pavilion in a myriad of unexpected architectural features and decorative details.

The Music Room (right) is particularly spectacular. It was lit by nine lotus-shaped chandeliers and the walls were painted with Chinese scenes in rich red and gold.

Music was a particular passion of George IV, and in 1818 a three-manual 28-stop organ by H.C. Lincoln was installed. It was replaced by another instrument by the same builder in 1851; the replacement had formerly stood in the Chapel Royal, Brighton and Buckingham Palace, London. It was rebuilt by Harper (Brighton) in 1884, and has 23 stops on three manuals and pedal; it is now in very poor condition.

Here is a 41-stop fantasy scheme for the Music Room in the Royal Pavilion, designed to complement its warm, colourful decor.

GREAT
    16       Tapered Flute            all open               
     8       Open Diapason    
     8       Doppel Flute             open wood, full tone   
     4       Principal
     4       Flauto Traverso          metal
    II       Tertia                   5.10, no breaks, stopped 5th + conical 10th
    II       Doublette                12.15, no breaks
    IV       Jeux                     19.22.26.29
    16       French Horn              early 19th-century style
     8       Cornet                   round-toned trumpet
 
CHOIR 
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Nason Flute              stopped wood
     4       Prestant  
     4       Flute Douce              wood, tapered, chimneys            
     2       Fifteenth
    II       Tertia                   17.19, breaking to 12.17, narrow-scale
     1       Octavin
    III      Triuna                   29.33.36
    16       Tenoroon                 oboe
     8       Bassetto
 
SWELL
    16       Rohr Bourdon
     8       Gamba                    warm, mild tone
     8       Nachthorn                metal, wide-scale, dark tone
     8       Nachthorn Celeste        flat
     4       Chamois                  tapered, fluty gemshorn
    2 2/3    Nasard
     2       Flageolet
    IV       Fourniture               15.17.19.22        
     8       Trompette
     8       Vox Humana
     4       Clairon
 
PEDAL
    32       Bass Gamba               extension 16ft. Gamba
    16       Open Bass                wood             
    16       Gamba                
    16       Bourdon                           
     8       Principal                metal
     8       Flute à Pavilion
     4       Tapered Octave
    III      Full Mixture             17.19.22
    32       Triton                   half-length tubes
    16       Trombone
 
 
(Brighton, April 1999 - January 2000)

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