DREAM ORGANS
JULIAN RHODES' IMAGINARY ORGANS

The first two schemes are for organs suitable for a large British country house. Many of these buildings had a central Atrium or hallway, from which the staircase(s) to the upper floors led off. This central space often formed a 'well' several stories high. I imagine these organs to be built into the central space at first floor (American second floor) level.

The first design has 32 stops on four manuals, and probably dates from about 1875.

GREAT    
    16       Contra Spitzflöte
     8       Open Diapason    
     8       Claribel Flute   
     4       Octave
     3       Twelfth
     2       Fifteenth    
    III      Mixture  17.19.22   
     8       Trumpet
 
SWELL 
    16       Lieblich Bourdon
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Flute a Cheminées
     4       Gemshorn
     2       Flageolet     
    16       Contra Hautboy
     8       Cornopean
     8       Cor Anglais
     4       Clarion
 
CHOIR    
     8       Flûte Harmonique     
     8       Dulciana
     8       Vox Angelica     
     4       Wald Flute
     2       Piccolo     
 
SOLO     
     8       Viola da Gamba
     4       Concert Flute
     8       Corno di Bassetto
     8       Orchestral Oboe     
     8       Tromba
 
PEDAL    
    16       Open Diapason
    16       Bourdon
    16       Salicional           pp    
     8       Violoncello    
    16       Bombarde
 
(1995)

The second design is another version of the same thing, different in detail. There are 35 stops on four manuals; it probably dates from around 1880. I imagine the console to be detached and placed on the ground floor (American first floor).

GREAT    
    16       Contra Gamba
     8       Open Diapason    
     8       Claribel Flute   
     4       Principal
     3       Twelfth
     2       Fifteenth    
    III      Mixture  17.19.22   
     8       Trumpet
 
SWELL 
    16       Lieblich Bourdon
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Flute a Cheminées
     8       Salcional
     8       Vox Angelica
     4       Gemshorn
     2       Flageolet     
    16       Contra Hautboy
     8       Cornopean
     8       Hautboy
     4       Clarion
 
CHOIR (enclosed)    
     8       Spitz Flöte     
     8       Dulciana
     4       Viola 
     4       Flute Dolce            stopped
     8       Cor Anglais
     8       Vox Humana
 
SOLO (unenclosed)
     8       Viola da Gamba
     4       Flûte Harmonique
     8       Corno di Bassetto        
     8       Tromba or Bombard
 
PEDAL
    32       Contra Bourdon         extension 16ft.  
    16       Open Diapason          wood
    16       Violone                Great
    16       Bourdon                soft
     8       Violoncello            wood, indepenent
    16       Ophicleide
 
(January 2000)

 

 

The third Father Willis pastiche shows what he might have done to the organ at Chesterfield Parish Church had he been commisioned to rebuild it c.1880. The four surviving Snetzler stops are included in the Echo section. There are 46 stops on three manuals.

I GREAT    
    16       Double Open Diapason
     8       Open Diapason  
     8       Open Diapason  
     8       Claribel Flute 
     6       Quint  
     4       Octave
     3       Twelfth
     2       Fifteenth    
    IV       Mixture  15.17.19.22  
    16       Trombone  
     8       Trumpet
     4       Clarion
             ECHO (on Great)
     8       Stopped Diapason              Snetzler
     8       Dulciana                      Snetzler
     4       Lieblich Flute                Snetzler
     2       Piccolo                       Snetzler
     8       Cor Anglais
 
II SWELL 
    16       Lieblich Bourdon
     8       Open Diapason
     8       Lieblich Gedact
     8       Salicional
     8       Vox Angelica
     4       Gemshorn
     2       Flageolet  
    III      Mixture  17.19.22   
    16       Contra Hautboy
     8       Cornopean
     8       Hautboy
     8       Vox Humana
     4       Clarion
 
III SOLO   
     8       Viola da Gamba 
     8       Flûte Harmonique         
     4       Wald Flute
     8       Corno di Bassetto
     8       Orchestral Oboe
     8       Tuba 
 
PEDAL  
    32       Double Diapason   
    16       Open Diapason
    16       Violone
    16       Bourdon        
     8       Violoncello 
     8       Flute
    III      Mixture
    32       Contra Posaune   
    16       Ophicleide
     8       Clarion
 
(1994)

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