After the 1920s design by Edward Lutyens
DREAM ORGANS
Had Lutyens' plans been realised, the building would have been his magnum opus, with an
overall length of 530ft. (the largest of any British cathedral), a nave 138ft. high and a
central dome larger than that of St. Peters, Vatican City.
For this building Rushworth and Dreaper planned three organs: a large west-end instrument,
another for the choir, and a smaller one for the Blessed Sacrament chapel. Lutyens wrote:
"Behind the High Altar is a range of four chapels and beyond these the choir - circular in
plan - and sunk, with the organ below so that vocal and instrumental music come out of it as
it were from one mouth in absolute unison..." A circular organ-well was constructed, some
30ft. in diameter and 40ft. deep. Lutyens had previously designed a similar, but smaller,
organ-well for the 'Temple of Music' at Tyringham Hall, Buckinghamshire.
Having failed to find surviving material detailing the proposed organ designs, the following
is an imaginary reconstruction of a possible c.1930 scheme for the main spaces in Lutyens'
building. It is quadrupartite in form: a west-end instrument of 103 stops, a crossing chorus
of 7 stops, dome divisions of 13 stops, and a choir organ of 47 stops. Many of the
characteristics of the contemporary Rushworth and Dreaper style are present.
I envisage three consoles for the whole instrument: one at the west end, of five manuals,
controlling the west, crossing and dome sections; one in the choir, of three manuals,
controlling the choir and crossing sections; and one in the central space, of five manuals,
controlling all sections.
Lutyens' design for a monumental cathedral building was published in the mid 1920s. The
foundations were laid in 1929, and the first stone was placed in position in 1933. Work was
irrevocably delayed by the onset of war a few years later, and it was not until 1960 that a
dramatically different scheme was adopted. The present building rests on the west end of
Lutyens' foundations.
- WEST-END ORGAN -
GREAT
32 Gross Geigen
16 Double Open Diapason
16 Contra Wald Flöte
8 Diapason à Pavillon
8 Open Diapason Major
8 Open Diapason Minor
8 Harmonic Claribel Flute
8 Bourdon
5 1/3 Quint
4 Octave Diapason
4 Principal
4 Harmonic Flute
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 Fifteenth
II Harmonics 10.14
VI Mixture 15.17.19.22.26.29
16 Contra Tromba
8 Harmonic Posaune
8 Tromba
4 Octave Tromba
SWELL
16 Double Diapason
8 Geigen Diapason
8 Viola da Gamba
8 Viola Celeste sharp
8 Dolce Strings II natural+flat
8 Hohl Flöte
8 Stopped Diapason
4 Principal
4 Nason Flute
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 Fifteenth
III Mixture 15.19.22
V Harmonics 17.19.21.22.26
16 Contra Hautboy
8 Oboe d'Amour
16 Double Cornopean
8 Trumpet
8 Cornopean
5 1/3 Quint Horn
4 Clairon
4 Octave Cornopean
CHOIR
16 Quintatön
8 Horn Diapason
8 Dolce
8 Unda Maris flat
8 Flauto Traverso
8 Rohr Gedeckt
4 Gemshorn
4 Wald Flöte
2 2/3 Nazard
2 Flageolet
1 3/5 Tierce
1 1/7 Septième
1 Piccolo
16 Bassoon
8 Corno di Bassetto
8 Vox Humana
SOLO
16 Violone
8 Viole d'Orchestre
8 Violes Célestes II sharp+flat
8 Sourdines Célestes II natural+flat
4 Octave Viole
2 Violetta
IV Cornetto de Violes 10.12.14.15
8 Orchestral Flute
4 Flûte Bouchée Harmonique
2 Zauber Piccolo
16 Cor Anglais
8 Orchestral Oboe
8 Orchestral Clarinet
16 French Horn
8 Orchestral Trumpet
8 Orchestral Tuba
BOMBARDE (Man V)
8 Hierodophone stentor diap.
8 Tibia
V Ripieno 8.12.15.19.22
16 Double Ophicleide
8 Ophicleide
4 Octave Ophicleide
PEDAL
64 Contra Bass der.
32 Double Open Wood ext. Op. Wd. 16
32 Double Geigen Great
16 Major Bass wood
16 Open Wood
16 Open Diapason metal
16 Geigen ext. Great
16 Bourdon
16 Quintatön Choir
16 Violone Solo
10 2/3 Quint ext. Bourdon 16
8 Octave Wood ext. Op. Wd. 16
8 Principal ext. Op. Diap. 16
8 Geigen ext. Great
8 Bass Flute ext. Bourdon 16
4 Fifteenth ext. Op. Diap. 16
4 Octave Flute ext. Bourdon 16
V Mixture 12.15.17.19.22
64 Harmonic Bombardon Vrks.
32 Contra Bombarde ext. 16'
16 Bombarde
16 Trombone
16 French Horn Solo
16 Bassoon Choir
8 Bombarde ext. 16'
8 Trumpet ext. Trombone 16
4 Clarion ext. Trombone 16
 
- CENTRAL SPACE DIVISIONS -
 
CROSSING CHORUS
8 Open Diapason 1
8 Open Diapason 2
4 Principal
2 Fifteenth
III Mixture 12.19.22
8 Trumpet
16 Pedal Sub Bass
DOME ÆRIAL
16 Dolce Bass
8 Diapason Muto
8 Rohr Flute
8 Viola Dolce
8 Vox Angelica III sharp+natural+flat
4 Clear Flute
V Ærial Cornet 10.12.15.17.19.22
8 Closed Horn
8 Vox Mystica
Gongs
16 Pedal Dolce Bass
DOME PROCESSIONAL
16 Double Tuba
8 Tuba Plena
8 Processional Trumpet
4 Tuba Clarion
 
- SANCUTARY ORGAN -
 
SANCTUARY GREAT
16 Double Open Diapason
8 Open Diapason 1
8 Open Diapason 2
8 Wald Flöte
8 Salicional
4 Principal
4 Gemshorn
2 2/3 Twelfth
2 Fifteenth
III Furniture 17.19.22
8 Posaune
4 Clarion
SANCTUARY SWELL
16 Lieblich Bourdon
8 Open Diapason
8 Lieblich Gedeckt
8 Æoline
8 Voix Celestes
4 Geigen Principal
4 Flute Couverte
2 Fugara
IV Mixture 15.17.19.22
16 Contra Fagotto
8 Trompette
8 Cor d'Amour
4 Clarion
SANCTUARY CHOIR
16 Double Dulciana
8 Viola
8 Cor de Nuit
8 Dulciana
4 Suabe Flöte
4 Dulcet
2 Flautina
8 Tuba Minor
SANCTUARY PEDAL
32 Contra Bourdon ext.
16 Open Bass
16 Open Diapason Great
16 Bourdon
16 Dulciana Choir
8 Octave Bass ext.
8 Flute ext.
32 Double Horn ext.
16 Bass Tuba Ch. ext.
16 Horn
8 Clarion ext. Horn
(1991)
