JULIAN RHODES' DREAM ORGANS
In his design for Westminster Cathedral (dedicated 1903), the architect J.F. Bentley intended that the main organ should stand in the tribunes above the sanctuary. A small organ for choral accompaniment was installed at floor-level in the apse by the Lewis company in 1910, while as early as 1903/4 Arthur Harrison had prepared plans and specifications for a large main organ in conjunction with T.C. Lewis. (By that date Lewis was no longer in charge of the company which carried his name; the wealthy organ enthusiast J.M. Courage, a shareholder for some years, had wrested control from Lewis in 1901. It was therefore Courage's company which built the Apse organ.)In 1920 Harrison published a proposal for a large main organ. It was to go at the east end of the building, in accordance with Bentley's plans. The Choir, Positive, Echo and enclosed Pedal divisions were to be placed in the Apsidal choir behind the high altar, evidently displacing the extant Lewis organ, and forming a complete and refined instrument for choral accompaniment. The Great, Swell, Orchestral/Tuba and unenclosed Pedal divisions were to be placed in the tribune galleries, and the console was to be on the floor of the apse.
This ambitious scheme would have been, at 132 speaking stops, the largest new instrument built by Harrisons. It takes to a logical conclusion the characteristic features of the mature Harrison/Dixon organ.
In fact, it seems that Harrisons did not really stand a chance. John Courage was appointed organ adviser to the cathedral, and in December 1920 a contract was made with Henry Willis - who had acquired Courage's shares in the Lewis company, merged his own company with it in 1919, and was trading as "Henry Willis and Sons and Lewis and Company Limited" - for a 'grand organ' at the West End of the building. The organ was built in Lewis's old factory by his old workforce, and Courage had a controlling hand in the design, responsible perhaps for some of its more continental features.
Here is the stoplist of the Harrison proposal.
SOURCESCHOIR 16 Grosse Spitz Flöte 16 Lieblich Bordun 8 Spitz Flöte 8 Geigen 8 Dulciana 8 Lieblich Gedeckt 8 Flauto Traverso wood, cylindrical 5 1/3 Lieblich Quint 4 Gemshorn conical 4 Lieblich Flöte 4 Flauto Traverso metal 2 2/3 Dulcet Twelfth 2 Gemshorn Fifteenth conical 2 Lieblich Piccolo III Dulciana Mixture 15.19.22 16 Corno di Bassetto 8 Cornopean 4 Clarion Positive section: 8 Open Diapason 8 Dolcan 8 Viola da Gamba 8 Suabe Flöte triangular 8 Rohr Flöte GREAT 32 Contra Violone metal 16 Double Open Diapason 16 Contra Geigen 16 Double Claribel Flute 10 2/3 Double Stopped Quint 8 Open Diapason 8 Open Diapason 8 Open Diapason 8 Open Diapason wood 8 Geigen bearded 8 Stopped Diapason wood 8 Hohl Flöte 5 1/3 Spitz Quint 4 Octave 4 Principal 4 Geigen Principal 4 Wald Flöte 3 1/5 Tenth 2 2/3 Octave Quint 2 Super Octave 2 Geigen Fifteenth IV Harmonics 17.19.21.22 VI Mixture 12.15.19.22.26.29 16 Double Trumpet 8 Posaune 8 Harmonic Trumpet 4 Clarion SWELL 16 Contra Gamba 16 Rohr Gedeckt 8 Open Diapason leathered 8 Open Diapason 8 Gedeckt 8 Gamba 8 Voix Célestes sharp 4 Principal 4 Octave Gamba 4 Gedeckt Flöte 2 2/3 Twelfth 2 Super Octave Gamba IV Mixture 15.17.19.22 16 Double Horn 8 Horn 8 Trumpet 5 1/3 Horn Quint 4 Clarion ECHO (played from Swell keys; own enclosure) 16 Quintatön 8 Quintatön 8 Salicional 8 Viole d'Amour 8 Flute d'Amour 8 Unda Maris flat 4 Quintadena 4 Salicet 4 Flauto Dolce 2 Harmonic Piccolo VII Glockenspiel 15.19.22.26.29.33.36 (breaking every 8ve) 16 Contra Oboe 8 Oboe 4 Octave Oboe 8 Cor Anglais 8 Vox Humana Tremulant ORCHESTRAL AND TUBA 16 Violone 8 Violoncello 8 Viole d'Orchestre 8 Viole Sourdine 8 Viole Céleste sharp 4 Viole Octaviente III Cornet de Violes 10.12.15 16 Double Concert Flute 8 Harmonic Flute 4 Concert Flute 2 Concert Piccolo 16 Bassoon 8 Clarinet 8 Orchestral Oboe 8 Corna Musa very loud Tremulant 16 Contra Tromba harmonic 8 Tromba harmonic Octave coupler unenclosed: 16 Contra Tuba 8 Tuba Mirabilis 4 Octave Tuba PEDAL 64 Acoustic Bass 32 Double Open Wood 32 Double Open Metal 21 1/3 Double Stopped Quint 16 Open Wood ext. 16 Open Diapason 16 Contra Basso Orchestral 16 Sub Bass 10 2/3 Open Quint 8 Octave ext. 8 Principal ext. 8 Flute ext. 4 Super Octave ext. wood V Sesquialtera 12.15.17.19.22 32 Contra Bombard 16 Ophicleide 32'ext. 10 2/3 Trombone Quint 8 Tromba 32' ext. 5 1/3 Trombone Twelfth 10 2/3' ext. 4 Clarion 32' ext. enclosed: 16 Open Wood 16 Dulciana 10 2/3 Stopped Quint 8 Violoncello 32 Contra Fagotto 16 Trombone 16 Fagotto ext. 8 Bassoon ext. Couplers: 10 unison and Great to Orchestral/Tuba Swell/Echo to Orchestral/Tuba Swell 8ve & Sub; Echo 8ve & sub; Orchestral/Tuba 8ve (as given above); Great reeds to Orchestral/Tuba Compass: 61/32. Swell, Echo and Orchestral soundboards to have 73 notes. Register crescenedo pedal, acting on Great, Tubas, Pedal, and Tuba to Great coupler. Sforzando pedal adding the Tubas to the Great organ.
'The Harrison Story' by Laurence Elvin (Lincoln, 1974) for the stoplist.
'The Organs at Westminster Cathedral', a historical account in a programme note by Nicolas Kynaston (London, 1985).
'The History of the English Organ' (Cambridge, 1996) and posts to piporg-l by Stephen Bicknell.
Back to the index of organ proposals | Back to the index of organ designs & stoplists | Back to the front page