All Saints KingstonBefore Frobenius - organs in Kingston Parsh Church |
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Before Frobenius
The earliest mention of an organ in the church is in 1509 when Thomas Sexton was paid 6s 8d for mendyng of the orgens. We do not know how old the organ was in 1509. The churchwardens’ accounts begin only in 1503: no doubt if earlier accounts survived we would be able to trace back the organs into the fifteenth century. The organ required further repair in 1514 and most of the money needed for this major work, came from a special gaderyng for the orgens, a social gathering of parishioners, which raised £6 16s 10d. The main organ was almost certainly in the rood loft, on the screen across one of the arches of the tower which divided nave and chancel. After 1570 there are no further references to an organ in the church for more than two centuries. In 1792 a contract for the erection of a new organ was placed with John Avery, a first-rate organ builder but a shocking drunken character. It stood in the gallery at the west end of the church and seems to have possessed nine stops on the great, six on the swell and two on the choir (which occupied the bass of the swell manual), and one pedal stop of one and a half octaves. The west end organ gallery was demolished in 1862 and the organ was placed in the east end. But in October 1866, a correspondent in the Surrey Comet complained about the deplorable condition of the old organ, as Sunday after Sunday it pours forth its unharmonious tones so overpoweringly reminiscent of certain wandering German bands. In 1867, Henry Willis was contracted to build a new organ in the Holy Trinity chapel. It was of three manuals and 29 stops and cost £800. The reeds are first-rate and sustain if they do not add to the reputation which Mr Willis has for that important part of the king of instruments. Organ recitals were introduced in 1879 and, by the turn of the century, the church was the centre of a flourishing musical life. The organ was rebuilt in 1909 by Norman and Beard with a detached console which necessitated installation of tubular pneumatic action. In 1919 it was decided to convert the Holy Trinity chapel into the memorial chapel for the East Surrey regiment. This involved the removal of the organ from the chapel into the north transept. The opportunity was taken for Rushworth and Dreaper to rebuild the organ. An open diapason costing £120 was added to the great organ, apparently replacing the clarion. A vox angelica costing £13 was added to the great, apparently replacing the flageolet. By the middle of the century, the organ was needing repair. In 1956 it was decided to accept a scheme of Comptons to rebuild it, with the console south of the choir stalls and the organ moved into the north tower arch. This scheme cost £7085. Tonally the purpose of the rebuilding was to increase the choir organ from the present totally inadequate five stops to a complete little organ of fourteen stops, to provide a full range of tone for accompanying the choir. The organ, of three manuals and 46 stops, was dedicated on 14 June 1958, when David Willcocks, then organist of King's College Chapel, gave a recital and accompanied the choir. In 1979 the church was reordered to make it more flexible for worship and artistic events. The pews were replaced by chairs and new choir stalls were placed in the easternmost bay of the nave. The organ console was moved to the north aisle wall. The Compton organ was now showing its age and limitations. The alternatives were to give it a major overhaul and perhaps relocate it or to purchase a new organ.
David Robinson David's book, "Craftsman’s Art and Music’s Measure", is available from the Church.
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