Organs
Summary. A piped organ
was first mentioned in 1482. An organ added in 1740 lasted 48 years before a
small organ was placed on top of the choir screen, 1790. The current organ rebuilt
in 2000 has 82 speaking stops and 5038 pipes.
The first piped organs appeared in European churches in the late 10th-century and were common in cathedrals in England by the end of the 13th-century. The earliest mention of a cathedral organ at Lichfield is in 1482 when a ‘great organ’ was placed on the choir screen in the cathedral.[1] A fee to an organist and bellows-blower was recorded in the 1580s.[2] A second organ, much smaller and called the ‘Jesus Organ’ was also installed. Visitors in 1634 noted the organs and voices were deep and sweet, but in 1635 two organs were described as ‘much defective’ and in need of repair. It was suggested the organs should be combined to make one chair-organ. A new organ with 12 stops was ordered in 1636,[3] but was destroyed soon after in the Civil War. The wooden pipes were burned.[4] It was recorded a pair of organs valued at £200 were destroyed in the Civil War.
With the post-war
restoration of the cathedral a new organ was installed in 1667, procured by
Bishop Hacket.[5]
It was known as the ‘ladies’ organ’ since only ladies were allowed to subscribe
to pay for it. An organ was used in 1663 since an inquiry asked what the
organist played. It is uncertain whether any part of this instrument is present
in the chamber organ after it moved to other venues before returning to the
Cathedral on permanent loan and now currently resides in the south transept of
the building. Now known as the chamber organ.
Cathedral
Chamber Organ known as the ‘wardrobe’.
In 1677 a
little organ was repaired. In 1732, the organ was said to be out of repair. In
1740, the Warwick-based German organ builder Thomas Schwarbrick provided
Lichfield with a new or fully restored main organ, which survived until 1789. Another
organ was located in the Vicar’s Hall and then moved to Mr Greene’s Museum in
the town.
In 1789,
James Wyatt removed the stone screen between the choir and the Lady Chapel and
used the stone to build a screen between the crossing and the choir. A new
organ[6]
was placed on top of the stone wall and was first played in November 1790. It
occupied the first choir bay, an estimated area of 9 m x 6 m (30 feet wide and 20
feet long).[7]
Access to the loft was by a staircase built into the stone screen. A glazed
screen was then added in 1801[8] to
the back of the organ case which reached upwards to the roof. The organist was
now separated from the nave by a window.
Part of a
plate showing the stone wall, organ and glass screen. From Britton, 1820.[9]
In 1884, the organ[14] was
enlarged and rebuilt. It was given tubular pneumatic action, adding a Solo
division, much of the pipework was replaced and the console moved into the north
choir aisle, thereby improving the siting of the organist.[15]
Organ in north choir aisle in 1884
In 1907–8, the organ was placed
in a loft above the north choir aisle and a new console was added.[16]
Further rebuilding occurred in 1974 such that it now had 66 speaking stops and
4064 pipes.[17]
The instrument’s tonal palette was broadened.
Rebuild
in 2000[18] saw the addition of the nave organ (almost
1000 new pipes) so that it now had 82 speaking stops and 5038 pipes. The
nave section can be used independently of the choir section. After much debate,
the organ was left at its original Old Philharmonic pitch, meaning that it
sounds very sharp against modern-day concert pitch. A past organist wrote the
organ is not the most famous in the country, but it is one of the most
delightful of English organs to play and to hear.[19]
%20above%20the%20second%20bay%20in%20the%20north%20choir%20aisle.JPG)
Organ
console (behind the green curtain) above the second bay in the north choir
aisle
The cathedral also owns an
electronic organ with fixed speakers and a moveable console. Notable organists
of Lichfield Cathedral include the 17th-century composer Michael East and
the musical educator and choral conductor William Henry Harris who
conducted at the coronations of both George VI and Elizabeth II.
[1]
Presented by Dean Haywood. See Lichfield
Cathedral Library MS. Lichfield 4, f. 31. Also M. Greenslade, 'Lichfield:
The Cathedral'. In: A history of the County of Stafford: Volume 14,
Lichfield.. (London: 1990) 47--57, note 129. Taken from Cantaria S, Blasii, vol.2 fol. 31, ‘Magna
organa pulpitio’.
[2]
M. W. Greenslade and R. B. Pugh (eds.) 'House of secular canons - Lichfield
cathedral: From the Reformation to the 20th century’, in A History of
the County of Stafford: Volume 3, (London, 1970), 166–199.
[3]
Ordered from Robert Dallam.
[4]
J. Jackson, History of the City and Cathedral of
Lichfield. (London: 1805), 204. There is mention of two
organs lost in the Civil War, 83.
[5]
Built by Bernard Smith. He enlarged the organ in 1680.
[6]
Built by Samuel Green. The organ case was designed by James Wyatt in a Gothic
style.
[7]
R. Prentis, A view from the old organ lofts. Unpub. paper in the
cathedral library.
[8]
T. Harwood, The history and antiquities of the church
and city of Lichfield. (London: 1806), 90, stated this was done in 1801.
[9]
J. Britton, The history and antiquities of the See and
cathedral church of Lichfield.( London: 1820), Plate 8.
[10]
Built by George Holdich. It was called ‘Holdich’s Magnum Opus’.
[11]
He also paid for the old organ and placed this in Armitage church, where he was
the organist.
[12]
M. Rawles, The pipe-organs of Lichfield Cathedral: a very brief history. (2015).
[13]
Which meant communication between the organist and the choir was not easy.
[14]
Work done by William Hill and Sons.
[15]
See note 12.
[16]
This necessitated removing a window.
[17]
Work done by Hill, Norman and Beard under the direction of Richard Greening.
[19]
See note 12.