Public Notice: St Nicholas Church Organ – Proposal for a tonal improvement
We have applied to make changes to our church organ
View the Supporting documents here
It is a good instrument that has been well-designed and well maintained. It will not need any major work in the foreseeable future. Eric Pask, a previous Organist and former Diocesan Organ Advisor, was largely responsible for a creating this versatile instrument.
However, one organ stop is rarely used, the Great Dolce 8ft. It is so quiet that it is almost inaudible – this means it won’t combine with any other stops in a meaningful way.
The proposal is to replace this set of pipes with a Gamba 8ft. The organ had one of these in the original instrument. The stop is moderately quiet but would blend with the other stops.
The Gamba would be most useful for choral accompaniment, sitting volume-wise between the Stopped Diapason and Open Diapason on the same manual.
I had investigated the idea with the current Diocesan Organ Advisor last year who came to the church and confirmed that any change would be appropriate, increase the instrument’s versatility, and he would support it if it went to faculty.
The 46 pipes of the Dolce stop would be replaced by 46 second-hand Gamba pipes, possibly made by Norman and Beard who worked on the organ in the past. There will be minor changes to the pipe racks (which could be reversed at some point in the future), but otherwise it would be straightforward exchange. The drawstop would need re-engraving.
In summary, this would be an enhancement of which I believe Eric would have approved.
It will improve the organ and make it a more versatile instrument for worship
Christopher Muhley
Organist