We're fortunate to have two very fine pipe organs in the parish of Paignton. The organ at St. Andrew's (see below) was originally built at the Parish Church by Henry Speechley of London in 1877. After its larger replacement was installed in 1889, the organ was put into storage for four years, before being erected in the newly-built chancel of St. Andrew's Church. Its replacement at the Parish Church was built by Charles Martin of Oxford, and cost £2020 - which was an enormous sum of money when it was built back in 1889 - and was the gift of Paris Singer, the son of Isaac Merritt Singer of sewing machine fame, on attaining his majority.
Originally erected at the west end of the church in 1889 (we hope to add a photograph of the quite stunning original case - very European 'classical' and almost certainly quite unique in the UK at that time - to this website soon), the Parish Church organ was moved by its builder into the chancel in 1896. It was subsequently rebuilt by Foster and Andrews of Hull in 1906 (who renewed the pneumatic action which had proved quite problematic), by Hele of Plymouth in 1930 (who updated the instrument, replacing the former straight and flat pedal board among other things), by Henry Willis IV in 1967 (who discarded the previous enclosed Choir Organ, but created a very beautiful unenclosed 'Positif' department in its place), and by George Osmond & Co. in 1980 (who converted the elderly pneumatic action into electro-pneumatic action and made some minor tonal alterations). It then underwent various other minor tonal modifications by Deane Organ Builders during the early and mid 1980s, before being rebuilt by Deanes in 1998 (which included replacement of failing transmission and capture systems, and judicious tonal additions including an 1897 'Father' Willis Corno di Basetto stop to replace the Clarinet stop discarded by Henry Willis IV in 1967). In 2013 it benefited from the replacement of some failing electronics, and the addition of a four-rank Mixture stop on the Pedal organ to replace the 2' Flute stop.
It is one of the Westcountry's finest pipe organs, consisting of 54 speaking stops, and approximately 2,500 pipes. Here is the specification.
Originally erected at the west end of the church in 1889 (we hope to add a photograph of the quite stunning original case - very European 'classical' and almost certainly quite unique in the UK at that time - to this website soon), the Parish Church organ was moved by its builder into the chancel in 1896. It was subsequently rebuilt by Foster and Andrews of Hull in 1906 (who renewed the pneumatic action which had proved quite problematic), by Hele of Plymouth in 1930 (who updated the instrument, replacing the former straight and flat pedal board among other things), by Henry Willis IV in 1967 (who discarded the previous enclosed Choir Organ, but created a very beautiful unenclosed 'Positif' department in its place), and by George Osmond & Co. in 1980 (who converted the elderly pneumatic action into electro-pneumatic action and made some minor tonal alterations). It then underwent various other minor tonal modifications by Deane Organ Builders during the early and mid 1980s, before being rebuilt by Deanes in 1998 (which included replacement of failing transmission and capture systems, and judicious tonal additions including an 1897 'Father' Willis Corno di Basetto stop to replace the Clarinet stop discarded by Henry Willis IV in 1967). In 2013 it benefited from the replacement of some failing electronics, and the addition of a four-rank Mixture stop on the Pedal organ to replace the 2' Flute stop.
It is one of the Westcountry's finest pipe organs, consisting of 54 speaking stops, and approximately 2,500 pipes. Here is the specification.
Pedal Organ
Sub Bourdon 32’ Open Wood 16’ Violone (Gt) 16’ Sub Bass (Pos) 16’ Dulciana 16’ Echo Bourdon (Sw) 16’ Grand Principal 8’ Gedeckt (Ext.) 8’ Choral Bass 4’ Gedeckt Flute (Ext.) 4’ Mixture 19.22.26.29 IVrks Contra Bombarde 32’ Trombone 16’ Contra Fagotto (Swell) 16’ Trumpet (Great) 8’ Schalmei (Swell) 4’ Great Organ Double Open Diapason 16’ Open Diapason 8’ Stopped Diapason 8’ Dulciana 8’ Principal 4’ Stopped Flute 4’ Twelfth 2 2/3’ Fifteenth 2’ Seventeenth 1 3/5’ Mixture 19.22.26 IIIrks Scharf 29.33 IIrks Trumpet 8’ Clarion 4’ |
Positif Organ
Bourdon 16’ Holz Gedeckt 8’ Prinzipal 8’ Spindle Flute 4’ Wald Flute 2 2/3’ Block Flote 2’ Zart Flote 1 3/5’ Larigot 1 1/3’ Sifflote 1’ Corno di Bassetto 8’ Tremolo Trumpet (Great) 8’ Clarion (Great) 4’ Swell Organ Lieblich Bourdon 16’ Horn Diapason 8’ Lieblich Gedeckt 8’ Salicional 8’ Voix Celeste 8’ Gemshorn 4’ Flute 4’ Fifteenth 2’ Mixture 22.26.29 IIIrks Contra Fagotto 16’ Cornopean 8' Oboe 8’ Clarion 4’ Tremolo |
The organ at St. Andrew's Church was originally built for the Parish Church by Henry Speechley of London, erected there in 1877, removed in 1889, and installed in 1893 in St. Andrew's. It was rebuilt by the Cornish firm of Spraggs Brothers in 1893, when it had a third manual added, and when two ranks of the IV rank Swell Mixture were removed to make room for the Vox Celeste. It was then rebuilt in 1938 by the firm of George Osmond of Taunton who converted the mechanical action to pneumatic action. During the time of the rebuilding, the church heating failed, and the congregation - lacking money - was faced with the decision whether to continue to rebuild the organ as a three-manual instrument, or to reduce it back to its original specification of two manuals. They decided that heating was more important (!), and the organ was returned to close to its original two-manual specification. Nowadays, having only had a cleaning by John Eustace of Exeter in the early 1980s, and further work done in 1998 under the direction of Deane Organ Builders (which encompassed rectifying most of the faults, many of which have since sadly returned), the organ is in very much an ailing situation with a number of faults. However, even in 2013 - 75 years after the ageing pneumatic action had been installed (and after years of being gummed up by incense on a very regular basis!) - it still managed to sound spectacular in the glorious acoustic of St. Andrew's Church. Unfortunately theft of lead from the church roof and the blockage of a gulley caused rainwater to pour into the organ in early 2014, making our lovely instrument unplayable. Let's hope funds can be found from somewhere to restore her to at least some of her former glory, and that Torbay's most historic organ (and perhaps Torbay's loveliest) may be able to make music once again. In the meanwhile, we are enjoying the mellow tone of our Welmar baby grand piano. The organ specification is below.
Pedal Organ
Open Diapason 16' Bourdon 16' Echo Bourdon 16' Violoncello 8' Bass Flute 8' Swell Organ Lieblich Bourdon 16’ Violin Diapason 8’ Lieblich Gedeckt 8’ Salicional 8' Voix Celeste 8’ Gemshorn 4’ Mixture 12.15 IIrks Cornopean 8’ Oboe 8’ Clarion 4’ Tremulant |
Great Organ
Double Diapason 16’ Open Diapason 8' Claribel Flute 8' Gamba 8' Dulciana 8’ Principal 4’ Harmonic Flute 4' Piccolo Harmonique 2' Mixture 17.19.22 IIIrks Tromba 8' Clarinet 8’ Couplers &c Swell to Great Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Swell Octave to Great Swell Sub Octave to Great Swell Octave Swell Sub Octave |
Our organist and choirmaster Gareth Perkins sitting at a very different instrument to the two above. "Now, where do I find the 'Great to Pedal' stop on this instrument?"!