The Cathedral Organ
History
The oldest pipes of our current organ date back to an organ built by Samuel Green in 1791. This instrument was in a case centred on the screen, and consisted of 23 ranks over 3 manuals.
The organ survived for over forty years, and was enlarged by William Hill in 1835. This work involved the addition of pedals and of two ranks of pipes. Hill & Son made further changes in 1865 and 1870, resulting in a 33-rank instrument, with 3 manuals and pedals.
The organ as it stood in 1875 was then moved, by J.W. Walker & Sons, into a new case designed by Gilbert Scott, which still stands today as the main body, either side of the screen. A year later, Forster & Andrews organ builders provided new pipes for the case, replacing some dummy pipes installed by Walker's firm.
Minor changes and additions occurred in the next ten years, and repairs were carried out as the organ deteriorated. After nearly ten years of persuasion, a new organ by J.W. Walker & Sons was built in 1905, incorporating several ranks from the previous instrument. This 40-rank, 3-manual organ remained without major alteration for more than 50 years.
In 1957 the organ was rebuilt by J.W. Walker & Sons, which included electrifying the action and several other alterations. These made for a very colourful instrument, but also one which was too big to maintain in such a small space.
This led to a major rebuild in 1989 by Mander Organs, which involved adding a new choir organ case (in the centre on the Quire side). The mechanics were entirely new, and just over half of the pipes were new. The console's electronics were repaired and upgraded in 2006.
A copy of "The Organs of Rochester Cathedral" by Paul Hale can be purchased from the Friends of Rochester Cathedral - see their Publications page.
Specification
| Great Organ | |
| Double Open Diapason | 16ft |
| Open Diapason I | 8ft |
| Open Diapason II | 8ft |
| Chimney Flute | 8ft |
| Octave | 4ft |
| Principal | 4ft |
| Spitzflute | 4ft |
| Twelfth | 2 2/3 ft |
| Fifteenth | 2ft |
| Recorder | 2ft |
| Tierce | 1 3/5 ft |
| Full Mixture | IV |
| Sharp Mixture | IV |
| Tremulant | |
| Posaune | 8ft |
| Clarion | 4ft |
| Choir to Great | |
| Swell to Great | |
| Solo to Great | |
| Choir Organ | |
| Stopped Diapason | 8ft |
| Dulciana | 8ft |
| Principal | 4ft |
| Nason Flute | 4ft |
| Flageolet | 2ft |
| Larigot | 1 1/3 ft |
| Sesquialtera | II |
| Mixture | II |
| Tremulant | |
| Swell to Choir | |
| Solo to Choir | |
| Swell Organ | |
| Bourdon | 16ft |
| Open Diapason | 8ft |
| Lieblich Gedeckt | 8ft |
| Salicional | 8ft |
| Voix Celeste | 8ft |
| Principal | 4ft |
| Suabe Flute | 4ft |
| Fifteenth | 2ft |
| Mixture | III-IV |
| Sharp Mixture | III |
| Hautboy | 8ft |
| Tremulant | |
| Contra Fagotto | 16ft |
| Trumpet | 8ft |
| Clarion | 4ft |
| Octave | |
| Sub Octave | |
| Unison Off | |
| Solo to Swell | |
| Solo Organ | |
| (enclosed) | |
| Wald Flute | 8ft |
| Viola | 8ft |
| Viola Celeste | 8ft |
| Flûte Harmonique | 4ft |
| Piccolo | 2ft |
| Corno di Bassetto | 8ft |
| Vox Humana | 8ft |
| Tremulant | |
| (unenclosed) | |
| Posaune (from Great) | 8ft |
| Clarion (from Great) | 4ft |
| Tuba | 8ft |
| Octave | |
| Sub Octave | |
| Unison Off | |
| Pedal Organ | |
| Subbass (rank A) | 32ft |
| Open Diapason Wood | 16ft |
| Open Diapason Metal | 16ft |
| Violone | 16ft |
| Bourdon (rank A) | 16ft |
| Principal | 8ft |
| Gemshorn | 8ft |
| Bass Flute (rank A) | 8ft |
| Fifteenth | 4ft |
| Flute (rank A) | 4ft |
| Mixture | IV |
| Contra Trombone (rank B) | 32ft |
| Ophicleide | 16ft |
| Trombone (rank B) | 16ft |
| Fagotto (from Swell) | 16ft |
| Trumpet | 8ft |
| Clarion | 4ft |
| Choir to Pedal | |
| Great to Pedal | |
| Swell to Pedal | |
| Solo to Pedal | |
| Accessories | |
| Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled | |
| Generals on Swell Toe Pistons | |
| Full Organ (adjustable) | |
| West Shutters On (Swell) | |
| 8 thumb pistons to each manual department, and generals | |
| 8 toe pistons toe Pedal and Swell Organs | |
| Stepper up (>) and down (<) thumb pistons and toe pistons | |
| 99 general memory levels | |
| 32 divisional memory levels | |
