THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN EXETER THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT PETER IN EXETER
The earliest mention of an organ in Exeter Cathedral is in the Fabric Roll of 1286 when a payment was made for casing the organ. In 1513 £165. 5s. 7½d was spent on a new organ to be placed on the screen. During the Civil War, the Parliamentary troops "brake downe the organs, and taking two or three hundred pipes with them in a most scorneful and contemptuous manner went up and downe the streets piping with them". John Loosemore was put in charge of the organ after the Restoration, and after visits to Cornwall "to make choice of Tyn for ye new organs" and Salisbury "to see the organ there, the better to inform himselfe to make the new organ", he completed the building of the new organ in Exeter Cathedral in 1665. It underwent several changes during the next two centuries, but the magnificent case has survived to this day, having been enlarged at the time of a radical rebuild by Henry Willis in 1891.
Harrison & Harrison rebuilt the organ and modernised the actions in 1931. The organ was renovated in 1965, with some tonal changes, including the addition of the Trompette in the Minstrels' Gallery. The organ was cleaned in 1985.
The work of 2001 consisted of console renovation and localised repairs, together with renewal of the coupler and piston systems. At the same time, several new stops were provided: numbers 12, 14, 23 and 28. In 2002, a new section of the organ will be installed in the Minstrels' Gallery.
The Choir and Solo Organs are in the smaller cases facing east and west respectively; the Swell, Great and most of the Pedal are within the main case. The pipes of the Pedal Open Wood and the new half-length 32ft Contra Trombone lie horizontally within the north side of the pulpitum, and the console is on the south side. The lowest notes of the Pedal 32ft Contra Violone stand in the south transept.
PEDAL ORGAN, 14 Stops, 4 Couplers
1. Contra Violone (from No. 3) 32'
2. Open Diapason 16'
3. Violone 16'
4. Bourdon 16'
5. Quintadena (from No. 38) 16'
6. Octave (from No. 2) 8'
7. Violoncello 8'
8. Flute (from No. 4) 8'
9. Fifteenth 4'
10. Octave Flute (from No. 4) 4'
11. Mixture II
12. Contra Trombone (from 13) 32'
13. Trombone 16'
14. Tromba (from 13) 8'
I. Choir to Pedal
II. Great to Pedal
III. Swell to Pedal
IV. Solo to Pedal
CHOIR ORGAN, 9 Stops, Tremulant, 3 Couplers
15. Lieblich Bourdon (12 from No. 4) 16'
16. Lieblich Gedackt 8'
17. Viola 8'
18. Lieblich Flute 4'
19. Nazard 2 2/3 '
20. OpenFlute 2'
21. Tierce 1 3/5 '
22. Larigot 1 1/3'
23. Clarinet 8'
V. Tremulant
VI. Octaves alone
VII. Swell to Choir
VIII. Solo to Choir
Stops 15-18 have three extra notes in the treble, for use with the octave coupler.
GREAT ORGAN, 14 Stops, 5 Couplers
24. Double Open Diapason (bass from No. 3) 16'
25. Open Diapason I. 8'
26. Open Diapason II. 8'
27. Stopped Diapason 8'
28. Octave 4'
29. Principal 4'
30. Harmonic Flute 4'
31. Twelfth 2 2/3 '
32. Fifteenth 2'
33. Mixture IV
34. Sharp Mixture III
35. Double Trumpet 16'
36. Trumpet 8'
37. Clarion 4'
IX. Reeds on Choir
X. Reeds on Pedal
XI. Choir to Great
XII. Swell to Great
XIII. Solo to Great
SWELL ORGAN, 14 Stops, Tremulant and 4 Couplers
38. Quintadena 16'
39. Open Diapason 8'
40. Stopped Diapason 8'
41. Salicional 8'
42. Voix Celestes (12 from 41) 8'
43. Principal 4'
44. Flute 4'
45. Twelfth 2 2/3 '
46. Fifteenth 2'
47. Mixture IV
48. Hautboy 8'
XIV. Tremulant
49. Contra Fagotto 16'
50. Cornopean 8'
51. Clarion 4'
XV. Octave
XVI. Sub Octave
XVII. Unison Off
XVIII. Solo to Swell
SOLO ORGAN, 10 Stops, Tremulant and 3 Couplers
(Nos. 52 - 59 enclosed)
52. Viole d'Orchestre 8'
53. Claribel Flute 8'
54. Viole Céleste (tenor c) 8'
55. Harmonic Flute 4'
56. Piccolo 2'
57. Corno di Bassetto 8'
58. Orchestral Oboe 8'
59. Vox Humana 8'
XIX. Tremulant
60. Tuba 8'
61. Trompette from 68 8'
XX. Octave
XXI. Sub Octave
XXII. Unison Off
MINSTREL ORGAN, 8 Stops, 3 Couplers
Manual
62. Bourdon (12 from 69) 16'
63. Open Diapason 8'
64. Stopped Diapason 8'
65. Principal 4'
66. Fifteenth 2'
67. Mixture V
68. Trompette 8'
Pedal
69. Bourdon 16'
XXIII Minstrel on Choir
XXIV Minstrel on Great
XXV Minstrel on Solo
ACCESSORIES
Eight foot pistons to the Pedal Organ
Eight pistons to the Choir Organ
Eight pistons to the Great Organ
Eight pistons to the Swell Organ (duplicated by foot pistons)
Eight pistons to the Solo organ
Three pistons to the Minstrel Organ
Eight general pistons and general cancel
Two general pistons for couplers
Reversible pistons: I-IV, VII, VIII, XI-XIII, XVIII, XXIV; 1, 13
Reversible foot piston to Great to Pedal
Combination Couplers: Great and Pedal pistons
Pedal to Swell pistons
Generals on Swell foot pistons
Sequencer, operating general pistons
The pistons are adjustable, with eight divisional
and 64 general memories
Balanced expression pedals to Swell and Solo organs
The manual compass is 58 notes; the pedal 30 notes
The actions are electro-pneumatic
WIND PRESSURES
Pipe wind up to 15 inches
Action wind up to 9 inches
The manual compass is CC to A, 58 notes; the pedal CCC to F, 30 notes.
The blowing equipment is by Watkins and Watson.
The 32ft pedal Contra Violone pipes standing in the south transept, as seen from the organ loft.
Our new Chamber Organ is now in regular use. The instrument is easily portable and can be used in any part of the building. It can be placed in the middle of a group of players without impeding sight-lines, and it can be adjusted to play at a variety of early pitches with authentic instruments. The Dean and Chapter commissioned Kenneth Tickell and Company to build the organ.
Our new instrument has four stops or ranks of pipes:
The casework is oak, matching the colour of our choirstalls. The wind is supplied by an internal blower, which is the only electrical component in the instrument. The fretwork replicates the passion-flower carving on the side of the Dean's stall.
The instrument has cost £25,000 and we should thank the Cathedral Music Foundation Trust for funding a substantial part of this sum. In addition, we have received warm support from Exeter Festival Chorus and Exeter Bach Society through fund-raising concerts. This lovely instrument will enhance the music of this Cathedral in the future, both liturgically and in the concert context.
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