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ORGAN OF THE MONTH 56: February 2007

Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick
(Nicholson, 1980, 1998)

Click on the thumbnail to obtain a full-size image

Specification

The third and last of the Warwick organs visited by BOA members last Autumn is the substantial instrument (really two instruments) in St Mary's Warwick.  This organ has a particular connection with BOA inasmuch as immediate past President, Andrew Fletcher, was Director of Music there during the last major rebuild (by Nicholson & Co of Malvern), and was largely responsible for its current specification.

The present instrument has its origins in the organ constructed by Robert Hope-Jones in 1896, after which major work was also carried out by Compton (1928) and Alfred E Davies of Northampton (1966).  The organ also contains a Voix Humaine by Cavaillé-Coll.  However much of the prsent organ, including the whole of the West End section, dates from 1980 and includes an en chamade Trompeta Real.

Compared to the pre-1980 organ, which occupied no less than four different locations around the church, the Nicholson re-build confined itself to just two divisions: the North Transept (see left photo) and West End (right photo).  A single console (situated in the North Aisle - centre photo) controls both divisions, which are about 30 metres apart. The organs, conceived as being for separate use, can thus also be used antiphonally or even together - when the effect is very much that you are totally surrounded by organ sound!


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Last modified: January 31, 2007