Trinity Methodist Church in Golders Green have a Compton 6 rank extension organ dating from 1939 housed in 2 swell boxes on their west end gallery. The console has the Compton ‘illuminated’ stop controls.
About 15 years ago it was subject to an expensive overhaul and it again faced a further refurbishment estimate in the region of £80,000. The church committee was understandably reluctant to incur such large expenditure relatively shortly after another major overhaul and so they decided upon a digital alternative. The Compton organ still has its original wiring and control system so it is a bit of a historic time capsule.
Leaving the Compton organ intact for the future
To ensure that if future sentiment changed, installation of the digital organ was carried out making no changes to the Compton at all. A platform above the swell chambers was constructed to carry the speakers. This ensures the Compton swell shutters can continue to operate and the organ remains in use if required.
As you can see our joiner constructed a robust structure for the speakers immediately behind the silent façade pipes. Part of our finishing work included the stretching of black speaker cloth behind these pipes so that the speaker and wall behind were no longer visible. This actually greatly improved the appearance of the instrument from the church floor.
The new console was located immediately behind the Compton console with the wiring going through a floor void to get up to the gallery level. A sub bass speaker is also located at the rear beside the pipe case. The new Viscount instrument has a much larger stop list than the Compton and it sounds very well speaking as it does from high on the west gallery.
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Viscount Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
