I thought you might like to read an update on the instrument installed in 2011 at St Augustine’s Church.
New place for the organ console and speakers
The church closed in 2017 for a major refurbishment and redecoration which was completed earlier this year. We removed the instrument and took it into storage while the work was carried out returning to install speakers in much better locations and with all wiring between the console and speakers concealed in specific conduits installed for the purpose.
Our console now sits in the south aisle mid way down the nave of this very large and airy space. I was visiting to rectify a issue where certain bass notes had begun to rattle windows, easily remedied by adjusting the volume levels of the just 2 of the pedal department flues.
As luck would have it during the first visit to fix this problem the fuse on the sub bass blew but not until the problem was fixed so a visit a couple of days later was needed to provide a new fuse.
You can now clearly see our speakers mounted high in the roof towards the west end of the nave. The sub bass along with all amplification equipment is in a cupboard at the west end of the south aisle.
Organ showing its versatility
As I was visiting on a Saturday morning and the church had more than its fair share of worshippers for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament so I only explored a few of the organ’s voices and all at very quiet levels. However, I often feel that when the organ sound drifts through a building, shimmering strings accompanying a nice quiet solo flute the organ shows off its versatility in stark contrast to the rather more powerful voice it also has in abundance and I will agree that from time to time can be used rather too often!
So I managed to get a flavour of how the new resisted speaker set up works at St Augustine’s but will have to wait for another occasion when I can see if with full organ I can get a few other of the windows to rattle just a tiny bit.
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.
