QLD Organs | St John's Cathedral, Brisbane

The Organ in St. John's Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane

The choir case in St John's Anglican Cathedral

The organ was originally built with pneumatic action in 1909 by Norman and Beard of Norwich with the specification drawn up by the cathedral organist, George Sampson. At that time it was designed to hold 50 speaking ranks although some were prepared for, and a few added in 1912, 1914, 1915 & 1924.

The 1924 transcept case was a gift of the Brisbane City Council in commemoration of the centenary of white settlement in Queensland. The organ was considerably enlarged and electrified by Hill, Norman and Beard (Aust.) in 1972, after the extension of the cathedral nave. Robert Boughen was the consultant and cathedral organist. Included at that time were the Solo strings, which came from Gloucester Cathedral and Southwell Minster.

Visit the Cathedral's website.

Specifications

GREAT

16'    Double Open Diapason 
 8'    Open Diapason        
 8'    Gemshorn              
 8'    Stopped Diapason      
 4'    Octave                
 4'    Spitz Flute           
 2 2/3'Twelfth           
 2'    Fifteenth            
 IV    Mixture  
 V      Mounted Cornet  
 8'    Trumpet              
 4'    Clarion               

 
Solo to Great
Swell to Great
Choir to Great

SWELL

16'    Quintaton            
 8'    Open Diapason         
 8'    Spitz Flute          
 8'    Viola de Gamba       
 8'    Voix Celeste          
 4'    Principal            
 4'    Stopped Flute
 2'    Fifteenth       
 III   Full Mixture   
 III   Sharp Mixture   
16'    Double Trumpet      
 8'    Cornopean             
 8'    Oboe                 
 8'    Vox Humana            
 4'    Clarion               


Swell Octave
Swell Suboctave
Swell Unison Off
Solo to Swell
Tremulant

CHOIR

Contra Salicional    16'
Open Diapason         8'
Bourdon               8'
Dulciana              8'
Prestant              4'
Flute ouverte         8'
Nazard            2 2/3'
Quarte                2'
Tierce            1 3/5'
Larigot           1 1/3'
Plein Jeu           III  
Cromorne              8'
Trompette             8'
Tuba (ex Solo)        8'


Choir Octave
Choir Suboctave
Choir Unison Off
Solo to Choir
Swell to Choir
Tremulant

SOLO

Flute Harmonique      8'
Quintade              8'

SOLO (cont.)

Viole d'Orchestre        8'
Viole Celeste (ten.C)    8'
Concert Flute            4'
Octave Viol              4'
Piccolo                  2'
Rohr Schalmei            8'


(unenclosed)


Spanish Trumpet          8'
Tuba                     8'
Octave Tuba              8'


Solo Octave
Solo Suboctave
Solo Unison Off
Tremulant

POSITIV
(Playable from Solo, Great and Choir manuals)

Chimney Flute            8'
Principal                4'
Koppleflote              4'
Octave                   2'
Blockflote               2'
Larigot              1 1/3'
Sifflute                 1'
Zymbel  	          III
Krummhorn                8'


Postive to Solo
Positiv to Great
Positiv to Choir
Positiv to Pedal
Tremulant

PEDAL

Acoustic Bass           32'
Open Wood               16'
Principal               16'
Violone                 16'
Bourdon                 16'
Quintaton (from Swell)  16'
Salicional (from Choir) 16'
Octave                   8'
Bass Flute               8'
Choral Bass              4'
Spitz Flute              4'
Nachthorn                2'
Mixtur                  IV
Contraposaune           32'
Trombone                16'
Trumpet                 16'
Tromba                   8'
Trompette (from Choir)   8'
Krummhorn (from Pos.)    8'
Rohr Schalmei            8' (from Solo)

Solo to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Swell Octave to Pedal
Choir to Pedal

For each of Solo, Swell, Great, Choir and Pedal, there are eight pistons and a cancel.
For the Positiv, there are four pistons and a cancel.
For these divisional pistons, there are 8 levels of memory available.
For the whole instrument, there are 24 levels of memory each containing 25 general pistons. There is an advancer and retarder piston, duplicated on each key-cheek and also available as toe pistons.
The console layout is standard English.
There is one General Cancel and one Full Organ piston.
Intra-manual couplers appear as stop knobs with their respective divisions.
The stool is adjustable.
Manual compass - 61 notes. Pedal compass - 32 notes.

WJ Simon Pierce Organbuilder

PO Box 7027
Hemmant
Qld 4174  Australia

Workshop:
Unit 1 
18 Violet Street
Hemmant
Brisbane
Queensland

Last updated 26 July, 2005