The Organ at Our Lady of Peace

The Organ At Gerrards Cross

The instrument was built in about 1915-6 for a residence in or near Gerrards Cross. It was built by Thomas Casson’s “Positive Organ Company”. Later it was installed in St, Joseph’s Carmelite Priory Church, Gerrards Cross.

The specification was as follows:
GREAT: Open Diapason 8′, Claribel 8′ , Violone 8′, Har. Flute 4′, Great Sub Octave.
SWELL: Double Diapason 16′, Open Diapason 8′, Gemshorn 4′, Oboe 8′, Swell Super Octave, Tremulant.
CHOIR: Dulciana 8′.
PEDAL: Bourdon 16′, Flute 8′, Violincello 8′.
COUPLERS: Swell to Great, Choir to Great, Choir to Swell, Swell to Pedal, Great to Pedal. Tubularpneumatic action. KickstickSwellpedal. 3 thumb pistons to Great. Early “Discus” belt driven blower.

The organ was dismantled by organ builders B. C. Shepherd and Son in 1962 prior to the demolition and rebuilding of the Priory Church. It was stored in the Scout Hall behind the church where it was badly damaged by the Scouts (many of the metal pipes being literally flattened). A year or two later B. C. Shepherd and Son bought it, and stored it in their workshop.

Organ loft in the nave, Our Lady of Peace. — Organ loft in the nave, Our Lady of Peace Church.

Rebuilt for Our Lady of Peace Church

During 1975-6 the organ has been rebuilt and installed in this Church to replace a worn out 15 year old Miller electronic organ. The action has been electrified and a detached console has been made using certain parts of the built-in console. A new “Discus” blower in a silencing case has been installed.

Certain tonal additions and improvements have been made as follows:
Swell. The Oboe has been revoiced as a Trompette. A 3 rank Mixture has been added on a new chest. The Double Diapason has been taken down to Ten.C in independent pipes (where formerly below middle F sharp it used in Pedal Bourdon pipes).

Great. The Claribel and Harmonic Flute have been transferred to the Choir and Principal and Fifteenth stops have been put in their place. The Great Sub Octave has been transferred to the Swell.

Choir. Where formerly this department had only one stop, the Dulciana (which was in the Swell box) an unenclosed soundboard has been supplied which takes the former Great Claribel and Harmonic Flute and the Dulciana. There is a spare chest for an upperwork stop to be added at some future time (this chest was used previously for the Dulciana, but is now unenclosed). The former Choir to Swell coupler has been made Swell to Choir.

Pedal. The Violincello stop has been transposed from 8′ to 4′ pitch.

The organ is usually played on alternate Sunday Masses.

Organ being played at Our Lady of Peace Church (2013).

Specification

Great	Swell	Choir
Open Diapason	8	Double Diapason (T.C.)	16	Claribel	8
Violone	8	Open Diapason	8	Dulciana	8
Principal	4	Gemshorn	4	Har. Flute	4
Fifteenth	2	Mixture (19,22,26)	3.Rks.	Posaune (ext Fagotto)	8
	Trompette	8	Tremulant
Pedal	Couplers	(Controlled by stop-key under music desk)
Bourdon	16	Swell Sub Octave
Flute (ext. Bourdon)	8	Swell to Great	3 thumb pistons to Swell
Octave Cello	4	Swell to Choir	3 thumb pistons to Great
(top 12 notes from Great Violone 8′)		Choir to Great
Fagotto	16	Swell to Pedal
Balanced Swell Pedal	Great to Pedal	Reversible toe piston for Great to Pedal
Compass of Manuals	58 notes	Electro-pneumatic action
Compass of Pedals	30 notes R & C
“Discus” Blower		Kimber-Allen Transformer Rectifier
“Discus” Humidifier		Kimber-Allen Swell Engine
Detached Console in oak, with solid ivory drawstop knobs.
Carved oak frontage with spotted metal pipes.	848 speaking pipes.
Most pipes of spotted metal.	International Standard Pitch, 523.3 at C.
Pipe pressure 3″ w.g.p.	Action pressure 5 3/4″ w.g.p
Composition of Mixture:
19,22,26	Bottom C to Middle C sharp	(26 notes)
15,19,22	Middle D to Upper C sharp	(24 notes)
8,12,15	Upper D to Upper A	(8 notes)

Segments of text and specifications are taken from an original document by B.C. Shepherd and Son of Edgware, Middlesex.

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