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Featured Organ

St. James, Riddings

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St James' Church was consecrated in 1832. Pevsner considered it a handsome building for its date. Built by Francis Bedford (who also built some of the Waterloo churches in London) it is in an early English gothic style. The church owes its existence to the generosity of James Oakes, the local industrialist and iron master of Riddings House, whose descendants were for the next 150 years benefactors of the church.

An interior feature of St James' church is the west gallery on cast iron columns and it is upon the gallery, in the 1850's, that Bevington & Sons of London built a one manual and pedal organ. The Swell organ was added during the 1880's along with a new main case.

In 1923, thanks to the generosity of  the organist George Henry Oakes, the organ was rebuilt by Blackett and Howden of Newcastle on Tyne at a cost of £850! The organ was enlarged to three manuals and a tubular-pneumatic action installed. During this rebuild a new console was built on the north side of the case incorporating the Bevington case of tripartite pattern above.  In 1953 the organ was again rebuilt this time by  Walker, albeit with no alterations to the 1923 specification.

By the mid 1990's the tubular-pneumatic action was becoming increasingly unreliable and slow to speak. In 1995/6 Henry Grove & Son rebuilt the organ. The tubular-pneumatic action was converted to electro-pneumatic and the organ re-ordered and enlarged, whilst fully restoring all parts, re-leathering and augmenting the wind system. The Great Organ gained a Double Trumpet 16 and Clarion 4. On Choir Organ a Vox Angelica was substituted for a Piccolo 2, whilst the Pedal department gained a Double Trumpet 16, Trumpet 8 and Clarion 4. The bold -toned pipework was regulated to give of its best. The organ sounds magnificent, the 16ft reed stops gives one the impression of being in a cathedral.    

Swell Octave

Swell Sub Octave

Swell to Great

Swell Octave to Great

Swell Sub Octave to Great

Swell to Choir

Swell to Pedal

Great to Pedal

Choir to Pedal

GREAT

SWELL

Lieblich Bourdon  

Open Diapason 1

Open Diapason 2

Clarabella

Dulciana

Principal

Flute

Fifteenth

Sesquialtera  (15, 19. 22)

Double Trumpet

Trumpet

Clarion   

16

8

8

8

8

4

4

2

III

16

8

4

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Bevington

Open Diapason

Rohr Flute

Viola d' Gamba

Vox Celeste   

Principal        

Fifteenth  

Contra Fagotto  

Horn

Oboe

Tremulant

8

8

8

8

4

2

16

8

8

Viola                  

Lieblich Gedact  

Harmonic Flute  

Piccolo

Clarinet   

Vox Humana       

Tremulant

8

8

4

2

8

8

Resultant Bass  

Open Diapson     

Bourdon      

Octave              

Basss Flute       

Double Trumpet  

Trumpet              

Clarion               

32

16

16

8

8

16

8

4

Bevington

PEDAL

CHOIR

COUPLERS

THE SPECIFICATION

Information supplied by:-

David Coates

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