Visit to Rudston and Scarborough
On Saturday 17th May members of the Association visited All Saints' Church, Rudston (East Yorkshire), Queen Street Methodist Church, Scarborough and Westborough Methodist Church, Scarborough in order to hear and play the organs therein.
RUDSTON
At Rudston we were met by the organist Clive Barnby who gave us an interesting insight into the history of the organ.
The organ, completed in its original form in 1889, occupies a west end loft position. It was built at the behest of one Mr A.W.M. Bosville - later Sir Alexander - by Wordsworth & Co of Leeds. It included an early example of electro-pneumatic action, an electricity supply to the church having been organised in 1887 for the purpose of lighting the church! The console was positioned in the choir stalls. Mechanical blowing equipment was added in 1891 when a building was erected in the churchyard to house a petrol engine and generator. Underground pipes conveyed the wind supply to the church and up the tower to the organ loft. This arrangement lasted for some fifty years until mains electricity arrived. The organ had 4 manuals and pedals, 48 speaking stops, 17 couplers, composition pedals and so on.
After the death of Sir Alexander in 1933, with some renovation required, Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool reduced the organ to 2 manuals and pedals and provided new action for a scheme of 29 speaking stops. In 1996 the company of Peter Wood & Son of Harrogate was commissioned to replace the worn out action, introduce the latest electronic techniques, replace much of the upper work removed in 1933, restore the pedal reeds and reintroduce a choir manual - largely using Willis pipe work from a redundant instrument elsewhere. The result was the present instrument with three manuals and pedals, 38 speaking stops, 11 couplers, composition pistons to manuals and toe pistons.
Mr Barnby demonstrated the character of the instrument before allowing a dozen or so visiting members of the association to play pieces on it. The composite recital that ensued - with pieces from the Renaissance through to the present day - showed off many aspects of what is a truly amazing instrument for a village parish church! It is well worth a visit. Aficionados of ancient history will also find the huge monolith in the churchyard of significant interest.
SCARBOROUGH
Sadly nobody was available to demonstrate either of the two instruments visited in the afternoon, so it was down to the members of the association to explore the instruments without any local expert introduction.
Queen Street Methodist (Central Hall) Church has a 1923/4 Fitton & Haley (Leeds) 3 manual instrument. This instrument dominates the church visually and is aurally very capable of filling the large space with sound. The pieces played demonstrated that the instrument has some very pleasant sounds. Unfortunately the acoustic of the hall with its curtains and soft furnishings is less than grateful for such an instrument.
The third and final visit of the day was to Westborough Methodist Church. The organ installed here was built by the Sheffield firm of Brindley & Foster in c.1893. It was rebuilt in 1993 by Peter Wood of Harrogate with a detached console, electro-pneumatic action and keyboards extended to 61 notes. The writer of this article had to leave before the rest of the association members arrived at this destination but he had the chance to put the instrument through its paces and came to the conclusion that it was a worthy instrument, typical of its builder.
