The Harrison Organ

As part of the renovation of the interior of St Mark's Church, the old organ in the church was removed. Circumstances enabled the congregation to obtain the organ from St. Luke's Church, Cowley in Oxfordshire, England, following the closure of that church. This organ was built by the eminent English organ-builders Harrison & Harrison of Durham, considered the best of 20th-century English organ builders. As there are no other significant Harrison organs in Australia, this is a coup for St. Marks, and the organ is unique in Australia.

The rebuilding of the Cowley organ in St. Mark's Church has cost over $200,000. It is a great acquisition, not just for St. Mark's Church, but for Melbourne and Victoria. Organists and music lovers from all over Australia come to play and hear this organ. The Harrison firm has built many of the great organs of England, including Westminster Abbey. At last there is a Harrison organ in Australia, and it is located here in Melbourne. The organ is featured on the website of the Organ Historical Trust of Australia (see link under "Other Websites" on the menu).

The organ was rebuilt by the noted Australian organ builder, Peter Jewkes. In his report to the parish before commencing work, Mr Jewkes said the following:

"This instrument was built for the then new Cowley church in 1938. The Harrison Company, under the direction of Arthur Harrison, rose in prominence between the two world wars and in the 1930s was considered the pre-eminent English firm. Organs built or rebuilt in this period included King's College Cambridge, The Royal Albert Hall, and Westminster Abbey."

"Arthur Harrison's particular hallmarks were the rich and robust symphonic tonal character of his instruments, and his multum in parvo philosophy whereby smaller Harrison instruments were able to provide the variety and fullness of much larger organs. Harrison organs of the period, constructed either with electro-pneumatic or tubular pneumatic action, were of remarkably substantial and high quality construction, usually on a far more generous scale than other builders' work. The Cowley organ exemplified all these characteristics."

"To the writer's knowledge, only one other Harrison instrument was ever imported to Australia - a very small one at Camden Uniting Church, NSW, and dating from 1866. This instrument is from an entirely different stylistic period, when the Harrison firm was regarded as producing comparatively inferior provincial work. The Cowley organ, now restored and installed in St Mark's Church is therefore of enormous musical and historical value, being the only representation of its celebrated maker's art in Australia. With ever increasing respect amongst professional organists for symphonic style organ building and its music, this instrument should also be of great artistic interest to the musical and wider communities."

More recently, in 1999, Mr Jewkes added:

"The above paragraphs were written in 1998 as a statement of significance for insurance purposes. Since that time we have had the opportunity of 'getting to know' the organ in its myriad dis-assembled parts at our workshop and during its installation at St Mark's. The experience has been a rewarding one, every step of the restoration confirming our high estimation. General consensus among the staff being that, though by no means the largest, it was the highest quality instrument ever to enter our works for restoration."

A Review of the Harrison Organ
by John Maidment

One of the most successful examples anywhere of a pipe organ transplanted to a new home can now be found at St Mark's Church, Fitzroy. Built in 1938 by the firm of Harrison & Harrison, of Durham, for St Luke's Church, Cowley, on the outskirts of Oxford, it had become redundant owing to the closure of the church, which had been built by Lord Nuffield for the employees of the Morris car factory nearby.

The spacious church was a notable example of interwar Gothic, designed by local architect Alderman H.S. Rogers, and contained a striking rood screen and rood figures apart from the organ. Harold Rogers was a noted Oxford architect who wrote the following about the organ case in 1952: "The organ case is of Crown Wainscot Oak stained down very dark – as is all oak furniture of the church. It was made by A R Mowbray & Co Ltd, of Oxford, who also made the choir seats and communion rail." Elsewhere, Rogers wrote (to Cuthbert Harrison) "Do you really think it [the case] is worth illustration? It satisfies myself, and I believe fulfils its purpose without fuss." The case measures 25ft 6in high and 11ft 6in wide.

The organ was designed by Dr (later Sir) Thomas Armstrong, who was Director of Music at Christ Church, Oxford where the organ at the time was a four-manual Father Willis rebuilt by the Harrison firm. Harrisons had built many organs in Oxford and was considered the pre-eminent British organbuilding firm in the interwar era.

St Mark's was highly fortunate to acquire the organ, which was in mint condition and had escaped the ravages of the 60s and 70s unscathed. Mark Venning, Managing-Director of the Harrison firm, noted in 1997 that "the pipework is splendid, suffering only from dirt. It is totally original and no revoicing whatsoever has taken place. The Contra Oboe was quite a feature of our small organs of the period. The organ was, of course, built just after Arthur Harrison's death, but his influence was still very strong and the musical quality is excellent – the voicing would have been in the safe hands of Fred Howe … the blend and balance of an organ like this are special, and give far more versatility than the specification would suggest."

It is an instrument of the highest technical and tonal quality and is contemporaneous with such prestigious organs as Westminster Abbey and Winchester Cathedral. Strangely, it is the only 20th century example of the Harrison firm's work in Australia. It is not clear why this is so, as the firm had an international reputation. While we have examples of the work of Henry Willis III in Melbourne and Brisbane, and of course many examples of instruments from Hill, Norman & Beard (built both in London and Melbourne) at this time, it is evident that this must have satisfied the needs of the Australian market for English organs of high quality. The Harrison firm was probably entirely preoccupied with meeting the needs of local markets and did not seek to advertise their instruments more widely. It did not consider tendering to build the Melbourne Town Hall organ.

While Harrisons' instruments were expensive, no expense was spared to achieve optimum results. This is particularly evident in the lavish use of materials, spacious layout, immaculate voicing, quality of engineering and overall solidity of construction. At St Mark's, the two slider chests have mahogany tables and upperboards, while the console is of richly figured oak, with thick ivory keys and deeply engraved drawknobs. The two double-rise reservoirs are constructed from very thick timber, there are four concussion bellows to stabilise the wind, while the pipe scales are very generous. The pneumatic actions are meticulously laid out and all parts are easily accessible for maintenance. All is constructed in the grand manner: the top of the spacious swell box is 23ft 9in above floor level while the building frame is massive and extremely solid, giving the impression of a cathedral organ in miniature.

The organ is typical of the multum-in-parvo designs which the Harrison firm specialised in building in the earlier half of the present century. In such instruments, the grandeur of a large organ is suggested from a minimal number of stops, these usually including a manual double (reed or flue) and a strong chorus reed, the whole designed to have a considerable dynamic range. Such concepts were strongly promoted by Lieutenant-Colonel George Dixon, English organ architect, tonal expert and co-author, with Cecil Clutton, of The Organ: its Tonal Structure and Registration (1950) – see pp.116-119.

The instrument has been able to be accommodated within St Mark's in an almost miraculous manner, given its very tall configuration. At Cowley, the organ occupied a lofty chamber to the south of the chancel, which was a continuation of the arcade of the south aisle. At St Mark's, an identical situation prevails and in fact the aisle roof appears higher than that at Cowley. This has permitted the original configuration of the instrument to be retained almost exactly, with the exception of the relocation of the pedal Dulciana 16ft to the back wall of the space at Fitzroy and some internal open basses on the great removed to a new off-note pneumatic chest on the side of the swell box. This siting is one bay west of that occupied by the previous William Anderson/Hill, Norman & Beard instrument which was relocated to St Francis-in-the-Fields Anglican Church, Mooroolbark in 1999 by Wakeley Pipe Organs Pty Ltd.

Following the removal of the instrument from Cowley by Harrisons and its shipping to Sydney, the whole has been meticulously restored by Peter D.G. Jewkes Pty Ltd, of Ermington, New South Wales. This has involved the complete dismantling of the triple-stage exhaust tubular-pneumatic actions. The pneumatic leather work had to be carefully replaced owing to deterioration, involving the traditional Harrison processes of napping (to slightly abrade the surface of the leather, to improve adhesion) and doping (to seal the surface against leakage and offer protection). Apart from the key actions, the diaphragm manual coupling actions, the slider machines, combination actions, four concussion bellows and the two double-rise reservoirs have all been carefully releathered. The pneumatic tubing was in excellent condition, having been supported in carefully constructed tube trays and then splayed out to the underactions and bound together with black cotton tape to prevent sagging.

The pipework was also in immaculate condition and required minimal repair and regulation. It is interesting to note that the treble pipes of the Claribel Flute are fitted with metal tips, and the larger wooden pipes have butterfly valves, all to facilitate careful regulation. The pipework is very generously scaled, the Open no 1 having a diameter of 7in at CC while the Subbass 16 is not far short of a respectable open wood.

The internal framing, swell box and larger wooden pipes are finished in the Harrison house-style paint – a dark brown colour while the zinc trunking has been painted in a gray-green colour.

The massive oak casework has an oiled finish and its dark colour is a good match for the adjacent furnishings at St Mark's. Some additional oak panelling has been fitted to the projecting sides of the upper case, where this section had been surrounded by masonry at Cowley. At the side of the instrument, one of the traceried screens at St Mark's has been ingeniously refitted as a swinging door giving access to the interior of the instrument, while above this has been placed an original dummy side façade of zinc pipes.

Installation of the organ began at Fitzroy in early August 1999 and the work largely completed by the end of September. The pipework was in such an excellent state that only minimal regulation was required.

The end result is an organ which looks as if it was built specifically for St Mark's. The oak case, its dignified proportions and restrained details, matches to perfection the adjacent screens and woodwork. Indeed, even the case mouldings read through to the adjacent gallery fronts. The generous overhang to the upper case ensures that the pipework for the great organ is located well forward and speaks very directly into the building. The casework entirely surrounds the zinc façade pipework which has organ metal mouths embellished with the typical Harrison leather 'cupid's bow' to the polished plain metal upper lips.

The console is a model of comfort and convenience. The feel of the keyboards is excellent and the response (speed and repetition) of the action is extraordinary, surpassing most electric actions. Not for nothing did Harrisons consistently produce exhaust pneumatic actions for decades! The thick keys, curved keycheeks, ivory knobs on ebony jambs, massive bench and pedalboard and polished light oak panelling all add up to a sense of real anticipation for the player.

The scale of the pipework is ideally suited to St Mark's, which has a very lofty and broad nave, exposed wooden floors throughout and a pleasing resonant acoustic. The instrument offers exemplary support to the modern Catholic liturgy as practised at St Mark's, providing an uplifting accompaniment to congregational singing and the ability to create magical moments at quiet times in the Mass.

The great chorus is based upon the Open No 2, which is of singing quality and blends admirably with the very bright 4 and 2fts, both of which have a melodic rise to the trebles. Indeed, the 4ft suggests a 2ft and the 2ft a 1ft, so this sense of treble ascendancy is very welcome in the absence of compound stops. The large Open adds richness and warmth, and although voiced with leather upper lips, is not opaque in any way. The Claribel Flute is a delightful solo stop and may be used to accompany a number of combinations on the swell. The swell is enclosed in a very thick box which effectively cuts back the sound to a whisper when closed: the dynamic range is colossal. The fluework consists of a bright Violin Diapason, chirpy Lieblich Gedeckt, soft and reedy Echo Gamba and a bright (cylindrical) Gemshorn. The two reeds are a special feature of the instrument – the restrained and smooth Contra Oboe (with full-length bass) and a very full and bright Cornopean, fitted with harmonic trebles, almost suggesting a small Tuba when played in single notes and one of the finest reeds in Melbourne. The pedal consists of but two ranks: a very soft and purring Dulciana 16ft which sounds spellbinding under the swell Echo Gamba with the box closed; and a very large scale Subbass which offers considerable weight and definition.

Peter Jewkes and his team are to be commended for completing such a splendid restoration with painstaking attention to detail. Father Tony Noble, Vicar of St Mark's, must also be congratulated for his outstanding vision in seeking a worthy instrument for St Mark's and indeed masterminding the restoration of the building. With its spacious Early-English Gothic nave and soaring broach spire, it now rates as one of Melbourne's finest churches of any period and with a perfect organ to match.

Overall, the sound is extremely beautiful, with a strong sense of refinement and richness. It is very distinctive in quality and instantly recognisable as the 'Harrison sound'. There is gravity, brightness, ample colour and a striking dynamic range. Full organ, with Open no 1 plus full swell and octave coupler is in no way oppressive and fills the church effortlessly from its privileged position.

The instrument has already been classified by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) as an instrument of great significance to our organ heritage, and carries the following citation:

"A two-manual organ of 14 stops built in 1938 by the leading English firm of Harrison & Harrison for St Luke's Church, Cowley, Oxford. The instrument was donated to the church by Lord Nuffield, whose motor works were nearby, and its designer was Dr (later Sir) Thomas Armstrong. It was moved from its original location and shipped to Australia in 1998. The only 20th century example of a Harrison organ in Australia, it is notable for its intactness, its constructional and tonal excellence, and its massive architect-designed oak case."

The organ was dedicated during Solemn Mass on Sunday 31 October 1999, at which Peter Jewkes provided the accompaniment, and the opening recital given by Lindsay O'Neill on the afternoon of the same day. The present Organist and Director of Music at St Mark's is Christopher Luke, Vice-President of the Society of Organists (Victoria) Incorporated, and an emerging younger composer.

Reproduced from Organo Pleno, by permission of the author

Specification of the Harrison Organ
Prepared by John Maidment

GREAT ORGAN
Large Open Diapason	8
Open Diapason	8
Claribel Flute	8
Octave	4
Super Octave	2
Swell to Great
SWELL ORGAN
Violin Diapason	8
Lieblich Gedeckt	8
Echo Gamba	8
Gemshorn	4
Contra Oboe	16
Cornopean	8
Swell Octave
PEDAL ORGAN
Subbass	16 A
Dulciana	16
Flute	8 A
Great to Pedal *
Swell to Pedal *

Compass: 58/30

3 thumb pistons to Great

3 thumb pistons to Swell

3 toe pistons to Pedal

Reversible thumb pistons for:

Swell to Great

Great to Pedal

Reversible toe piston for:

Great to Pedal

Balanced mechanical swell pedal

Pitch: C = 517 cps @ 60° Fahrenheit

Wind pressure: pipework 3½"; action wind 7"

Discus blower

* mechanical manual to pedal coupling action

 

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