This page contains information about the Cathedral pipe organ which was damaged in the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, and is included solely for historical interest. All of the pipework and associated components have been securely stored for potential use in the future. For information about the future of the Cathedral organ please visit this page.
The Cathedral pipe Organ
The original organ was built by the English firm of T C Lewis and Company, and installed in Old St. Paul’s in 1877. It was a fine example of that famous builder’s work, and was a two-manual tracker blown by a water engine. The instrument was rebuilt and enlarged in the 1930s by Lawton and Osborne of Auckland. A new choir organ was added, and the tracker action was replaced by exhaust pneumatic.
In 1964 the organ was moved to the new Cathedral by George Croft and Son of Auckland where it served the Cathedral music until 1976 when Crofts were entrusted with the work of rebuilding and enlarging the instrument to Cathedral proportions.
Every effort was made to retain the original ‘Lewis’ sound and most of the original pipework was incorporated into the new organ. All new pipework was imported from England with the exception of the Pedal Bombarde unit, the Trompette en Chamade and the Great reeds which came from Germany. The organ now has a total of 3,531 pipes.
The master console is situated in a gallery in the south wall of the chancel, opposite the organ chamber. There is also a small mobile console which can be located anywhere in the choir, and is invaluable for small services and continuo work.
The organ has no case, and is arranged in a functional design incorporating subdued feature lighting and colour. The Great flue-work is placed just inside the main aperture of the chamber. Immediately above are the horizontal copper pipes of the Trompette en Chamade, above which are the Positive division, the Great Principal, the Great reeds, and part of the Pedal Bombarde. The Swell Organ is placed behind the Great, and the Pedal Organ is divided on each side. The enclosed section of the Solo division is at the front, backing onto the west wall of the chamber, and the Gallery Trumpet is in an aperture in the same wall, speaking into the north arcade of the nave.
The blower is situated in a special chamber in the crypt. Wind pressures are:
- 75 cm/3 inches
- 90 cm/3 1/2 inches
- 108 cm/4 1/4 inches
- 127 cm/5 inches
The rebuilt organ was re-opened in 1980, and in 1992 the South Island Organ Company completed a tonal revision, upgrading of the capture system and enhancements to the mobile console.
Pedal Organ
- Sub Bourdon 32′
- Open Wood 16′
- Open Metal 16′
- Sub Bass 16′
- Echo Bass 16′
- Octave 8′
- Bass Flute 8′
- Fifteenth 4′
- Octave Flute 4′
- Open Flute 2′
- Mixture IV
- Contra Bombarde 32′
- Bombarde 16′
- Fagotto 16′
- Octave Bombarde 8′
- Schalmey 4′
- Positive to Pedal
- Great to Pedal
- Swell to Pedal
- Solo to Pedal
Swell Organ
- Lieblich Bourdon 16′
- Geigen Principal 8′
- Lieblich Gedackt 8′
- Viol di Gamba 8′
- Voix Celeste 8′
- Principal 4′
- Lieblich Flute 4′
- Fifteenth 2′
- Mixute III
- Fagotto 16′
- Trompette 8′
- Hautboy 8′
- Vox Humana 8′
- Clarion 4′
- Tremulant
- Sub Octave
- Octave
- Unison Off
Great Organ
- Double Diapason 16′
- Open Diapason I 8′
- Open Diapason II 8′
- Principal 8′
- Stopped Diapason 8′
- Octave 4′
- Nason Flute 4′
- Twelfth 2 2/3
- Fifteenth 2′
- Seventeenth 1 3/5′
- Mixture IV
- Trumpet 8′
- Clarion 4′
- Swell to Great
- Positive to Great
- Solo to Great
- Gt and Ped Pistons Coupled
Solo Organ
- Dulciana 8′
- Claribel 8′
- Wald Flute 4′
- Nazard 2 2/3′
- Piccolo 2′
- Tierce 1 3/5′
- Larigot 1 1/3′
- Flageolet 1′
- Clarinet 8′
- Gallery Trumpet 8′
- Trompette en Chamade 8′
- Tremulant
- Sub Octave
- Octave
- Unison Off
- Great Reeds of Solo
Positive Organ
- Gedackt 8′
- Roh Flute 4′
- Principal 2′
- Quint 1 1/3′
- Octave 1′
- Cimbel III
- Cromorne 8′
- Trompette en Chamade 8′
- Solo to Positive
- Swell to Positive