Uniting (Wesleyan) Church
Kent Town
1898 J.E. Dodd, reb. 1964 - 2 manuals, 41 speaking stops, electro-pneumatic action
Enlarged 2010-2016 Richard Larritt
3 manuals, 62 speaking stops, 18 couplers, electro-pneumatic action
Kent Town Uniting Church exterior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2006]
Historical and Technical Documentation by Rev. Bruce Naylor
© OHTA, 2006 (last updated 2016)
Notes by Rev Bruce Naylor "Celebrating 150 years since the birth of J E Dodd" (Aug. 2006):
Both Sir Edwin Smith and James Gartrell made their money as grocers and they were in competition. A year later Gartrell gave money to the Kent Town Methodist Church to erect an instrument. News of the exciting specification leaked out, first that it was to have a 32 ft. stop on the pedal,1 then that the fifth stop on the pedal was to be a powerful 16 ft. reed,2 and then that the pipes were to be ordered through an English maker of eminence.3 The pipes were ordered from Bishop and Palmers. The diapason choruses and the small cornopean were from Bishop.4 Palmers did the string stops, the great reed and pedal reed.5 The mechanical side of the instrument was the same as at Clayton with the omission of the pedal for the tonerre and pleuvoir. The wind pressure was 3-1/2'' on the great, and on the swell 3''.
It was thought that with such a pedal organ, it would be the most powerful in the colony. The console was to be detached so that the player could control his choir, and the scale of the principal pipes, as at Clayton, were enlarged in line with modern tonal ideals.6 The instrument now became the largest church organ in the colony with two more speaking stops than Clayton. The specification was planned in conjunction with Dodd and E. Harold Davies. The case consisted of two towers and three flats and was 25' high, 20' wide, and it was richly ornamented.7
Kent Town Uniting Church organ
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2006]
The new organ was regarded as the high water mark of the organ building in the colony, the only thing it lacked being electricity, but this had not yet been proved to be entirely reliable. The mechanical side was most satisfactory, and with piston arrangement on the great - the dulciana, lieblich gedact and harmonic flute stops could be used as choir stops; and the swell organ used to a certain extent as a solo organ answering the vox humana and tremulant. The pipe voicing was noted, and the fact that power was obtained by a few strong stops on heavy wind rather than many quiet stops coupled with mixtures, and the result was a rich and powerful tone without the shrillness so painful in older instruments8
At the opening in December the case was considered to be the largest and most imposing organ case in the colony, with the exception of the Town Hall. The Lt. Governor opened the organ and waxed quite eloquent on the subject of sacred music. Fears were held that the organ might cipher because Dodd had had to complete the instrument in a hurry, but nothing apparent to the audience occurred. The vox humana and the ophicleide impressed the audience, the latter being singularly free from 'twang'.9
The choir sang unaccompanied '0 gladsome light' by Sullivan and an anthem written specially for the occasion by Harold Davies 'O praise God in his holiness'.
The organ pieces were the Sonata No.6 of Mendelssohn, a Chopin nocturne, the Tannhaüser march, Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor by Bach, Cantilene and Melodie of Salomé and the celebrated 'War March of the Priests'. Davies obtained such a piquant effect in the Melodie of Salomé that it had to be repeated.
The first organ was built by Hill and Son in 1875.10 This organ went to Aberdeen Baptist Church, Geelong, Victoria,11 and a new Organ built by J.E. Dodd was installed in 1898.12 which cost £1,282 but this included the choir arrangement.13 This organ was rebuilt by J.E. Dodd and Sons, Gunstar Organ Works in 1964,14 at a cost of £4,700.15
Kent Town Uniting Church interior
[photograph by Trevor Bunning (October 2006]
1897 Organ
|
Great Organ iii swell to pedal |
16 8 8 8 8 8 4 2 III 8 16 8 8 8 8 4 2 2 III 8 8 8 32 16 16 8 16 |
(11 stops) (12 stops) (15, 19, 22) (5 stops) (metal) |
Compass: 56/3016
The thirty two foot contra bourdon if it ever was in the organ, was before the rebuild, a grand open diapason 16.
Photos: TB
1964 Organ
|
Great Organ |
16 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 III 8 8 4 16 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 III 8 8 8 16 16 16 16 10-2/3 8 8 8 5-1/3 4 4 III 16 8 4 |
(14 stops) (partly from No.1) (from No.13) (12 stops) (15 stops) (wood) (metal) (from No.15) (from No.1) (from No.10) (15, 19, 22) (from No.13) (from No.13) |
Compass: 61/30
Great Sesquialtera III:
CC 17, 19, 22
Tenor G 15, 19, 22
Mid B. 8, 12, 15
Swell Mixture III:
CC 15, 19, 22
Mid. C 8, 12, 15
Plain and spotted and wood pipes
electro-pneumatic action
slider and unit soundboards
Great and Pedal Pistons coupled
Swell and Pedal Pistons coupled
Thumb pistons:
Great 5 (adj.), Swell 5 (adj.), General 3 (adj.), - adjustable at drawer under music desk
Reversibles:
Swell to Great
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal (thumb and toe)
Toe pistons:
Pedal 5 (adj.), Swell 5,
balanced swell pedal
detached console
drawknobs
located in apse
good acoustics.
From 2010-2016, Richard Larritt added a third manual and other enhancements.17
2016 organ
| Great Bourdon Open Diapason Viola Claribel Lieblich Gedact Dulciana Principal Harmonic Flute Twelfth Fifteenth Mixture Sesquialtera Trumpet Posaune Clarion Swell Sub to Great Swell to Great Swell Octave to Great Choir Sub to Great Choir to Great Choir Octave to Great |
16 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 II III 8 8 4 |
||
| Swell Lieblich Bourdon Geigen Principal Hohl Flute Viol d'Orchestre Viol Celeste (TC) Octave Flauto Traverso Nazard Fifteenth Flautina Mixture Sharp Mixture Double Trumpet Cornopean Oboe Vox Humana Sub Octave Unison Off Octave Tremulant |
16 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 2 III II 16 8 8 8 |
||
Choir (enclosed) |
8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1-3/5 1-1/3 III 8 8 8 |
|
|
| Pedal Grand Open Open Diapason Bourdon Echo Bourdon Quint Principal Violoncello Flute Octave Quint Fifteenth Flute Mixture Ophicleide Double Trumpet Trumpet Clarion Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Choir to Pedal |
16 16 16 16 10-2/3 8 8 8 5-1/3 4 4 III 16 16 8 4 |
ACCESSORIES
Swell and Pedal Pistons Coupled Great and Pedal Pistons Coupled
Thumb Piston Setter Capture Action – 10 Levels of Memory
5 Thumb Pistons to Swell 5 Thumb Pistons to Great 5 Thumb Pistons to Choir
5 Toe Pistons to Pedal 8 General Thumb Pistons 8 General Toe Pistons
1 Thumb Piston General Cancel Reversible Thumb Pistons for main couplers17
1 Music, September 1897, 10b.
2 Ibid., January 1898, llb.
3 Ibid., October 1896.
4 Letters, 1892, 77.
5 Ibid., 1892, 81.
6 Music, November 1898, 6a and b.
7 Register, 14 November 1898, 6c.
8 Ibid., 15 December 1898, 6f. 9. Music January 1899 12a.
10 Register, 2 July 1874, 5b.
11 Interview Mr. H.R. Beanland, Malvern, 4 May 1969.
12 Music, December 1898, llb.
13 Ibid. November 1899, lle.
14 Interview Mr. Mark Symons, Adelaide, 8 May 1969.
15 Kent Town Methodist Church Organ, Adelaide, 1964.
16 Music, November 1898, 6a and b. 17. Specification provided on an organ recital program, January 2017.