Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church
Kooyong Road, Armadale
B 1912-14 Frederick Taylor. 2m 22spst, 6c, tubpn.
Reb 1974 Geo Fincham & Sons.
Great Mixture III added 1990 Geo Fincham & Sons in place of Taylor Viol Sourdine.
2m, 31spst, 9c, elpn. Gt: 8.8.8.8.4.4.2.II.V.III.8.8. Sw: 8.8.8.8.4.4.2-2/3.2.1.8.8.
Ped: 16.16.8.8.4.16.8.4.
The church building was initially opened in August 1881 and extensions were completed in 1886. It was designed in an Early-English Gothic idiom by the noted firm of Terry & Oakden and built in polychromatic brickwork. It consists of a nave and transepts with an organ chamber to the east. The tower and spire were completed in the interwar years by Louis R. Williams.
The organ was built between 1912 and 1914 by Frederick Taylor, of Hawthorn. This firm was recommended over Geo. Fincham & Son and J.E. Dodd by the Melbourne City Organist Dr W.G. Price, who considered its work to be more imaginative tonally than its contemporaries. The cost of the completed organ was £660. Three additional stops were added to the initial scheme and given anonymously. Metal pipework was supplied by Alfred Palmer & Sons, England. The casework was constructed in blackwood and the facade pipes were finished in aluminium. There was a considerable delay in completing the organ; the opening had been scheduled for 3 August 1913 but it was not finally opened until 24 August 1914 after having been approved by Dr Price on 27 July 1914.
| GREAT OP. DIA TIBIA MINOR PORTUNAL DOLCE VIOL SOUR OCTAVE HAR. FL. HAR GEMS TUBA MINOR CLARINET SWELL CONTRA VIOLA GEI PRIN HOHL FL VIOL D'ORCH VOX CELESTE GEI PRIN ROHR FL CLOSED HORN ORCH OBOE PEDAL PED. OPEN PED. BOUR. PED. PRINC. COUPLERS SWL SUB OCT SWL OCT SWL. TO GT SWL TO GT OCT GT TO PED SW TO PED |
8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2 8 8 16 8 8 8 8 4 4 8 8 16 16 8 |
A A |
In February 1937, several stops were replaced although it is unclear what these were. They may have been several of the narrow-scale string ranks as the scales of the Swell Viol d'Orchestre and Vox Celeste now differ considerably.
The organ was rebuilt by George Fincham & Sons Pty Ltd in 1974. The original tubular-pneumatic action was converted to electro-pneumatic and the Taylor console was refitted with new stopkeys, keyboards and pistons. The original Taylor stopkey rail was preserved inside the organ. The following tonal changes appear to have taken place:
· The Great Tuba Minor 8 was removed to a separate windchest and extended down to 16ft and made playable on the Great and Pedal Organs. A Sesquialtera II ranks 12.17 was inserted in its place and also derived to make up a Cornet V ranks 1.8.12.15.17, borrowing the 1.8.15 from other stops.
· The Swell Contra Viola 16 was removed and replaced by a conical Nazard 2-2/3. On a separate windchest, suspended from the top of the swell box, a rank of 73 metal pipes was placed providing Piccolo 2 and Sifflute 1.
· The Taylor Clarinet 8 was revoiced as a free-toned Cromorne 8.
· The two Taylor Pedal ranks were extended upwards to 8 and 4 pitches.
· Later, in 1990, the Taylor Viol Sourdine 8 was removed and replaced by a very sharp-toned Mixture III ranks 15.19.22. This was carried out in memory of the former organist Stanley Elliott.
The organ retains the majority of Taylor's pipework. This includes an exquisite Tibia Minor 8, which has stopped metal pipes in the treble; a Portunal 8, which consists of small-scale stopped wooden pipes with inverted arched mouths; a rare outward tapering metal Dolce 8; very keen Viol d'Orchestre and Voix Celeste 8, both on the Swell. All of the reeds are highly distinctive and range from the very broad-toned Tuba Minor 8 to the very thin Orchestral Oboe 8.
| GREAT OPEN DIAPASON TIBIA MINOR PORTUNAL DOLCE OCTAVE HARMONIC FLUTE HARMONIC GEMSHORN SESQUIALTERA 12-17 MIXTURE 15-19-22 CORNET 1-8-12-15-17 TUBA MINOR CROMORNE SWELL TO GREAT SUB SWELL TO GREAT SWELL TO GREAT SUPER SWELL GEIGEN PRINCIPAL HOHLFLUTE VIOL D'ORCH VOIX CELESTE GEIGEN PRINCIPAL ROHRFLUTE NAZARD PICCOLO SIFFLUTE CLOSED HORN ORCHESTRAL OBOE SWELL SUB OCTAVE SWELL UNISON OFF SWELL SUPER OCTAVE TREMULANT PEDAL OPEN DIAPASON WOOD BOURDON PRINCIPAL BASS FLUTE PRINCIPAL POSAUNE TROMBA CLARION GREAT TO PEDAL GREAT TO PEDAL SUPER SWELL TO PEDAL |
8 8 8 8 4 4 2 II III V 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 1 8 8 16 16 8 8 4 16 8 4 |
1974 on Tuba Minor slide 1990 on Viol Sourdine slide derived 1974 A TC 1974 on Contra Viola slide B 1974 B 1974 C D C D 1974 C 1974 A 1974 ½ LENGTH BASS TREBLE 1914 A 1974 A 1974 |
Compass: 61/30
Detached stopkey console
Electro-pneumatic action
4 thumb pistons to Great
4 thumb pistons to Swell
4 thumb pistons to Pedal
Reversible thumb pistons for: Swell to Great. Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, Full organ
Cancel thumb pistons for Great, Swell and General
Balanced electric swell pedal
This is the only major example of a Taylor organ where the majority of the original pipework and tonal scheme survive. The only comparable organ is the 1912 instrument formerly in the Uniting Church, Ashfield, NSW which is now in storage. Its contemporary organs at St Clement's Church, Mosman and the Presbyterian Church, North Carlton have been rebuilt and later placed in storage. Sadly, it is the only place where Taylor's symphonic vision may currently be observed, albeit in an altered state.
Photos: John Maidment (Nov 2010)
John Maidment
13 November 2010
Information kindly supplied by Christine Oldham from the church minute books and correspondence housed at the Uniting Church Archives, Elsternwick.