Charles James Organs - Organ Building and Tuning Services

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ST PAUL'S BEDFORD

The Cases and the Bodley screen

The chancel cases with the basses of the Open Diapasons 2 & 3 and Double Diapason

The replaced original main reservoirs

The replaced original main wind trunking

The new Watkins & Watson blower providing 11" wind pressure

One of the new control reservoirs

The new trunking from the blower to the new control reservoirs

The new wind control box awaiting connection to the trunking

The impeller of the new blower

Two original Stop Heads

The Console

Charles James Organs were given the responsibility for maintaining this three manual instrument in 2007. In its rather failing state, the instrument was maintained to a standard that ensured the least amount of trouble for the music department, though inevitably problems did arise. After various rebuilds, which have removed it from its Norman & Beard roots, the organ was left without any real indentity finding it difficult to fulfill its most important role of accompanying its choir and congregation.

Along with the important work carried out to the winding, during 2008, the next stage has begun. The failing soundboards and actions are being replaced with new slider soundboards and the tonal structure is being made more concise ensuring an instrument of good quality and reliability which will serve the musical tradition and community of St Paul¹s well into the future.

The rebuilt instrument will include the original pipework and utilise the best of the 1980’s pipework complemented with new Mixtures and a solo Tuba. The console will be refurbished including the provision of new keyboards, stop heads and jambs.

The completed instrument will be the same size as the original Norman & Beard instrument installed in 1900 with 44 speaking stops and is being primarily constructed and balanced for subtle accompaniment of the choir as well as having the ability to provide enough weight to support the singing of a large congregation and the versitile stop list though Romantic will have the ability to tackle all schools of the organ repertoire.

THE NEW WIND SYSTEM: Completed in April 2008, the work carried out has been to provide a reliable source of wind to the instrument. The original trunks and reservoirs, parts of which were sited in a medieval room with very restricted access, were in such a poor state that it was decided to instal a new set of breakdown reservoirs, at the back of the chamber and a blowing plant within the church under the organ. The two new breakdowns are trunked from the blower, and sited above two present reservoirs for the Swell on a new framework and trunked to the instrument via a control box with roller pallets. One control sets a pressure of 7'' and the other 5½''. This work has eradicated the increasing whirlwind noises and was the first stage of this planned rebuild.

THE REBUILD SO FAR . . .