The Website of the Parish of
Saint Gregory the Great, Northampton

Sunday Mass Times:
Saturday, 6.00 pm, Sunday 9.00 am (with children's liturgy and music group) Sunday 11.00 am (with choir)
Priest-in-Charge: Fr Andrew Behrens (01604) 713015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work in Progress

Getting wind!

Organs at St Gregory’s

Transferring the wind to where it is needed is fundamental to the operation of a pipe organ. This picture shows the lower side of the bellows, and the two metal pipes are two of the pipes to convey wind from the bellows. The pipe to the left goes to the bourdon soundboard, that to the right to the swell soundboard. In the foreground can be seen a piece of pipe waiting to be used.

To the right of the picture can be seen a hole which will have a much larger pipe connected to it which brings wind in from the blower.

Working under the bellows is difficult as access is restricted; many instalations would be done with flexible piping. Using the rigid metal pipes is a sign of the high quality of the work being undertaken at St Gregory's.

A further difficulty at St Gregory's is the limited space in which the organ is being installed. In its location at Grazeley, at ground level, although access was limited, it was possible. At St Gregory's, the organ will be at least 6 metres above ground level, and with brick walls on three sides and a sheer drop on the fouth, the provision of access for maintenence and tuning has to be worked out more carefully. Nowadays health and safety issues have to be addressed - in 1881 this was not an issue!

Pipes or Chips
The replacement
The Cost
The organ at Grazeley
Work in Progress
Penitential Soundboards
The bellows in bits
Pneumatic motors
Stripping the soundboards
Casework at St Gregory's
Richard in his workshop
Pouring glue
Great soundboard
Swell soundboard
Case re-polished
Swell box in workshop
Building frame in workshop
Clamp for Trompette
Preparing Clamp
Lifting up to gallery
Soundboards up in the air
Bourdon soundboard
Scorching
Making platform
1st pipe in chamber
Organ bits in Church
Bob the Blower
Great soundboard in the air
Soundboards in place
Swell box being installed
Trompette Pipe
Fitting the console
Jamb - no Jerusalem
Getting the wind up
Neat wiring
Rack of Trompette
The pipes arrive
Console wired
The Wind in the Bellows
The first working rank
Swell box complete
Pipes in the Great Soundboard
Restoration of the Console
Two milestones
The Blessing
The Opening Recital
Neil Wright
Forthcoming recitals
Specification
 

The restoration story will continue - this is up to date at 17th March 2009

 

BACK TO HOME PAGE

Main Text Area