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St Augustine's, or 'Gusses' as it
is known locally, is a beacon of Anglo Catholicism. The Mass is
celebrated daily and ceremonies are conducted with the utmost
solemnity, there is always the faint odour of incense whenever one
visits the church. Gusses
had two pipe organs, the first being a small instrument high up on
the north wall of the chancel. This organ was restored by Hill and
Sons and Norman and Beard in 1928 although there is no trace of the
original builder. The main problem with this instrument was the lack
of space therefore only a limited specification could be built
therefore the great organ only had four speaking stops whilst the
swell organ had ten speaking stops and three stops on the pedal.
Because of the location of the organ and the restricted space,
maintenance was impossible and the pneumatic action was giving up.
These problem caused one of the previous
organists to start a project building a four manual pipe organ in
the west gallery. Structural engineers strengthened the gallery
floor and the tons of pipe work were put in place. Sadly the project
was never to be completed through various factors beyond anyone's
control. The now ailing
east end organ was causing still more problems and during some
services only the swell organ could be played and the sub and super
octave coupler certainly must not be drawn.
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The Chancel |
The Old Pipe Organ |
The Blessed Virgin Mary |
The East Wall by Night |
The present organist Paul Marshall decided to
investigate the digital route and Anthony Bogdan Organs were called
in to make some recommendations. As St Augustine's is a large church
and a substantial pipe organ could be housed in the church, it was
decided that a three manual organ with a generous audio system be
commissioned.
St Augustines now houses a Viscount Prestige 80
with twelve manual speakers and two sub bass units'
The organ has been temporality installed at the
west end, which will be its final resting place, but work still goes
ahead to erect speaker shelves and move the old pipe organ facade.
The splendid sound now fills the church. The
majesty of the tuba announced the Gloria on Easter Eve and the
roaring full swell is fit for any cathedral. The romantic English
strings of the swell contrast well with the French style strings of
the choir. The Diapason chorus is underpinned by a solid English
pedal division. All this is crowned off by silvery mixtures that
were individually voiced by Anthony Bogdan
The Stop List of the Viscount Organ installed
in St Augustine of Canterbury
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Pedal |
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Sub Bass |
32 |
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Open Wood |
16 |
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Open Metal |
16 |
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Violone |
16 |
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Bourdon |
16 |
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Principal |
8 |
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Bass Flute |
8 |
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Choral Bass |
4 |
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Mixture |
IV |
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Contra Bombarde |
32 |
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Trombone |
16 |
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Bassoon |
16 |
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Trumpet |
8 |
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Clarion |
4 |
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Great to Pedal |
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Swell to Pedal |
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Choir to Pedal |
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Great |
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Double Diapason |
16 |
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Open Diapason I |
8 |
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Open Diapason II |
8 |
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Hohl Flute |
8 |
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Stopped Diapason |
8 |
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Principal |
4 |
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Harmonic Flute |
4 |
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Twelfth |
2-2/3 |
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Fifteenth |
2 |
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Mixture |
IV |
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Sharp Mixture |
III |
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Double Trumpet |
16 |
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Trumpet |
8 |
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Clarion |
4 |
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Tremulant |
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Swell to Great |
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Choir to Great |
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Swell |
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Bourdon |
16 |
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Open Diapason |
8 |
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Chimney Flute |
8 |
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Echo Gamba |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
8 |
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Principal |
4 |
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Wald Flute |
4 |
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Nazard |
2-2/3 |
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Fifteenth |
2 |
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Tierce |
1-3/5 |
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Mixture |
IV |
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Contra Fagotto |
16 |
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Cornopean |
8 |
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Oboe |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
8 |
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Clarion |
4 |
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Tremulant |
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Choir |
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Open Diapason |
8 |
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Lieblich Gedackt |
8 |
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Unda Maris |
8 |
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Salicional |
8 |
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Vox Angelica |
8 |
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Gemshorn |
4 |
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Suabe Flute |
4 |
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Flageolet |
2 |
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Larigot |
1-1/3 |
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Sesquialtera 12.17 |
II |
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Mixture |
III |
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Clarinet |
8 |
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Tuba |
8 |
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Tremulant |
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Swell to Choir |
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Temporary Position of the
Console
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