Nothing is known of organs in St Machar's before the Reformation. In an
account of Bishop Gavin Dunbar's arrival at St Machar's in 1519 Hector Boece
relates 'Whenever he [Dunbar] entered the church he was greeted by the sweet
harmony of voice and organ'. The Cathedral would therefore appear to have
possessed an organ of some kind for choral or chant accompaniment, but no
reference has come down to us as to what manner of instrument it may have been.
Certainly it is likely to have been very small and rudimentary when compared
with the instruments of today.
At the Reformation, all use of the organ in worship ceased and it was not until as late as 1863 that after much controversy, organs were once again allowed a place in the Church of Scotland service. Acceptance was initially slow, and St Machar's was quite in the vanguard when the acquisition of an organ was first discussed in 1880 as part of an ambitious restoration scheme for the building. This scheme did not come about, but finally in 1889 an Organ Committee was established and fund-raising began.
At the Committee's very first meeting it was proposed to approach the
renowned firm of Henry Willis & Sons, London, 'acknowledged to be the
leading organ builders in the kingdom', whose instruments grace the majority of Britain's cathedrals and a great many of its churches and concert halls. A quotation was also requested from the well-respected Hull firm of Forster &
Andrews, but it was with 'Father Willis' that the order for the organ was placed in June
1890. Much discussion was still taking place as to its siting. Delay resulted when a favoured
location at the end of the North aisle proved impracticable, but in late August 1891 the organ arrived and was set up in a rather
dominant position in front of the present East window's large Victorian
predecessor. The instrument was inaugurated on 25 September 1891 and was
immediately recognised as being of outstanding quality.
Built at the same time as the organs for Exeter and Hereford Cathedrals, the St Machar's organ then consisted of two manuals and pedals with provision for a substantial unenclosed Choir department, a pedal Ophicleide and a Swell Vox Humana, all of which were added by Willis in 1898. The action was Willis' patent tubular pneumatic. In its original form the organ served well until 1928 when, having deteriorated badly, and with the building's interior about to undergo extensive restoration, it was taken down and completely rebuilt by Messrs Rushworth & Dreaper, Liverpool. On completion of the building it was re-erected in its present location in the North aisle, in more or less the siting that had originally been envisaged for it.
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Organ console as it is now |
A modern drawstop console and an excellent new supply pneumatic action were fitted. The Choir department, in accordance with contemporary fashion, was placed under expression and the Swell Bourdon was transferred there, also appearing on the Pedal at 16 and 8 as the organ's first really soft bass stop. Its place on the Swell was taken by a double reed. In this form the organ remained until 1956 when in the course of cleaning and overhauling by Rushworth & Dreaper the Swell Vox Humana gave place to a 3 rank Mixture and the Pedal received the addition of open wood extensions at 8 and 4 (since removed).
By the end of the 1960s the organ was once again becoming mechanically unreliable and in 1973 its second major rebuilding was undertaken by the London firm of Noël P. Mander. A new console was provided, retaining and refurbishing the original Willis keyboards. The pneumatic actions gave place to electrics, the Swell received a Clarion and new upperwork, the Pedal department was made more suitable for present day requirements, and the Choir, once again made unenclosed, was partially remodelled. Further additions to the organ remain provided for.
In 1991, following cleaning work on the building's interior, the organ was cleaned and overhauled once again. This work was carried out by A. F. Edmonstone of Perth in whose care the organ has been for many years and who renewed all stop switches and fitted a solid-state piston system in 2001.
This article is drawn from booklet 'St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen - Its Organ and Its Music' by Michael Thomson and David Murray, available from this site. (see shop page)
