The organ in Holy Trinity Brompton was built in 1930 by Rushworth & Dreaper for St Mark’s Church, North Audley Street, London, and was relocated here in 1980 with minor alterations. It represents one of the finest late-Romantic organs built by that firm, and has many unusual colours including an exceptionally beautiful example of a Flûte Bouchée Harmonique stop – with wooden stopped harmonic pipes.
The organ enjoys a prominent position in the church: the Swell Organ and most of the Pedal Organ are in a case in the north transept; the Choir and Solo Organs are in an adjacent chamber speaking into the transept and chancel; the Great Organ and the rest of the Pedal Organ are in the south gallery.
Nicholson & Co. was commissioned to undertake a comprehensive programme of restoration work. Earlier in 2017, the wind supplies to the Choir and Solo Organs were overhauled and improved. In 2017/18 the detached console was fully restored and overhauled, including recovering of the natural keys (that were covered in plastic) in cow bone, and the provision of a new piston capture system. A new electronic transmission and cable link was fitted, and new engines were fitted to the expression boxes.
One of the few changes to the organ’s tonality in 1980 was the replacement of the original Mixture stops with undistinguished examples that had few breaks and did not blend. These have been replaced with new Mixture stops more in keeping with the rich Romantic palette of the organ.
The composition of the new Great Mixture is C1 19.22.26.29; C13 15.19.22.26; C25 12.15.19.22; C37 8.12.15.19; C49 8.12.12.15.
The composition of the new Swell Mixture is C1 15.19.22; F#19 12.15.19; F#43 8.12.15.
Paul Joslin was consultant for the work.
In 2022, we restored the chests and pipework for the Tuba, French Horn and Violone stops, and cleaned the remainder of the Choir/Solo division.
In 2024, we restored the following chests:
i) Open Metal 16′ / Principal 8′;
ii) Bourdon 16′ / Bass Flute 8′ / Octave Flute 4′; and
iii) Bombarde 16′ / Clarion 8′ / Octave Clarion 4′.
Later in the year, the Great division will be cleaned.
