
2001 IV/54 Kenneth Jones
In November 2019, we completed a major rebuild of the 2001 IV/54 Kenneth Jones & Associates organ in the chapel of Rugby School.
The mechanical key action to the Choir, Great, Swell Organs, and to the Pedal Organ upperwork, was removed. These soundboards were fitted with a new electro-pneumatic action to our design and a new transmission installed.
The Solo Organ and remainder of the Pedal Organ already have electro-pneumatic action.
The console was rebuilt with repairs and improvements to the woodwork, the addition of couplers and upgrading of playing aids, and the replacement of the straight/concave pedalboard with a new radiating/concave pedalboard.
Significant rainwater ingress occurred in 2023, necessitating the need for major dismantling of the organ once again. This work commenced in May 2024. The opportunity is also being taken to make some mechanical and tonal adjustments. The work comprises:
- Restoration of the Subbass 16′, Trombone 16′, Double Open Wood 32′ / Open Wood 16′ pedal chests
- New shutter front to Swell expression box, and cladding of the box to improve dynamic range
- Overhaul of the Solo expression box mechanism
- Replacement of all drawstop solenoids
- Upgrading of the piston capture system
- Replacement of the mechanism for all four tremulants
The tonal adjustments are as follows:
Great Organ
- Gamba 8′ pipework replaced with pipework of former Salicional 8′ (Sw)
Swell Organ
- Geigen Diapason 8′ re-named Open Diapason 8′ and pipes 13–61 replaced from second-hand stock ex-Radley College
- Stopped Diapason 8′ pipes 13–61 replaced with new
- Salicional 8′ pipework replaced with pipework of former Voix Celeste 8′
- Voix Celeste 8′ re-named Vox Angelica 8′, and pipework replaced from second-hand stock
- Wald Flute 4′ re-named Rohr Flute 4′, and pipework replaced using Lewis Rohr Gedact 8′ ex-Manchester Town Hall
- Octavin 2′ re-named Fifteenth 2′ and all pipes replaced, partly new and partly from previous Mixture III–IV
- (quint) Mixture III–IV re-composed as (tierce) Sesquialtera III
- Oboe 8′ pipes 13–61 replaced with new
Solo Organ
- Viola 8′ (two ranks) split into separately drawable ranks: a Viola 8′ and Voix Celeste 8′.
- Gemshorn 4′ removed
- Bombarde 16′ / Festive Trumpet 8′ / Clarion 4′ and associated chests removed and replaced with new Bass Tuba 16′ / Tuba Mirabilis 8′ / Tuba Clarion 4′ on new chests, on heavy pressure.
All other manual pipework cleaned and regulated as necessary.