The Organ

St. Leonard's Church Organ- History

In the early years of the nineteenth century there was no organ and "the music was provided by four or five men in the gallery under the tower, with bass-viol, flute, oboe and clarionet".

There is evidence of a small instrument situated in the west gallery, which was moved to the south side of the chancel at the time of the 1861-2 restoration, when the gallery was removed. This instrument survived for another thirteen years and was replaced with an organ of 2 manuals, 11 stops and 3 couplers by Auguste Gern of Notting Hill, London. Mr.Robert Taylor then organist of Brighton College gave the opening recital on the 18th of August 1875. The cost of the instrument was £229.10s - raised by subscription, the sale of the old organ realising £30 towards the total. Gern's organ was a sound instrument, but small and hand-blown.

Great Organ Trumpet Pipes In November 1908 it was decided to replace Gern's instrument with a "more modern and powerful one". Messrs. Morgan and Smith,Ltd., of Brighton supplied an estimate of £500 which was accepted by the PCC, the Gern organ being moved across the churchyard to the Baptist Church in Broad Street, where it remained until the early 1970's when the church was demolished. Members of Seaford Museum then acquired this organ and from there we think through the Dutch Organ Builder Taco Boersma eventually found a home in Holland.

The new organ was given by Mr and Mrs James S. Burroughes, and dedicated in July 1909. In 1965 the organ was rebuilt at a cost of £6,153 by Hill, Norman & Beard, the opening recital being given during the re-dedication service by Dr Francis Jackson, organist of York Minster.

During October and November 1989 the organ was cleaned and overhauled by Hill, Norman & Beard. The cost of this was £12,560. In February 2002 a new Trumpet stop was added to the Great organ to replace the one removed in 1965, the 58 pipes being made and voiced by F.Booth & Son Ltd. of Bramley Leeds. Trevor Reed of Lewes carried out the building of the organ wind chest and the installation. (Hill,Norman & Beard having by this time ceased trading). The cost of nearly £8000 was substantially met by a bequest left in 1993 by Sidney Thompson, Deputy Organist for thirty years. The remainder was raised by members of the congregation within a month of an appeal being launched in 2001. The Great organ Trumpet is situated in the Chancel arch above the organ console, making the total number of organ pipes at Seaford Parish Church approximately 1620.

Organists:
J.S. Eld 1875 to?

J. N. Yolland 1901? to 1910?

J. Cornish 1929 to?

Herbert Ringrose 1938 to1958

Brian Richards 1958 to 1989

John Baker 1990 -

Organ Specifications

St. Leonard's Church Organ- Specifications

Specification of 1909 Organ before the 1965 rebuild

1935 Duplex electric rotary blower installed by Hill, Norman and Beard

1948 Cleaned and overhauled with re-voicing of Great Trumpet and Swell Cornopean

Manuals, CC to A … … 58 notes Great Organ Pipework

Pedals, CCC to F … … 30 notes

Great Organ

1. Open Diapason, N0.1 … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

2. Open Diapason, N0.2 … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

3. Claribel … … 8ft, wood … 58 pipes

4. Dulciana … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

5. Principal … … 4ft, metal … 58 pipes

6. Harmonic Flute … 4ft, metal … 58 pipes

7. Fifteenth … … 2ft, metal … 58 pipes

8. Trumpet … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

9. Clarinet … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

Swell Organ

10. Lieblich Bourdon … 16ft, metal & wood 58 pipes

11. Open Diapason … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

12. Lieblich Gedact … 8ft, metal & wood 58 pipes

13. Echo Viole … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

14. Voix Celeste … … 8ft, metal … 46 pipes

15. Gemshorn … … 4ft, metal … 58 pipes

16. Harmonic Piccolo … 2ft, metal … 58 pipes

17. Cornopean … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

18. Oboe … … 8ft, metal … 58 pipes

19. Tremulant Great Organ with Swell Organ Shutters and Swell Organ Pipes

Pedal Organ

20. Open Diapason … 16ft, wood 30 notes, 30 pipes

21. Bourdon … … 16ft, wood 30 notes, 30 pipes
22. Flute … … 8ft, wood 30 notes, 12 pipes

Couplers

23. Swell Octave (Pneumatic)

24. Swell Sub-Octave (Pneumatic)

25. Swell to Great (Pneumatic

26. Swell to Pedals (Mechanical)
27. Great to Pedals (Mechanical)

Accessories

Three Composition Pedals to the Great Organ

Three Composition Pedals to the Swell Organ

Tne double acting Pedal to the Great to Pedal Coupler

The action throughout is on the builders' latest system of tubular pneumatic.

The wind is supplied by a primary bellows worked by an hydraulic engine.

Each manual is provided with a separate wind reservoir. The case which is of oak, was designed by the builders.

The following was taken from the ledgers of Morgan and Smith Ltd. 1909.

June- To supplying and erecting a two manual organ as per specification and estimate. £500.0s.0d

July- To supplying and fitting side front in oak at a specially reduced price. £30.0s.0d.

To fitting Oak door complete with furniture. £3.18s.0d.

To supply Oak Organ seat £2.0s.0d.

Specification of the organ rebuilt in 1965 by Hill, Norman and Beard Ltd.

Great Organ CC-A 58 notes

1. Quintaten 16ft (1-24 old bourdon. 25-58 new1965) Organ Console and Great Organ Pipework

2. Open Diapason 8ft (1-24 old Diapason 2. 25-58 new1965)

3. Dulciana 8ft

4. Stopped Diapason 8ft (1-12 old Claribel. 13-58 new1965)

5. Principal 4ft

6. Flute Ouverte 4ft

7. Fifteenth 2ft (new1965)

8. Mixture 111 rks (17,19,22) (new1965)

9. Larigot 11/3ft (old Fifteenth)

10. Trumpet 8ft (new2002)
Swell to great

Swell Organ CC-A 58 notes

1. Spitz Flute 8ft (1-12 old bourdon. 13-58 new1965)

2. Salicional 8ft (1-12 old viole. 13-58 new1965)

3. Voix Celeste (TC) 8ft

4. Geigen Octave 4ft

5. Lieblich Flute 4ft (old Gedact)

6. Wald Flute 2ft (new1965)

7. Quint Mixture 111 rks (19,22,26) (new1965)

8. Sesquialtera 11 rks (12,17) (new1965)

9. Contra Oboe 16ft (extra twelve notes at top) (1-12 new 1965, 13-58 old, 59-68 new 1965)

10. Trumpet 8ft (new1965)

Swell Unison Off

Swell Octave

Swell Sub Octave

Tremulant

Pedal Organ CCC-G 32 notes

1. Sub Bass 16ft (old open diapason)

2. Quintaten 16ft (Great)

3. Principal 8ft

4. Bass Flute 8ft (derived of Sub Bass)

5. Fifteenth 4ft (derived of Principal)

6. Spitz Flute 4ft (new1965)

7. Rauschquint 11 rks (12,15) (old Great No.1 Diapason & Swell Diapason)

8. Contra Oboe 16ft (swell)

9. Oboe Bass 8ft (swell)

Swell to Pedal

Swell Octave to Pedal

Great to Pedal

Electro-pneumatic action

Pistons adjustable on the Hill, Norman and Beard instant capture system.

Wind pressure 3 inches John Baker Organist and Choirmaster

Thumb Pistons

5 to Great and Pedal

5 to Swell

Swell to Great (reversible)

Great to Pedal (reversible)

Swell to Pedal (reversible)

Oboe Solo 8ft

General Cancel

Toe Pistons