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St. Paul's, Malta


DaveHarries

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Greetings all,

While looking for information on the organs of St. John's Cathedral, Malta I came across this article on the restoration of the organ at St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral on the island which, according to the article, started life when it was built for Chester Cathedral, England by Father Smith in 1676. The news article, dated 2014, relates to recent work to make it fully playable and it seems that the dummy case pipes were replaced with ones that play notes. The console was also replaced.

https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-07-28/local-news/St-Paul%27s-Anglican-Pro-Cathedral-organ-restored-5994938374

Other than the case, therefore, how much - if any - of the organ of 1676 remains?

Dave

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I'm not certain that any of the pipework dates from the original organ.

I regularly practiced on this instrument (in it's previous form) when I was a teenager. I seem to remember that the original organ was formed around an instrument by Gray and Davison, later additions by Goll of Lucerne and then rebuilt with a new console in 1949 by Hill, Norman and Beard. The organ had been moved three times to various places in the cathedral (I may be able to upload from photos taken of the organ in its various places). 

When I knew it, the spec was (as far as I recall):
Great: Bdn 16, Open I 8, Open II 8, Prin 4, 12th 2 2/3, 15th 2
Swell: Open 8, Lieb 8, Echo Viol 8, Celeste 8, Octave Geigen 4, Fifteenth 2, Mixt III, Contra Oboe 16, Trumpet 8
Choir: Lieb 8, Dulc 8, Gemshorn 4, Piccolo 2, Orchestral Clarinet 8, Tromba 8 (enclosed)
Ped: Open Bass 16, Bass Viole 16, Bourdon 16, Principal 8, Bass Flute 8,  Trombone 16

There may have also been a mutation on the Choir and Mixture on the Great.

I haven't played the organ in it's latest form, however!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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