St Peter de Merton Bedford

The Organ at St Peters Church

The organ in St. Peter De Merton with St. Cuthbert is a versatile instrument of some 26 speaking stops spread over three 61 note manuals and a 30 note pedal division. The specification is given below. The usual couplers and playing aids in the form of thumb pistons and duplicated foot pistons are present. The organ is regarded by discerning musicians as of very good quality allowing the performance of a range of musical styles. It is also extremely well suited to accompanying services and leading congregational singing.

The organ was built originally by J. J. Binns and installed in about 1895 The Great and Swell divisions were placed in an organ chamber in the north choir with the Choir division being placed in the Chancel over the Saxon arch. This arrangement can be seen in one of the photographs in the vestry.

By the early 1970s the organ was in need of a major overhaul and clean. In 1974 Bowens of Northampton was engaged to carry out the repair work, to replace the old pneumatic action by a new electro-magnetic action and to update the tonal specification so as to be in keeping with 1970s ideas. The work was carried out by Bowens and Robert Shaftoe of Pavenham. The organ was under the care of Mr. John Bowen, until his death in 1998. The organ is now cared for by Mr Michael Latham.

The Choir organ was redesigned more in keeping with a Positive organ and placed in the same organ chamber as the Great and Swell divisions. This was done partly to overcome tuning difficulties that existed between the Choir organ in the Chancel and the other divisions within the organ chamber. The other advantage was to allow the Saxon arch to be seen more clearly. Upper work was added to the Great and Swell divisions and the pedal division was enlarged by extension of the original stops, providing the player with an independent pedal line. All other speaking stops are independent.

Great Double Diapason 16 Diapason 8 Flute 8 Principal 4 Harmonic flute 4 Fifteenth 2 Mixture II 19-22 Trumpet 8

Swell Geigen Principal 8 Rohr Flute 8 Salicional 8 Viol d'Orchestre 8 Principal 4 Mixture II 15-19 Oboe 8 Horn 8 Swell Super Octave Tremolo

Choir Gedackt 8 Transverse Flute 4 Fifteenth 2 Nineteenth 1 1/3 Sesquialtera II (Tenor G)* 12-17

Pedal Open Diapason 16 Bourdon 16 Octave 8 Bass Flute 8 Fifteenth 4

Couplers Sw to Gt Sw. octave to Gt. Pos. to Gt. Sw to Ch Sw to Ped. Gt. to Ped. Ch. to Ped

Playing Aids Three fixed thumb pistons to each manual. One reversible to Ped.thumb piston Gt and Sw thumb pistons repeated by foot pistons One reversible Ct. to Ped. foot piston Balanced swell pedal.

* The Sesquialtera continues below Tenor G to CC. In this part of its register it sounds only the twelfth.