The casual visitor would be forgiven for thinking that there is no organ at all in the church, but the large oak console in the south aisle suggests otherwise!
Most of the organ is indeed invisible, but if you stood in the centre of the nave and looked up west to the Minstrels’ Gallery, you would just be able to see the pipes of one section, the Positive division, towards the back of the gallery. Behind that is the Choir division, enclosed in one of four ‘swell’ boxes.
The Great and Swell divisions of the organ occupy the South chamber; they are placed side by side – against the Rectory wall.
The North chamber contains the Solo division and some of the pedal stops, as well as the loudest ranks on the organ, the Tuba and the Fanfare Trumpet.
Built by the John Compton Organ Company, and arguably their finest work, the organ was completed in time for the service of rededication in November 1957.
During most of the last forty years it has been maintained and cleaned by two Guildsmen – firstly Michal Mason (one of the Compton apprentices who helped install the instrument), then latterly by Keith Bance. Keith also carried out some tonal updating, including remodelling the Positive division, adding new Mixture stops to the Great and Pedal divisions and providing a new Vox Humana for the Solo division.
