THE standards of the
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath stirred gently in the
draught in the Lady chapel of Westminster Abbey earlier this month,
as the Dean of Westminster, the Very Revd John Hall, blessed and
dedicated a new organ for the chapel in the presence of the Earl of
Wessex.
The Corporation of the
City of London recently presented the two-manual organ to the Queen
in celebration of the recent Diamond Anniversary of the Coronation,
and it has now found a permanent home in King Henry VII's chapel at
the Abbey's east end.
The idea of the gift of a
pipe organ was that of Alderman Roger Gifford, until recently Lord
Mayor of London. He is a pianist, recorder player, and singer, and
a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He was
"delighted" that the Dean and Chapter had agreed to accept the
organ.
The ceremony followed
choral evensong, which was sung by the Abbey choristers, directed
by the Sub-Organist, Daniel Cook, recently returned to Westminster
after his brief tenure at St Davids, and led by the new head
chorister, Samuel Grindlay. It was attended by members of the
Corporation of the City of London, many leading church musicians,
and a number of the Abbey clergy in their scarlet cassocks and
black gowns, some of whom had attended the earlier service.
The Organist and Master
of the Choristers at the Abbey, James O'Donnell, said that he was
delighted and thrilled with the instrument, which will be known as
"The Queen's Organ", and that it would increase the musical
possibilities in the Lady chapel. After the dedication he gave a
short recital of music by composers with Abbey associations,
including Blow, Handel, and Thomas Preston, and then demonstrated
the organ to the Prince.
It had, apparently, been a surprise to all at the Abbey that
Mander Organs had included some special mechanical features in the
organ's specification, and as the odd firework exploded in the
distance, Mr O'Donnell demonstrated the "Thunder" stop, which may
also be used to give the effect of a drum roll, and also the
"Nightingale", in which a rank of pipes speaking into water give
the effect of a warbling songbird, while mechanical birds rise,
whirling, out of the top of the casework.