Organists’ Review May 2007 15

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

As I sat in MarlboroughCollege Chapel in Februarythis year, waiting for theinauguration of the newBeckerath organ to begin,my mind slipped back to asimilar occasion 36 years agowhen as a sixth-former I satin Clare College Chapel tohear Lionel Rogg inauguratethe first, and until now,sole Beckerath organ in thiscountry.

The two instrumentscould not be more different.Few companies have changedtheir house-style so radically,the new yet being so fullyinformed by the old. Howtherefore, did it come aboutthat a leading English publicschool should install a brand-new 62 stop 4-manual organby the leading Hamburg firmwhose only previous essay inthis country was a small anduncompromisingly NorthGerman neo-Baroqueinstrument for ClareCollege Chapel?

Marlborough CollegeChapel, dedicated to StMichael and All Angels, waserected in 1884/6 on thesite of the first, smaller chapel built byBlore in 1848. It was constructed byStephens & Barstow at a cost of £31,000under the direction of the distinguishedarchitects, George Bodley and ThomasGarner and was consecrated on 29September 1886 by the Bishop ofSalisbury. Measuring 154 feet long, 54feet wide and 60 feet high, the chapel isfashioned in the Late Decorated Gothicstyle. Amongst its noteworthyarchitectural features are the apsidal form

of the East end and the strikingly largereredos in the Anglo-Catholic style,which was gilded in 1951 by Sir NinianComper at the same time as he paintedthe inside of the apse. Bodley & Garner’scolour scheme of greens and browns,much loved by John Betjeman, dominatesthe Chapel interior, together with a seriesof twelve large murals by the late Pre-Raphaelite Spencer Stanhope. Otherartistic features of note are the Scholars’Window on the south side (designed byBurne-Jones and made under the

direction of William Morris)and Eric Gill’s sculpture TheVirgin and Child above theoutside of the West Door.The elaborate organ case, tallenough to contain a 16ftspeaking front, is also thework of Bodley & Garner.

Taken as a whole, thisbuilding forms an inspiringsetting for liturgy and music,despite having the narrow,tall and long proportionstypical of such schoolchapels, seating some 600.The College’s first organ wasconstructed for the westgallery of the former chapelin 1876 by Forster &Andrews, being moved to alofty chamber at the north-east end of the new chapeland then in 1911 enlargedand modernised by Forster &Andrews (F&A), on tubularpneumatic action. In 1955Hill, Norman & Beard(HNB) electrified andcompletely rebuilt the organwith a new 4-manualconsole, detached and placedamidst the choir-stalls infront of the organ. Lack oftonal impact in the chapel

led to further additions (such as a 32ftreed) and regular rescaling and revoicingof both F&A and HNB pipework.Withthe actions failing and the crowded organchamber and much altered pipeworksuggesting a fresh start, the College in2001 assembled an organ committeearound their organists Ian Crabbe andTim Ridley (later including new Directorof Music, Ian Sutcliffe) and began theprocess of assessing whether to rebuildor replace.

Hamburg comes to MarlboroughPaul Hale

View to altar at Marlborough College Chapel

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16 Organists’ Review May 2007

Once the latter course had beenchosen the committee moved into thenext phase, that of visiting organs in theUK and Europe built by the world’sleading companies.Tenders were invitedfrom numerous firms, the majorityBritish. A short-list was selected but itwas not until the Hamburg firm foundedin 1949 by Rudolph von Beckerath(1907–1976) flew the committee out tothe USA to visit its recent installations inWichita, Kansas and New York that thedecision became clear. As Tim Ridleywrites in the elegant brochure producedfor the inaugural event ‘We wereabsolutely bowled over by the quality ofworkmanship, the sensitivity of theirmechanical action and the beauty andmusicianship of their sound’.What theyhad discovered was that the Beckerathfirm can now build modern eclecticorgans, historically informed, broad inscale and rich in tone, with highlyimpressive flue choruses influenced bytheir north German origins, yet withFrench influences fully embraced andblended to form a remarkably cohesiveand impressive whole.This was just whatthe chapel needed, in the view of thecommittee, and as the price was also veryfavourable, the contract was placed (afterthis writer was taken on board to easeplanning consent and advise on the finalstop-list, mixture compositions, console

layout and combination system).The old organ was sold, piecemeal (a

few ranks – mainly wooden pipes – werere-used at Beckerath’s request), the fineBodley case, of course, was retained.Beckerath built the new instrumentduring late 2005 and all of 2006,beginning installation in the summer,regulation of the c.5,000 pipes beingcomplete by Christmas.

And so the day of the inaugurationdawned – 4 February, a freezing cold day.As we sat on the narrow, hard oakpews, a superb Evensong was sung withconsummate skill by the large ChapelChoir (including exciting commissionedcanticles by Tim Ridley) and accompaniedquite brilliantly by Ian Crabbe (sometimeorgan scholar of Magdalen College,Oxford).The Bishop of Salisburydedicated the organ in grand Sarum style,sprinkling it liberally with holy water; heremained for the opening recital given bySimon Preston, who was in top form.Theorgan was displayed in an imaginative andextremely well-prepared manner in aprogramme of good length includingmajor works by Bach (the D minor andSei gegrüsset), Bolcom, Gershwin, Karg-Elert and Jongen (Sonata Eroïca) plus anencore.

A study of the stop-list (see right)(62 speaking stops with one rank doingdouble-duty) may not reveal any British

influence, but nomenclature can bedeceptive. Just as Klais at Bath Abbey wasinfluenced by Hill, so at MarlboroughCollege Rolf Michl,Technical Director ofBeckerath, is keen to point out that theorgan aims to ‘incorporate the Germantraditions of Baroque and English andFrench Romantic organ building’.

Although the stop-list is mainly self-explanatory, some descriptions may helpthe reader to conjure up an aural picture.First of all, put away any expectations thatthe main principal chorus is of slender,harmonic-rich but foundation-weakGermanic principals. It is indeed quitethe opposite, with generous scales and ahealthy wind pressure ensuring asonorous broad richness of tone – veryBritish indeed and just what a schoolchapel organ needs, especially when it isspeaking across a chapel down which ithas to reach. Crowning this rich chorus,with its dignified 16ft Großprincipal(shared with the Pedal) are eight ranks ofsublime mixture work, where the NorthGerman experience of the Beckerath firmreally shows.This grand chorus is thevery heart of the organ, the Great reedsbeing subservient to it, in typicalGermanic manner – despite their names.What I rejoice in, is that unlike theBirmingham Klais or ManchesterMarcussen, no flutes have to be added tobulk-up the chorus – the sound is pure

The Marlborough Swell The console

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

Organists’ Review May 2007 17

principal, not that amorphousmuddle which results whenendeavouring to get sufficient toneout of so many modern German orScandinavian organs in largebuildings.The Pedal matches theGreat excellently, the rolling F&Aopen wood, now called Offenflöte,giving a wonderfully richunderpinning.The Pedal reeds arealso a match for the Great reeds,which is a polite way of saying thatthey too are rather restrained.Verymusical and wonderfully useful incounterpoint, they are somewhatdisappointing for grand effects,French symphonic music orEdwardian British repertoire.

The huge Swell is as complete asone could wish, and here the reedstake centre-stage in the full swell.Beckerath’s attention to detailresulted in the treble of theHarmonia Aethera being sent backto Germany for re-making: it didn’tseem quite right in the building – itdoes now.The Positiv is narrower inscale than the Swell and this extends tothe Cromorne which is rather thinnerthan its name suggests – more of aClicquot scale would have been beneficialhere. In impact the sparkling and well-projected chorus is a fine foil to thegrandeur of the Great chorus.The Solo,though small, has a selection of usefulcolours either for solo use or for couplingto other manuals such as the Swell to

augment their resources.The old Tuba isretained but from its position in the caseis distinctly restrained despite its 300mm(12ins) pressure. One begins to realisethat for Rolf Miehl, who was responsiblefor the main design aspects and carriedout the tonal finishing, blend and balanceis all – no one stop standing out vividlyagainst the others. Miehl (now co-ownerof the company), in the creation of thisorgan, headed a team of eighteen of thecompany’s thirty craftsmen and women.

To understand the history of the

Beckerath company and itsdevelopment since the death in 1976of its founder Rudolph vonBeckerath, their website,(www.beckerath.com/en/company/history.html) is well worth browsing.

I well remember the look ofcontentment on Herr Beckerath’sface, back in 1971 that evening inClare College Chapel, as Lionel Roggdisplayed the new organ’s piercingmixtures and their slenderunderpinning.That organ (even now,with its upperwork tamed) is lightyears away from the sonority of thecompany’s work at Marlborough.Thisis the first continental import of thissize that, in my view, has sufficient‘guts’ to do its job well (with thenotable exception of the EdinburghRieger).Whether or not a Britishfirm would have done the job as wellor better is quite another matter; it’scertainly another opportunity lost for

our finest firms to show what they cando, but for the College that was asecondary consideration: they liked bestwhat they heard of the Beckerath firm’scurrent work and went for it. Historywill judge the result.

Next time we continue with ourlook at new organs in school anduniversity chapels, with a trip to ScotlandGlenalmond College Chapel. It may showthat not only big is beautiful…

compass:manuals [black naturals, bone-cappedsharps] 61 notes/pedals [radiating &concave, German pattern] 32 notes

mechanical key-action

electric stop action

electric couplers with opto-electronic sensors and new, fast-decay magnets

wind pressures:Swell 87–100mm, Great 80mm,Positiv 75mm, Solo 98–300mm,Pedal 90–110mm

Marlborough College Chapel specificationGREAT ORGAN

Großprincipal 16Principal 8Principal Céleste 8Viola da Gamba 8Rohrgedeckt 8Octave 4Waldflöte 4Quinte 2DSuperoctave 2Cornet 1.8.12.15.17 VMixture 19.22.26.29.33 VCymbel 26.29.33 IIIBombard 16Trompete 8Clarine 4TremulantSwell to Great 16Swell to Great 8Swell to Great 4Positiv to GreatSolo to Great

SWELL ORGAN

Flûte allemande 16Bourdon 8Flûte ouvrit (old, triangular) 8Viole d’Orchestre (old) 8Voix Céleste 8Aeoline 8Fugara 4Flûte octaviante 4Nazard 2DOctavin 2Tierce 1FSifflet 1Harmonia Aetheria 12.15.19 IIIPlein Jeu 15.19.22.26.29 VBasson 16Trompette harmonique 8Hautbois 8Clairon 4TremulantSwell to Swell 16Swell to Swell 4Solo to Swell 16Solo to Swell 8Solo to Swell 4

PEDAL ORGAN

Untersatz 32Principalbaß

(from Great Großprincipal) 16Offenflöte (old) 16Bourdun (old) 16Octavbaß 8Flutebaß (old) 8Choralbaß (old) 4Mixtur 12.15.19.22.26 VContra Bombarde 32Bombarde 16Fagott 16Posaune 8Great to PedalSwell to PedalSwell to Pedal 4Positiv to PedalSolo to Pedal

POSITIV ORGAN

Prestant 8Holzgedeckt 8Prestant 4Spielflöte 4Nazat 2DGemshorn 2Terz 1FLarigot 1BScharf 22.26.29.33.36 IVCromorne 8TremulantSolo to Positiv

SOLO ORGAN (enclosed)

Harmonic Flute 8Flute Céleste 8Concert Flute (old) 4Trumpet 8Clarinet 8Vox Humana 8TremulantTuba (old) 8

A fully comprehensive combination system & stepper is incorporated.

The spectacular Bodley & Garner case

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW