Jonathan performed a series of organ recitals between 2008-12 on the Renn & Boston Organ of St. Philip's Church Salford.

YOU CAN WATCH A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE ORGAN BELOW



THE ORGAN OF ST. PHILIP'S, SALFORD
1829 Renn & Boston, Manchester

Samuel Renn was born in 1786 at Kedleston Hall near Derby, where his father was a coachman to Sir Nathaniel Curzon. In 1799 Samuel was sent to London as apprentice to his uncle, the organ builder James Davis. Renn soon became a highly skilled craftsman and he was appointed Davis' foreman at the age of 22.

In 1822 Renn took over Davis' business in London and in 1823 he moved to Stockport to work with John Boston. Technically and tonally Renn continued the tradition and methods established by James Davis in the 1790's and continued to build organs in the 18th Century style until his death in the 1845.

The Organ of St. Philip's Church, Salford was built in 1829 at a cost of £400 and was originally enclosed in the room at the west end of the church with only the façade visible. An interesting feature of the organ is its 'grand piano' console which allowed the organist not only to be sat at a distance from the pipes, but also to conduct the choir or other instrumentalists who could be situated on the surrounding staging. In 1873 the firm of Alexander Young & Co. moved the entire organ forward to its present position in the west gallery. This allowed the instrument to speak more clearly into the church and provide a parish hall in the space now available behind the organ. Young also added a tremulant, a Great T.C. Clarinet, a Pedal 16' Open Diapason, a Swell to Pedal coupler and replaced the Great twelfth with a T.C. 8' Dulciana.

The organ was subsequently cleaned and restored in 1915 by Wadsworth & Co and in 1963 by N.P. Mander of London. Mander's rebuild was sympathetic to the historical importance of the instrument and reversed some of the 1873 changes by Young bringing the organ closer to its original 1829 tonal state. A new tracker action and pedal board was made, the Great Clarinet was removed and the Great Dulciana was replaced by a Twelfth which is made up of Renn pipes from the dismantled 1843 organ of New Jerusalem Church, Peter Street, Manchester. The organ is universally regarded as the finest surviving example of Renn's work and is a rare example of British 19th Century organ building.

STOP LIST

Pedal Compass - C-e1 Keys 29

Open Diapason 16'
Bourdon 16' (added 1873, TP action)

Great Compass - C - f3 Keys 54

Open Diapason I8'
Open Diapason II 8'
Stopt Diapason 8'
Principal 4'
Flute 4'
Twelfth 2 2/3' (Second-Hand 1963: Renn pipes of 1843)
Fifteenth 2'
Sesquialtera III (17.19.22/12.15.17 mid c)
Trumpet 8'

Swell Compass- C - f3 Keys 54 Enclosed
Open Diapason 8' t.c.
Stopt Diapason 8' (permanent)
Principal 4' t.c.
Fifteenth 2' t.c.
Hautboy 8' t.c.
Cornopean 8' t.c.
Tremulant (added 1873)

Key & Stop Action
Mechanical throughout

Couplers
Swell to Pedal (added 1873)
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal

Accessories
4 composition lever pedals to Great
2 composition lever pedals to Swell
Ratchet Swell pedal

Further information
the Swell is in a TC box and the bass of Swell derives from the
unenclosed Stopt Bass which is permanently on.


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