Music
Organ
The cathedral's Grand Organ was designed and made in 1984 by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Bray, county Wicklow, Ireland. It was commissioned to complement the major restoration of the building, which had been completed in 1982.
Seeming to float in space, the organ stands on a compact base on the floor of the north transept under the arch of the central tower. It is nearly 45ft/14m tall. At a height of 15 feet the organist's gallery, faceted, projects from the front of the organ-case and out over the north side Canons' stalls. The organ case, designed and sited in such a way that it is also visible from the nave, is of solid oak throughout. The key action is exclusively tracker, including a separate action to the soundboard of the large scale Open Wood 16ft, which is housed within the base. The stop action is mechanical throughout but there is also an electric combination system in parallel with and driving the mechanical stop-action. The comprehensive range of pistons can be set on sixteen separate levels of memory - a very useful facility for the player. The organ has three 56-note manual departments and a pedal department of 30 notes. There are 40 speaking stops. There is key-tensioned or suspended action and the soundboards are of the slider type. The wind is fed through wooden wind-trunks from traditional ribbed reservoirs or bellows. The stop action uses steel trundles and oak traces. The elegant console uses inlay and stringing in precious woods, with hand-scripted stop-labels. The instrument was voiced entirely in the cathedral, a process taking some three and a half months. Between October 2003 and September 2004, after 20 years of distinguished service, the organ was dismantled, thoroughly cleaned, and overhauled. Some of the pipe work was re-voiced at the same time in order to give a greater tonal spectrum and presence of sound throughout the cathedral. The specification of the organ was revised, most significantly by the provision of the 32’ Contra Trombone and, in addition, the piston system was radically updated and improved.
This instrument has been described as the most significant new Irish cathedral organ in history, and it has gained an impressive international reputation particularly through its central role in the Dublin International Choral and Organ Festival. Its flexibility and comprehensive specification enable the performance of a wide range of repertoire as well as the fulfilment of an active role within the cathedral liturgy. One of its major achievements is its competence in the music of different periods and styles of the past 500 years without any sense of compromise - not because it represents a conglomeration of styles but because it has its own character, strength and musical logic.
Specification of the Grand Organ of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.
Kenneth Jones & Associates, 1984. Flentrop Orgelbouw / Wells Kennedy Partnership, 2004
Great Organ
1.Quintaton 16ft
2.Principal 8ft
3.Rohrflute 8ft
4.Principal 4ft
5.Nachthorn 4ft
6.Nazard 2 2/3ft
7.Fifteenth 2ft
8.Open Flute 2ft
9.Tierce 1 1/3ft
10.Mixture iv 2ft
11.Scharf iii 1ft
12.Trumpet 8ft
13.Temulant
Swell Organ (a)
14.Celeste 8ft
15.Salicional 8ft
16.Gedackt 8ft
17.Principal 4ft
18.Wood Flute 4ft
19.Gemshorn 2ft
20.Sesquialtera ii 2 2/3
21.Scharf iii – iv 1ft
22.Double Trumpet 16ft
23.Cornopean 8ft
24.Oboe 8ft
25.Tremulant
Choir Organ (b)
26.Stopped Diapason 8ft
27.Rohrflute 8ft
28.Nazard 2 2/3ft
29.Gemshorn 2ft
30.Tierce 1 3/5ft
31.Cromorne 8ft
Pedal
32.Open Wood 16ft
33.Principal 16ft
34.Bourdon 16ft
35.Octave 8ft
36.Bass Flute 8ft
37.Fifteenth 4ft
38.Mixture iv 2 2/3
39.Contra Trombone 32ft (c)
40.Trombone 16ft
41.Bass Trumpet 8ft
42.Clarion 4ft
Couplers
43.Choir to Swell
44.Swell to Great
45.Choir to Pedal
46.Swell to Pedal
47.Great to Pedal
Eight combination pistons for Pedal, Great and Swell, and six for Choir, with sixteen memory channels.
Eight general pistons, with ninety-six memory channels.
Five additional memory banks for all channels.
Advance and reverse thumb and toe pistons for general combinations.
Thumb and toe pistons for all couplers, toes pistons for tremulants.
Great and Pedal combinations coupled.
Pedal combinations on Swell pistons.
General combinations on Swell toe pistons.
General combinations on Pedal toe pistons.
Equal temperament.
a Enclosed, with balanced pedal acting on two sets of shutters.
b Enclosed, with doors above the console opened and closed by hand.
c Twelve new pipes, extended from no. 40 and operated by reversible pistons.