Me playing the organ at St Mary and St John Roman Catholic Church in Erdington, Birmingham.
The organ was originally installed at the church in 1937 and was job number A354 and is typical of many small instruments which Compton installed at suburban churches consisting of 4 ranks of pipes all fully enclosed. In the 1980s the church was refurbished and the organ was moved to its present location on the rear gallery. The specification reads:
PEDAL
Bourdon 16'
Echo Bass 16'
Flute 8'
Salicional 8'
Tromba Bass 16'
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
GREAT
Contra Salicional 16'
Diapason 8'
Hohl Fute 8'
Salicional 8'
Octave 4'
Salicet 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Swell to Great
SWELL
Hohl Flute 8'
Salicional 8'
Flute 4'
Salicet 4'
Echo Cymbale III
Contra Tromba 16'
Tromba Minor 8'
Octave Tromba 4'
Tremulant (affects all divisions)
ACCESSORIES
4 double touch thumb pistons to Great and Pedal
4 double touch thumb pistons to Swell and Pedal
1 canceller thumb piston - Great to Pedal
1 canceller thumb piston - Swell to Pedal
1 balanced expression pedal - organ
1 balanced expression pedal - crescendo
1 general cancel thumb piston
Double touch canceller to each division
4 ventil switches
Voltmeter
For this first video I am playing the Catholic hymn 'Bring flowers of the rarest' which shows off the main tonal colours of the organ for accompanying congregational hymn singing.
Many thanks to the church officials for allowing me access to this little gem of a Compton organ.
