Instruments used in connexion with the project

The following is the specification of the hypothetical instrument from which the registration used in the performing edition will be drawn. Sorabji’s organ music is vast in concept and this is an instrument to match. The organ presented here is firmly rooted in the English Romantic tradition and is in no way an eclectic instrument. Sorabji wrote warmly of such instruments in his reviews of recitals at the Royal Albert Hall and Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. However his music is of tremendous communicative force and withstands interpretation on instruments belonging to schools far removed from this and on instruments very much smaller. There is no instance in which more than three manuals is absolutely essential although he himself wrote always for five. The First Organ Symphony has been performed with success on quite a small three manual neoclassical mechanical instrument with compasses of only 56 and 30 notes.

Apart from the size of the stoplist perhaps a couple of the more extravagant features need justification. First the extension of the compasses at the top end. The final moments of the first movement of the Second Organ Symphony climb to a final chord reaching up to top E, 65. It would be exhilarating to really hear this but little is lost by transposing the top notes down an octave. The music is quite playable on the conventional 61 notes compass. The same for the pedal. In the same movement Sorabji writes an agile pedal part rising to top G sharp and A. However the substitution of F sharp and G is equally successful.

Secondly, the stoplist in the pedal suggestions the construction of the world’s second genuine 64 foot reed. Actually only B below the present bottom note is required. All will be made obvious when interested parties see the final chord of the Third Organ Symphony...

Kevin Bowyer

5 manuals, C-E (65 notes). Pedals C-A (34 notes)

Great - 23 Stops
Double Open Diapason	16'
Bourdon	16'
Open Diapason no 1	8'
Open Diapason no 2	8'
Open Diapason no 3	8'
Gamba	8'
Claribel Flute	8'
Stopped Diapason	8'
Quint	5 1/3'
Octave	4'
Principal	4'
Gemshorn	4'
Harmonic Flute	4'
Tenth	3 1/5'
Twelfth	2 2/3'
Super Octave	2'
Fifteenth	2'
Seventeenth	1 3/5'
Mixture (12.15.19.21.22)	V
Fourniture (19.22.24.26.29)	V
Double Trumpet	16'
Trumpet	8'
Clarion	4'
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Solo to Great
Echo to Great
Great and Pedal Pistons Coupled
Great Sustain*
Swell (enclosed) 22 Stops
Contra Salicional	16'
Lieblich Bourdon	16'
Geigen Diapason	8'
Lieblich Gedact	8'
Salicional	8'
Vox Angelica (from FF)	8'
Octave	8'
Salicet	4'
Lieblich Flöte	4'
Nazard	2 2/3'
Fifteenth	2'
Lieblich Piccolo	2'
Seventeenth	1 3/5'
Sesquialtera (10.12.17.19.22)	V
Mixture (15.19.22.26.29)	V
Contra Hautboy	16'
Hautboy	8'
Krummhorn	8'
Vox Humana	8'
Waldhorn	16'
Cornopean	8'
Clarion	4'
Tremulant
Super Octave
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Solo to Swell
Echo to Swell
Swell sustain*
Choir (enclosed) - 18 stops
Quintaton	16'
Violin Diapason	8'
Viola	8'
Claribel Flute	8'
Dulciana	8'
Unda Maris (from FF)	8'
Octave Viola	4'
Suabe Flute	4'
Nazard	2 2/3'
Octavin	2'
Tierce	1 3/5'
Dulciana Mixture (12.15.17.19.22)	V
Bass Clarinet	16'
Baryton	16'
Corno di Bassetto	8'
Cor Anglais	8'
Trompette	8'
Clarion
Tremulant
Super Octave
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Swell to Choir
Solo to Choir
Echo to Choir
Choir sustain*
Solo (enclosed) - 19 stops
Bourdon	16'
Contra Viole	16'
Viole d'Orchestre	8'
Viole de Gambe	8'
Violes Célèstes (from FF)	8'
Flûte Harmonique	8'
Octave Viole	4'
Concert Flute	4'
Violette	2'
Piccolo Harmonique	2'
Cornet des Violes (10.12.15)	III
Cor Anglais	16'
Orchestral Clarinet	8'
Orchestral Oboe	8'
Tremulant
French Horn	8'
Contra Tuba	16'
Tuba Minor	8'
Tuba Magna	8' (unenclosed)
Tuba Clarion	4'
Super Octave
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Echo to Solo
Solo sustain*
Echo (enclosed) - 21 stops
Echo Bourdon	16'
Contra Salicional	16'
Open Diapason	8'
Lieblich Gedackt	8'
Echo Gamba	8'
Vox Angelica (from FF)	8'
Fugara	4'
Octave Gamba	4'
Octave Vox Angelica	4'
Flute	4'
Nazard	2 2/3'
Flageolet	2'
Tierce	1 3/5'
Septième	1 1/7'
Duliana Mixture (15.19.22)	III
Echo Bassoon	16'
Bass Euphone	16' (free reed)
Echo Trumpet	8'
Echo Hautboy	8'
Euphone	8' (free reed)
Octave Hautboy	4'
Tremulant
Super Octave
Sub Octave
Unison Off
Echo sustain*
Pedal - 34 stops (6 borrowed from manuals)
Gravissima (ext.)	64'
Double Open Diapason (ext.)	32'
Double Open Wood (ext.)	32'
Sub Bourdon (ext.)	32'
Quint (borrowed)	21 1/3'
Open Metal	16'
Open Wood	16'
Violone	16'
Geigen (from Swell)	16' (enclosed)
Sub Bass	16'
Lieblich Bourdon (from Swell)	16' (enclosed)
Quint	10 2/3'
Principal	8'
Octave Wood (ext.)	8'
Violoncello	8'
Flute	8'
Tierce	6 2/5'
Nazard	5 1/3'
Septième	4 4/7'
Fifteenth	4'
Octave Flute	4'
Mixture (15.19.22)	III
Fourniture (15.19.22.26.29)	IV
Hautboy (from Swell)	16' (enclosed)
Bass Clarinet (from Choir)	16' (enclosed)
Waldhorn (from Swell)	16' (enclosed)
Octave Waldhorn (from Swell)	8' (enclosed)
Contra Bombarde (ext.)	64'
Contra Bombarde	32'
Contra Trombone (ext)	32' (enclosed in Swell box)
Ophicleide	16'
Trombone	16' (enclosed in Swell box)
Clarion	8'
Octave Clarion	4'
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Solo Octave to Pedal
Echo to Pedal
Pedal Divide
12 Divisional pistons to each department
12 General pistons
Multiple memory levels
Reversible thumb pistons for all unison couplers.
Reversible toe pistons for Great to Pedal and Swell to Great.
Sequencer/Stepper with all usual Advance buttons for hands and feet.
Two Back buttons for hands, one Back button for feet.
*Sustain: When drawn, a note or chord on the manual in question remains sounding when struck until another note or chord is played on that manual, allowing figuration to be played on a separate manual against a sustained sound on another. The effect would be rather like that achieved by the 3rd pedal on the piano.