Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2024-10-07 - From The Daily Telegraph (June 2, 1876): "Last evening an immense audience assembled in the Cathedral, the occasion being the opening of the new organ, an excellent description of which appeared in the Globe of yesterday: "This organ is one of the largest and finest in the Dominion. It was made by Messrs. Conacher & Co., Huddersfield, England, and cost about $7,000. The instrument consists of four separate and distinct organs, which are connected with three rows of keyss and pedals. The upper row of keys is connected with the swell organ, which consists of 896 pipes, enclosed in a box made of wood three inches in thickness. This box measures 13 feet wide, 6 feet deep, and has an altitude of 9 feet from the sounding board. The front of this box is fitted up with Venetian shutters, which, by means of a pedal, the player can open and shut at pleasure, and thereby reduce the tone to a whisper, or cause it to burst forth in volumes of loud and swelling music. The second, or Choir Organ, is coupled to the lower row of keys, and consists of 504 pipes, principally of a delicate solo character, along with the other solo stops of the great and swell organs. By means of a coupler, the swell organ can also be played upon the choir manual. This organ is placed immediately under the swell organ, and is somewhat of a subdued character. The third or Great Organ is attached to the middle row of keys, and consists of 952 pipes of a heavy scale, the largest being 16 feet in length. This is the leading part of the instrument, and can either be played by itself, or, by means of couplers, can also be played with the Swell and Choir Organs. The fourth is the Pedal Organ, and consists of 150 ponderous pipes of various character, representing double bass, trombone, violoncello, bourdon and flute. This portion of the instrument is connected with the pedals, 30 in number, and can only be played by the feet; but by means of couplers the other three organs can be played upon by the pedals. It is not unusual for expert organists to sit with arms folded and play a complicated piece of music with all the powers of the combined organs by the feet only, and do so with great efficiency. The pedal board is radiated and concave. The key boards and draw stops are of polished walnut. The draw-stop action is diagonal, thereby exposing names of stops to full view of the organist. The bellows receive a steady supply of wind from four feeders operated by a crank. The arrangement of the pipes on their respective wind chests are remarkable. Every pipe in the instrument can be got at for the purpose of tuning without the least difficulty. The organ contains over 2,500 pipes, and weighs over ten tons. It is 28 feet wide; 30 feet at its extreme height, and 15 feet deep." The organ presents a beautiful front of pitch pine, the pipes in the front being handsomely decorated, and the elevation filling up the entire height and width of the organ loft. At either end the frame reaches the roof, on each corner, and on the centre frame which does not rise as high as the ends, are carved winged figures. Of the capacities as developed by the playing by the playing of Prof. Letts, Prof. Card, Mr. Conacher and Mr. Landry, it is difficult to speak in a short space. The finer softer tones, piano and pianissimo, are are superbly sweet , clear, and in volume of tone, showing good body, but many of the loud stops when the Swell Organ was used were unpleasantly harsh and trying to sensitive ears. Mr. Conacher's improvisation developed all the sweeter tones and in the crescendo passages his skill was displayed, in the combination of all the most harmonious of the three organs. One passage when the pedals were used, was so full of sound that the building would have trembled, had it been of weaker make ... As previously stated the organ was procured through Mr. Landry. The design of the case was furnished by Mr. D. E. Dunham, architect." It is likely that the Conacher case was reused in the Casavant Freres Op. 2103 (1952) although unknown whether any of the pipework was reused in the new instrument. -Andrew Henderson
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