The Organ of Norwich Cathedral

The post-Restoration organ was built in London by a Dailam, one of the sons of the famous builder of the King's College, Cambridge, instrument, and was installed on the pulpitum screen in 1664. Only twenty-five years later this was considerably enlarged by Renatus Harris, so that by 1690 it had ten stops on the great manual, five on the choir, and five on the echo. A few years later, Christian Smith, nephew of the better-known Father Smithy, was called in to overhaul the Cathedral organ, and to add trumpet stops.

In 1760 John Byfield, who had married into the Harris family, rebuilt the organ but did not enlarge it. Even at the next and more radical rebuilding by J.C. Bishop in 1934, the organ was not much enlarged, though a swell replaced the echo division, an octave and a half of 'German' pedals appeared, the five-rank cornet on the great gave way to the clarebella, and combination pedals were provided to enable the player to change stops without having to use his hands.

Norman and Beard of Norwich first enter this history in 1899, when they were engaged to build a five manual instrument. This had sixty-two speaking stops, including the ten stop echo organ enclosed in a swell box at the south-east corner of the choir triforium. The remainder of the instrument was situated in a new case on the screens, with the exception of some pedal stops which were in the south triforium . The console was on the south side of the screen.

Mechanical action

The Organ of Norwich Cathedral on Guild

• GMCD 7228/9 - Livre du Saint Sacrement

Page created 18.02.02