Description of the Gothic Revival Organ Case

George England (Richard Bridge's son-in-law) built this pipe organ in 1760. The organ case represents a rare, early example of the Gothic revival style in English design.

With its Gothic proportions, the pipe organ case elevates to three spires (flèches). Flame finials crown the bass and treble towers, while a carved pineapple sits atop the middle tower. Pinnacles surmount all six façade imposts. Ogival arches outline the frames of the pipe shades. Curved shoulder rails connect the bass and treble towers to the central tower, and two consoles (ailerons) flank the central tower imposts.

England seemed to introduce a lively and elegant ornamentation combined with the robust Gothic structure in this case. Consequently, this design gave the organ case its imposing stature.

Combining Rocaille and Gothic Revival Styles

Specifically, the two spires on the bass and treble sides of the organ case feature carved roses or blooming peonies and their buds. The middle tower also displays carved roses. This wild foliage grows vigorously throughout the pipe shades.

Openwork grillage lightly divides the flat sections of the pipe work, and you can also find it at the base of the middle tower. The designers intended the grillages to fulfill both an esthetic and an acoustic purpose.

Between the towers are the flats and their pipes. This arrangement draws attention to the pipes' mouth lines in relation to the other three pipe towers. Furthermore, "C scroll acanthuses"—a fashionable 18th-century motif—decorate the two ogee carved panels of the flats.

When you stand in front of the console, you can contemplate the middle section. This section consists of a frieze divided into five parts. Three of these sections align with the pipe towers, and each display carved "C scrolls." The middle of the frieze, placed above the console, shows carved traceries. Below the flats are the two other areas, which feature beautifully carved garlands of flowers.

A pair of doors, with their top rail cut into ogee arches, sits on either side of the console's area. They are placed directly under the bass and treble towers, thus strengthening the Gothic character of the organ case. A sense of harmony exists in how the two architectural styles are represented. On one hand, a fine 18th-century ornamentation contrasts with and complements the robust edifice-like structure. The Gothic case was designed following certain geometrical rules: For example, you can sense the tradition of building from the ground to reach a higher level when looking up. In contrast, the wild foliage grows from the very top of each spire and continues to grow downwards.

As we look closer to eye level, the ornaments become more defined. This is the 18th-century Rocaille style, featuring C scrolls, acanthus foliage, shells, crêtes de coq, and fleurettes. Both the Gothic and Rocaille styles apply the same rule: both designs are accurately symmetrical, even though they suggest two different genders.

Repairing the Organ Case

The organ case and carvings consist of quarter-sawn oak. By looking closely at the end grain, we could see that large, slow-growing oak trees were used to make this pipe organ case. Fortunately, the closest material available for the repairs was Victorian-period wainscoting oak paneling; I then selected the pieces to match the repairs.

Historically, someone shortened the middle tower along with other parts of the casework to suit a low-ceiling building. Therefore, we reconstructed the pipe organ case to its original lengths. In turn, the organ builders could rebuild their front pipes accordingly. In effect, the instrument regained its lowest notes in the repertoire.

I made three new pinnacles, including traceries. I cleaned and repaired the existing carvings and carved the missing parts of the organ case. I also built the missing lower bass and treble side paneling from selected oak. Finally, the organ builders reconstructed the console area.