The Hill Organ of Saint Stephen's Church, Bournemouth

 

This instrument was built for the church by the firm of William Hill & Son, in 1898. It stands high up in the South Transept of this beautiful and impressive church, in a stone gallery which was built to house it. Consisting of three manuals and pedals, the organ originally contained the following stops:

PEDAL ORGAN ft.   CHOIR ORGAN ft.   GREAT ORGAN ft.   SWELL ORGAN ft.
      (Enclosed)              
      Lieblich Bourdon 16   Double Open Diapason  (M) * 16   Bourdon 16
Open Diapason  (W) 16   Open Diapason 8   Open Diapason I 8   Geigen Diapason 8
Violone  (M; separate) 16   Lieblich Gedact 8   Open Diapason II 8   Stopped Diapason 8
Bourdon 16   Viola  (Voix Céleste?) 8   Hohl Flute 8   Dulciana 8
Bass Flute  (Separate) 8   Gamba 8   Dulciana 8   Salicional  (Separate)  
Trombone  (H.P.) 16   Suabe Flute 4   Principal 4   Voix Céleste  (C13) 8
Octave     Harmonic Gemshorn 2   Harmonic Flute 4   Principal 4
Choir to Pedal     Clarinet 8   Fifteenth 2   Wald Flöte 4
Great to Pedal     (Unenclosed)     Mixture  (19-22-26-29) IV   Fifteenth 2
Swell to Pedal     Tuba  (H.P.) 8   Posaune  (H.P.) 8   Mixture  (19-22) II
      Swell to Choir     Clarion  (H.P.) 4   Double Trumpet 16
            Choir to Great     Cornopean 8
ACCESSORIES           Swell to Great     Oboe 8
                  Vox Humana 8
Four composition pedals to the Great Organ           Orchestral Oboe 8
Four Composition pedals to the Swell Organ     * This is an entirely independent     Clarion  4
            rank to the Pedal Violone.     Tremulant  
Two hitch-down pedals to the Choir and Swell organs           Sub Octave  
                  Unison Off  
                  Octave  

In 1951, the instrument was rebuilt and restored by Rushworth & Dreaper. Included in the schedule of work were a partly new action, a new console and several tonal alterations. The Pedal Organ was enlarged by the derivation of an Acoustic Bass. The Open Diapason (Wood) was extended upwards to provide an Octave 8ft., and a Fifteenth 4ft. The Swell Double Trumpet and the Tuba from the Choir Organ were also made separately available on the Pedal Organ.

In 2009, the instrument was again restored by Principal Pipe Organs, of York. This is the present stop-list;

PEDAL ORGAN ft.   CHOIR ORGAN ft.   GREAT ORGAN ft.   SWELL ORGAN ft.
      (Enclosed)              
Sub Bourdon  (Ext.)  32   Lieblich Bourdon 16   Double Open Diapason  (M) * 16   Contra Salicional 16
Open Diapason  (W) 16   Open Diapason 8   Open Diapason I 8   Geigen Diapason 8
Violone  (M; separate) 16   Lieblich Gedact 8   Open Diapason II 8   Stopped Diapason 8
Bourdon 16   Viole d'Orchestre 8   Hohl Flute 8   Salicional  (Separate) 8
Octave  (W+M; ext.) 8   Dulciana 8   Octave 4   Vox Angelica  (C13) 8
Bass Flute  (Separate) 8   Suabe Flute 4   Harmonic Flute 4   Principal 4
Fifteenth  (M; ext.) 4   Harmonic Gemshorn 2   Twelfth 2 2/3   Wald Flöte 4
Trombone  (H.P.) 16   Clarinet 8   Fifteenth 2   Fifteenth 2
Trumpet  (From Swell) 16   Tremulant     Mixture  (17-19-22) III   Mixture  (19-22-24) III
Choir to Pedal     (Unenclosed)     Posaune  (H.P.) 8   Oboe 8
Great to Pedal     Tuba  (H.P.) 8   Clarion  (H.P.) 4   Tremulant  
Swell to Pedal     Posaune  (From G.O.) 8   Choir to Great     Double Trumpet 16
      Clarion  (From G.O.) 4   Swell to Great     Trumpet  (Separate) 8
COMBINATIONS     Sub Octave           Clarion  (Separate) 4
      Unison Off           Sub Octave  
Great and Pedal Pistons     Octave     * This is an entirely independent     Unison Off  
Coupled     Swell to Choir     rank to the Pedal Violone.     Octave  
Generals on Swell Foot Pistons                    
                     
ACCESSORIES                    
                     
Eight foot pistons to the Pedal Organ                  
Eight foot pistons to the Swell Organ                  
   (Duplicating thumb pistons)                    
Eight thumb pistons to the Choir Organ                
Eight thumb pistons to the Great Organ                
Eight thumb pistons to the Swell Organ                
Eight General thumb pistons                    
Reversible foot piston to Great to Pedal                  
Reversible Foot piston to 32ft. Flue                  
Reversible thumb piston to Choir to Pedal                
Reversible thumb piston to Great to Pedal                
Reversible thumb piston to Swell to Pedal                
Reversible thumb piston to Swell to Choir                
Reversible thumb piston to Choir to Great                
Reversible thumb piston to Swell to Great                
Advance and Retard foot and thumb pistons              
Restore thumb piston                    
Stepper                    
Sequencer                    
Balanced expression pedals to the Choir and Swell organs