Retford St Saviour

Organ

The organ
The organ manuals
The pedal board

The first reference to there being an organ in the church is in early 1878, when ‘a new organ was placed in the chancel instead of the former organ which stood in the centre of the church’. There are no details of this old organ available, or how it was disposed of.

The new organ was built in 1877 by Bevington and Sons, of Soho, London. It bears a plate, indicating its installation in 1878 was in memory of Anne Sarah Cottam, wife of Thomas Cottam.

Some restoration work was carried out by the builders in 1897, and a new oboe stop added. The internal layout is typical of a nineteenth century tracker action instrument.

An overhaul was carried out during Lent 1939 by E Wragg of Nottingham, with the fitting of pneumatic action and some stop changes. At some time, possibly around 1948, the organ was converted from hand pumping to electric blower.

There were significant changes in 1991/92, carried out by A Herrod of Skegby, Nottinghamshire, with the Diocesan Organ Adviser as consultant to the Church Council. The action was changed from pneumatic to electric and some tonal changes made.

The organ currently has two manuals with 56 notes and a radiating concave pedal board.

Pedal Organ: 6 stops - 140 pipes.
Great Organ: 9 stops - 368 pipes.
Swell Organ: 8 stops - 480 pipes.

The Swell organ case has horizontal shutters, operated by a balanced crescendo pedal. Pipe wind pressure is 3 inches water gauge.