Organ Part 1

Three important renovations have taken place since 1903. The electrification of the manual actions was undertaken in 1972. The electrification of the pedal action was completed in 1994 and the manual slider machines were restored in 2000. In 2002, the organ was damaged by rainwater and as a consequence repairs were made to the wind chests, swell and great. This work was completed in 2003. A new electric blower was installed in 1994 which replaced the Watson and Watson 1903 blower. This was restored in 1994, but sadly it needed to be replaced with a more effective machine.

The instrument is tonally in good shape. The condition and the quality of the pipework provide for an exciting musical experience. However, the organist has to overcome many handicaps to produce such effect.

The pistons are not functioning, and so the organist must pull individual stops to change the sound combinations. This limits the range of music which can be played, particularly of the romantic period. It must be a high priority to restore the pistons to working order.

The tremulants have been out of service since the 1970s - not being a high priority for repair, and the swell pedal for the choir organ is also out of action. Again this sounds worse than it might seem, since there are only two reeds, a Clarinet and the Vox Humana which are enclosed on the Choir. A number of stops are currently not functioning due to malfunctions between the console and the slider machines which were restored in 2000.

Those familiar with the specification of three and four manual Hill organs will recognize that the St Peter’s Streatham organ is a classic of its kind. A large specification which provides a fantastic range: from the soft string sounds of the Swell Salicional and Voix Céleste to the roaring, majestic full Swell with 16’ Double Trumpet, 8’ Cornopean, and 4’ Clarion. She has a pedal stop list that provides ample, but not over-the-top support to the large Great and Swell departments. The Choir and Solo provide a range of alternative colour and descant and fauxbourdon opportunities.

The organ was cleaned after the Second World War - remarkably, despite the church losing its windows and flying bomb damage to the roof, the organ survived unscathed. To access the interior of the organ, the organ tuner/builder must be quite athletic. This has probably helped protect the instrument from untrained curiosity and potential damage. The pipe work is in excellent condition for a 139 year-old.

The arrangement of the departments of the organ give away its development and provide a source of debate as to the original intentions. The Great Organ speaks out over the choir area of the church. The Swell is placed centrally and the pedal pipes encircle the Swell box. The Swell shutters open over the choir area. This means that the largest departments of the organ do not speak directly into the body of the church (westwards) - thus reducing their impact in the nave. However, the choir organ is directly behind the west facing Arthur Hill screen and so can provide a boost for congregational items as well as being used on its own to solo out lines. However, the choir organ acts as a baffle for the Swell and Great. The Solo is placed at the top of the organ chamber and so its sound is relatively unencumbered. The Tuba pipes peak, and speak, over the top of the south case. At some stage, a second shutter was added to the Swell to speak westwards but this has not been connected in living memory.

Deep within the organ in the furthest corner hemmed in by the 32’ Sub Bourdon and the 16’ Trombone is a row of pedal pipes of the organ showing decoration almost certainly displayed on the West Case when the organ was built in 1870 but now sadly hidden away inside. The decoration depicts climbing sun flowers which can also be seen on the outside of the organ case and depicted above the Reredos at the East End of the Church.