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Presumably, musical accompaniment for singing in St.Mary's was provided by a local band of musicians prior to the 19th century, as was the case in many churches at the time.
The earliest known reference to an organ in St.Mary's states that on 6th June 1810, the Vestry resolved "that if sufficient subscribers can be found to buy and put up an organ, the Vestry will undertake to keep it in repair and discharge the expense of winding it." In July of the same year, an instrument was installed, but its initial position is not recorded. William Kilby was "directed to play the organ and cleanse the church until a proper person be appointed." [39]. "Playing" the organ meant that Mr Kilby wound a handle, since the machine was a barrel organ. Simeon Potter assures us that it played 24 tunes, and once, when it developed a fault and could not be stopped, had to be removed from the church [18].
Strangely, it was not until 25/9/1812 that John Watlens of 5 Leicester Place, was paid £4/8/0d, - the balance of the purchase price. The instrument was possibly by Samuel Henderson, Organ Builder and Pianoforte Maker, who was paid £12 on 8/8/1817 for "Striping Papering and Receting two thirty Key'd Organ Barrals, Takeing three tunes off a third Barral and Receting them, and Work Done to the Organ Regulateing Tuneing &c", [92]. When the west gallery was altered in 1821, this organ was installed there.
Dating the arrival of the first manual pipe organ is difficult. The churchwardens were authorised to "sell the old organ" in 1853, but there is no evidence that this was done. A Mr Thomas Benstead was appointed organist in 1854, just after the Little restoration of the church had extended the west gallery. Since later records show he was able to play a manual organ, it may be that a new instrument was acquired about this time. However, a bill for organ tuning in 1857/8 from T.C.Bates & Son, Organ Builders of 6 Ludgate Hill, states that the firm were "Manufacturers of the Improved Church Barrell Organ". [85].
In 1864, Rev.J.C.Wharton appealed for £60 to improve the organ and move it from the gallery;
"It has been suggested that we might, with an outlay of about £60, very much improve and enlarge our Organ, rendering it a more efficient instrument, and placing it to great advantage under the tower, on the floor of the Church for which position it was built; we should thereby throw open to the Church the west window, and increase the gallery accommodation for our schoolchildren."[60]
Since, in the same letter, the Vicar states his desire to purchase "Hymns Ancient & Modern", it is unlikely that the instrument was the old 24-tune barrel organ. Later, the Vicar called in Mr Davison "the eminent organ builder in the Euston Road" to advise on the instrument. "After examining our present Organ he considered that from the construction of the bellows and other parts of the instrument, no addition could be made to it, and advised that we should have an Organ built which would be suitable for our Church even after its proposed enlargement. He agreed to allow us the sum of £70 for our old Organ; and to build us a one containing a sufficient number of Stops, with Swell, Great Organ and Pedals, for a sum of £235." [91],[39].
Whether the manual organ which was subsequently installed was the first or the second at St.Mary's is unclear, but it must have been the Gray & Davison two-manual tracker organ recorded in the 20th century. During the Tarver restoration of 1872, the instrument was moved to the newly constructed north chapel or transept where it was positioned eight feet above ground level so as to maximise seating space.[73]. It is noted that the organ was enlarged by Morton in 1880, [38], and "readjusted" by Gray & Davison at a cost of £70 in 1895. [44]. The instrument gave good service for many years.
However, in 1938, the Willesden Chronicle reported that the old organ had had its day and was to be replaced by another instrument through the generosity of an anonymous friend of the church. Some contemporary references incorrectly refer to this as a "new" instrument. It was a second hand Aeolian and most unusual in having been built originally as a player organ, that is, one which could be played by means of a pre-recorded perforated roll. Messrs.Rushworth and Draper removed the player mechanism, redesigned and installed the organ for a little over £300. No detailed specification has been found, but it became an orthodox two manual pneumatic instrument, having a higher proportion of string stops, and fewer diapason stops than usual. [42].
The "new" organ was dedicated and opened with a recital by Edwin Bown (organist - St.Michael & All Angels, Stonebridge) on Sunday 11/9/1938 [41]
During the major church restoration of 1964, the organ chamber was cleared to make way for a pair of vestries, one for clergy and one for choir. It would have been difficult and costly to move the organ to the new west gallery, so the 1938 instrument was discarded and, since funds were very limited, an electronic instrument purchased "as a temporary measure". The John Compton Organ Co. supplied an Electrone Model 363 (Concert Organ) for £1580, and made an allowance of £275 for taking away the Aeolian.[72] The electronic device proved more expensive to maintain than expected, and, compared with a pipe organ, of poor tonal quality. Some parishioners claim that the Electrone was replaced by a similar organ soon after.
Although the Roberts family, for centuries Squires of Willesden, had died out in the main line, a cadet branch had been established in Virginia since the early 17th century. This family had re-established contact with Willesden in the 1930's, and the present head of the family, Mr John Roberts, offered in 1982 to donate one third of the cost of a new pipe organ if the parish could raise the rest. An organ was ordered in 1982 and opened in 1983. It was built by J.W.Walker and Sons, a famous and long established firm of organ builders [8d]. An opening recital was given by Noel Rawsthorne, City Organist of Liverpool, on 2/7/1983.
The instrument is a tracker action classical organ with this specification:
|
|
|
|
Open diapason |
8 |
Chimney Flute |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bourdon
Trombone |
16
16 |
Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal |
Unfortunately, when the gallery was built, the fitting of such a fine pipe organ was not foreseen, and the space now available for a choir is insufficient. Perhaps St.Mary's will see yet another gallery modification at its west end?
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