A brief
chronology of some musical events at All Saints
The
Organ -
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1821 Parish Clerk James Maslen led the singing with his bass viol (a double bass) from the three-decker pulpit. There was a ‘choir’ of male singers in the east gallery of the old church.
1866 Hymns Ancient and Modern introduced and there is the first reference in the church warden accounts to a ‘robed choir’.
1873 First organ installed by Postill of York – a large two manual and pedal organ of some 24 ranks of pipes. It cost £590 and was a gift of Henry Crawshay. “The organ is a fine instrument of unusual sweetness of tone with majestic volume” – Alfred Hall in his History of Oystermouth (Swansea 1899)
1890-99 Thomas Simpson Camidge, the designer of the 1873 Postill instrument was organist. Camidge had been a sub-organist at York Minster. His father and grand-father wrote many famous chants for use with the singing of the psalms.
1890 additions and tonal changes to the organ by Abbott and Smith of Leeds.
1909 The music of Merbecke introduced for the Sung Eucharist.
1916 Peter Conacher of Huddersfield installed a new three manual and pedal instrument, at a cost of £2089 which included all furniture for the new church. The new organ incorporated the best of the Postill pipework. The instrument now contained 29 ranks of pipes. It was described in A History of All Saints Church Oystermouth (Orrin and Cowley) Gomer Press 1990 as “ a good example of the period but a little on the solid side tonally”.
1945 The Nine Lessons and Carols service introduced
1951 Renovation and electric blower added by Hill, Norman and Beard of London. £350.
1952 The Choir became affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music.
1972 The instrument was overhauled and tonally altered by J W Walker & Co who made some radical alterations to the ‘choir organ’ changing its character to that of an 18th century Baroque ‘positive organ’. The redesign of this part of the organ has added much needed brightness to the organ sound. 31 ranks of pipes. Cost £1,500
1977 new coupler added, the ‘Choir to Great’ so that the remodelled choir organ could now add to the tonal brilliance of the full organ.
1998 The organ was completely rebuilt with new electro-pneumatic action, solid-state coupling and a generous provision of combination pistons. The scheme was funded in part by a grant from the Arts Council of Wales Lottery Fund. The work was undertaken by Percy Daniel and Company of Clevedon and cost £103,000.