Largs: St Columba’s Parish Church
Henry Willis & Sons, 1892 — organ surveyed June 2024
Technical summary
This is an instrument for which the matter of available space necessitated no compromise in the layout as ultimately realised.
The prevailing height and depth enable the central placement of both manual soundboards (of substantial dimension, and of 61-note compass at the behest of Dr. Peace) at impost level, with Swell to the rear and separated from the Great by generous passage board provision. Planting of these soundboards is in sides, with trebles running into the middle, and with central passage boards provided for their full depth. At the same level, divided on C/C# fifteen-note chests (basses at the rear) and running along either side of the Swell box, is the heavy pressure Trombone Pedale 16.
The Bourdon Pedale 16 speaks from a single soundboard located at floor level, and immediately behind the Swell. The Open Diapason 16/Octave 8 rank occupies two chests of twenty-one notes each, divided C/C# at floor level and against the rear wall of the space, flanking the central section of the instrument. The slider derivation machine for this rank resides at floor level, a short distance from the rear of the console. The Violone Pedale 16, sharing notes 1-12 with the Great Double Diapason, is accommodated among the speaking fronts within the casework.
The wind reservoirs for all divisions, including heavy-pressure reeds, are contained within the central section, below both manual soundboards. Further below this section, the original blowing reservoir survives in a bespoke pit, with feeders attached, and with a disconnected hydraulic apparatus similarly remaining in situ.
The manual soundboard lever mechanisms, and their associated slider coupler machines, take advantage of the most direct tube runs from the touch action at the console.
Other than the coned pitch pipe (C25) of the Great Principal, the remaining metal and zinc pipework is tuned by means of slides, scrolls, springs and stoppers. Beyond those zinc pipes in the case front and some internal 8ft flue basses, plain metal is otherwise the predominant material, however spotted metal is reserved for both Mixture stops, the Great Principal (from G #21), Fifteenth (from G#9), and Swell Hautboy.
None of the manual reeds possess any flue trebles, all of them having tongues and shallots to c61.