House Organs (Part 3)

Gerard Gillen thinks he was probably the first in this country to own a ‘house organ’. His instrument was built by Ken Jones in 1980. It is a small organ of two manuals and four stops. The lower manual has just one 8 ft stop (it’s unlabelled but is a flute of some kind). The upper manual has an 8 ft flute, a 4 ft rohrflute and a 2 ft principal. There are two other stop knobs labelled

Larigot 11/3 and Tierce 13/5, but they go nowhere! Space on the soundboard has been provided for these stops. The pipes are behind glass for both protection and muting but there are slots at both sides so that the sound come through perfectly. There are no dedicated pedal pipes. Couplers can connect the pedals to either of the two manuals — or to both.

I was particular taken by the sound of the instrument while Gerard improvised in the classical style. The three stops on the upper manual blend beautifully and give the impression of a mutation or light mixture being present. The ‘feel’ of the instrument is also super making it a delight to play. I enjoyed my half hour with Professor Gillen.