| Name of institution |
Abbey Churchof the Holy Trinity |
| Type of institution |
Church |
| Street Address |
Great Northern Highway |
| City |
New Norcia |
| State |
Western Australia |
| Postcode |
|
| Country |
Australia |
| Name of building |
Abbey Churchof the Holy Trinity |
| Name of room |
|
| Dates of the building |
1855-1908 |
| Architect’s and builder’s names |
|
| Special architectural features |
The first parts of
this building date from 1855–60, constructed of bush stones, mud
plaster and rough–hewn tree trunks. It originally consisted
of a simple cruciform plan of nave, transepts and sanctuary, of
classical proportions. The retro choir was added in 1870 behind
the high altar and choir screen. Abbot Fulgentius Torres designed
the stucco facade with its lofty pediment, and the bell tower with its
clock and turret, which were added in 1907–08. |
| Special fittings |
|
| Other location information |
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| Name of contact |
|
| Mailing Address |
|
| Telephone |
|
| Email |
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| Other contact information |
|
| . |
|
| Date of previous organs |
None |
| Detail of previous organs |
|
| Dates when key work has been undertaken |
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place |
|
| Variations from original design of organ |
|
| Information on previous organs |
|
| Information about comparable instruments to previous
organs |
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| . |
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| Present organ |
|
| Type of installation |
Free-standing platform |
| Case description |
The oak casework,
of elaborate neo–classical design, incorporates five flats of non–speaking pipes
and fine carvings especially on the front of the reversed console and on the
pediment, at the top of the case. |
| Placement in room |
Front wall |
| Builder's name |
Albert Moser, Munich, Germany, to design of organist, Dom Moreno. |
| Opus number |
|
| Date of completion/installation |
Built in Munich in 1922, dismantled and shipped to Fremantle.
Erected in New Norcia between April and August 1923.
Dedicated and opened 2nd September 1923. |
| Construction materials |
|
| Number of manuals |
Two (2) |
| Key compasses |
|
| Number of keys |
58 |
| Key material |
|
| Pedal compass |
|
| Number of pedals |
30 |
| Pedalboard type |
|
| Pedalboard material |
|
| Type of chests |
|
| Type of key action |
Kegellade (similar to cone valve) |
| Type of stop action |
Electro-pneumatic and direct electric/solid state |
| Couplers |
Manual–Koppel
II–I , Suboktav––Koppel II–I,
Superoktav–Koppel II–I, Pedal–Koppel I.M.,
Pedal–Koppel II.M, Superoktav Koppel II.z.Ped. |
| Tremulants |
Manual I and II |
| Accessories |
Crescendo an (balanced crescendo pedal and hand lever)
Ped. Reg. II. Man. ab
Feste Pedalumsch. ab
Handreg. z. Schweller
Transpositeur (hand lever, up or down two semitones) |
| Console type |
Detached stopkey console (pedal stopkeys duplicated for independent use with Man.I and II) |
| Stop label material |
|
| Placement |
Reversed and in front of the organ case |
| General design |
|
| Playing aids |
Freie Comb. an.
A.L. (cancel)
P.P., P., M.F., F., F.F.
Free combination operated by miniature drawknobs
Balanced swell pedals (manual I, manual II) with indicators. |
| Divisions |
Manual I, Manual II, Pedal |
| Wind pressures |
|
| Stop list |
| MANUAL I |
|
|
|
| Bourdon |
16'
|
Wood |
A |
| Principal |
8' |
Wood bass |
|
| Soloflöte |
8' |
Wood |
|
| Unda Maris TC |
8' |
Wood |
|
| Dulciana |
8' |
Wood bass |
|
| Oktav |
4' |
|
|
| Mixtur III |
2' |
|
|
| Solo Trompete |
8' |
|
|
| Tremolo I Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| MANUAL II |
|
|
|
| Rohrflöte |
16' |
|
|
| Viola di Gamba |
8' |
|
|
| Aeoline |
8' |
|
|
| Vox Coelestis |
8' |
|
|
| Konzertflöte |
8' |
Wood |
|
| Gedeckt |
8' |
Wood |
B |
| Fernflöte |
4' |
|
|
| Gemshorn |
4' |
|
|
| Nassard |
2-2/3' |
|
|
| Piccolo
|
2' |
Harmonic |
|
| Terzflöte |
1-3/5' |
|
|
| Septime |
1-1/7' |
|
|
| None |
8/9' |
|
|
Harm. aetheria V
(selects 2-2/3, 2, 1-3/5, 1-1/7, 8/9) |
2-2/3' |
|
|
| Cimbal III |
1-1/3' |
|
|
| Eng. Horn |
16' |
|
|
| Clarinett |
8' |
|
|
| Vox Humana |
8' |
|
|
| Clarine |
4' |
|
|
| Tremolo II Man |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PEDAL |
|
|
|
| Echobass |
16' |
|
A |
| Subbass |
16' |
Wood |
|
| Contrabass |
16' |
Wood |
|
| Dolcebass |
8' |
Wood bass |
|
| Gedecktbass |
8' |
|
B |
| Violon |
8' |
Wood bass |
|
| Bombard |
16' |
Wood bass with metal trebles |
|
|
|
|
|
| VENTILS |
|
|
|
| Engl. Horn |
16' |
|
ab |
| Clarinett |
8' |
|
ab |
| Vox Humana |
8' |
|
ab |
| Clarine |
4' |
|
ab |
| Calkant |
|
|
|
| Rohrwerke |
|
|
ab |
| Solo–Trompete |
|
|
ab |
| Bombard |
16' |
|
ab |
| I. Man. |
|
Hitch-down lever |
ab |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total number of speaking stops |
34
|
| Total number of ranks |
35 |
| Total number of pipes |
|
| Dates when key work has been undertaken on current
organ |
A refurbishment of the organ by Bellsham Pipe Organs (WA) took
place in 1978. Many of the pipe mouths were found to be blocked by
candle grease. The concrete floor on which the organ was placed
was sealed and the organ reinstated to its former level, supported on a new
steel frame. A new Discus blower, of high capacity, and new wind
regulators were installed. The sliderless chests were electrified
simply by using electro–magnets to operate the primary pneumatic motors.
Many of the timbers in the chests and console case had split so badly,
owing to climatic extremes, that they had to be restored by the insertion of new
pieces of timber. The complicated original console pneumatics
operating the couplers and the accessories were also removed and replaced by a
combination of solid state and direct electrical switching – they still exist in
a room at the top of the Monastery buildings.
Further work was carried out in 1997 with the replacement of
the wind regulators with a very large floating frame reservoir and new wind
trunking, designed by Lynn Kirkham and approximating as closely as possible to
the original design. These were manufactured and installed by Pipe
Organs Builders and Services.
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place to current
organ |
The organ was
designed in consultation with the Abbey Organist Dom Moreno and built
in 1922 by Albert Moser of Munich. It was displayed at the German
trade exhibition in Munich in 1922 before it was dismantled, packed in
24 zinc–lined cases and shipped to Australia, arriving at
Fremantle on 21 April 1923. It was installed at New Norcia from
April to August 1923 by Dom Stephen Moreno, assisted by his brother Dom
Henry Moreno, Dom Boniface Gomez, Dom Vincent Quindos and an aboriginal
boy Harry Weston. The opening concert was given by Stephen Moreno
on Sunday 2 September 1923. |
| Information on current organ |
The organ is totally enclosed within massive swell boxes with
shutters at the front and on top of the organ. The instrument is of interest,
particularly for the comprehensive series of solo mutations on Manual II,
extremely advanced for the time, its generous tonal structure and wide dynamic
range.
|
| Comparable instruments to current
organ |
|
| Current status |
In good condition and regular use |
| Assessment of organ |
|
| Other organs by this builder |
There is only one other organ by Albert Moser in Australia. found in the Mary McKillop Memorial Chapel (St Joseph's Convent Chapel), North Sydney. |
| Photographs |
Photograph of church exterior by Bruce Duncan
Photographs of organ by Mark Quarmby and Jeremy Fletcher
|
| Technical documents |
Details of the church and organ from OHTA Conference Book 2004. Additional information from Jeremy Fletcher |
| General documents |
|
| . |
|
| Supporting information |
|
| . |
|
| Document control |
Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999,2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 28 December 2008.
Link to St. Joseph's Convent Chapel added 05 June 2010.
Updated specification from Patrick Elms 04 January 2011.
|
