Me playing the organ at Raleigh Road Methodist and United Reformed Church in Richmond, Surrey.
The organ was originally built in 1934 by the John Compton Organ Company Ltd for the chapel at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea and moved here in 1980. In 2013, the organ was fitted with a new solid state switching system with the work undertaken by Shepherd & Sons. Being a Compton, the organ is built on the extension principal and uses 4 ranks of pipes fully enclosed behind a dummy pipe facade. Whilst the organ was still at Chelsea, the original Hohl Flute rank was replaced with a Rohr Flute by Lewis. The specification reads:
PEDAL
Bourdon 16'
Quint 10.2/3'
Octave 8'
Flute 4'
Choral Bass 4'
Trombone 16'
Trumpet 8'
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
GREAT
Diapason 8'
Rohr Flute 8'
Salicional 8'
Octave 4'
Rohr Flute 4'
Salicet 4'
Nazard 2.2/3'
Super Octave 2'
Fifteenth 2'
Swell to Great
SWELL
Contra Salicional 16'
Rohr Flute 8'
Salicional 8'
Rohr Flute 4'
Salicet 4'
Piccolo 2'
Larigot 1.1/3'
Cymbale III
Trombone 16'
Trumpet 8'
Clarion 4'
ACCESSORIES
4 double touch thumb pistons to Great and Pedal
4 double touch thumb pistons to Swell and Pedal
4 general thumb pistons
3 reversible thumb pistons
1 balanced expression pedal - organ
1 balanced expression pedal - crescendo
Voltmeter
For this first video I am playing the hymn 'City of God' to the appropriately named tune for the area we were in - 'Richmond'.
Many thanks to the church officials for allowing me access to this fine Compton organ.
For more information on the John Compton Organ Company Ltd and to see me play other Compton organs, please click on the following link for my site dedicated to the John Compton Organ Company Ltd:
http://comptonorgans.yolasite.com/
REQUEST: I am always on the lookout for Compton organs to play - particularly electrones - so if you know of any churches which still have these then please do let me know. I will happily give a donation or pay any applicable room hire charge.