This history is based on a booklet prepared by The Revd Edward Rogers for the inauguration of the Grand organ in 1970.  

Organs have been in use in churches since the tenth century, but it is not known when St Giles Cripplegate was fi rst furnished with one. The records show that Thomas Morley served the church as organist for a number of years in the sixteenth century before his appointment as organist of St Paul’s Cathedral, but details are incomplete. Records were not properly kept at this date and, surprisingly, the fi rst recorded evidence of the use of an organ in the church is not found until the Minutes for 1672, now deposited in the Guildhall Reference Library. In this and later years there are many entries of interest in the Vestry Minute Books concerning the organ and the organists. This first Minute of 1672 reads as follows:  

“that Mrs Charnock shall have thanks given her for her affection in bestowing a fair organ on the Parish Church of St Giles Without Cripplegate, London. That a convenient place be found for the setting of it up, and that the Vicar and Vestry find out some way and means for the maintenance of the Organist”.

The last part of the Minute implies that there was no organ in the church at that time nor organist appointed; and implies the strong probability that the Puritans, in their great zeal for simplicity in worship, had removed all instruments of music from the church. John Milton may have played the organ in St. Giles. Milton, England’s greatest epic poet, who worshipped regularly in the church up to 1674, has written of the church organ as “rolling waves of sound on roof and floor”. His ‘Il Penseroso’ contains the lines:

“There let the pealing organ blow

In the full-voiced choir below

In service high and anthems clear.

As may with sweetness, through mine ear,

Dissolve me into ecstasies

And bring all heaven before mine eyes”

Milton’s father was well known as a musician and composer and John Milton himself was no indifferent performer on the organ; and was the friend of many eminent organists of his day including the aged Monteverdi. Milton met Claudio Monteverdi, then organist of St Mark’s and a member of the choir, when on a visit to Venice in May 1639. An organ in Vallombrosa used to be shown as one on which Milton actually played during this tour. John Milton’s nephew, Edward Phillips, who lived with him in Aldersgate Street and was tutored by him for a time from the autumn of 1640, stated that the household had a studious routine. The daily rest period was for an hour or so before lunch. During this period Milton frequently played the organ or some other instrument. This custom was still continued twenty years later when Milton lived in Jewin Street, near Redcross Street.  There is a pleasant tradition, unsupported by evidence, that Milton played the organ at Hampton Court during the years 1649-1652, which organ has since been removed to Tewkesbury Abbey. It is of course possible that he played this, and an organ in St Giles. When in 1660 onwards blindness and age kept him to his house in Jewin Street he played the organ more frequently. A minute in St Giles Church Vestry Book dated 6th August 1673, records: “that the Churchwardens do take sufficient care forthwith that the floor of the gallery whereon the Organ standeth be well and sufficiently amended, and that there be pallasados set up, and the charge thereof be allowed to them in their accounts”.

In 1688, the organ was repaired and cleaned by Father Smith, the famous organ builder, at a cost of twelve pounds. In 1704 many alterations and additions were made in the church, amongst these being the erection of a large singers and organ gallery at the west end of the church, on which was placed a new organ, the old organ being removed from the church. The fine new three manual organ of 1704 was the work of Renatus Harris, and cost four hundred pounds. The Parish retained the services of the celebrated Dr John Blow, one of the masters of Henry Purcell and organist of the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey, to advise them on the building progress. Dr Blow was extremely satisfied with the result. Indeed such admiration, appreciation and interest was aroused that clergy and organists came from far and near to hear it played. When Renatus Harris was commissioned to build the organ for St Dionis Backchurch, it was stipulated in his agreement that the organ should look and sound like the new organ in St Giles Church, Cripplegate. Harris’s organ had an elaborately carved oak case ornamented with well designed gilt cherubs. It was cleaned and maintained by Mr Harris until 1709, in December of which year the Vestry appointed Mr Abraham Jordan to look after the organ. In 1726 the organ front was regilded at a cost of £21, and over the following years there was some renewal of movements and voicing, as well as minor repairs and re-cleaning.

By 1734 the care of the organ had passed to Mr Bridge and, at a cost of £170, he effected a number of small repairs and added several stops.  Various repairs were made during the following years, but nothing of importance was done until 1840, when Messrs Gray and Davison put the organ in thorough order at a cost of £250. This was in fact a rebuild of the Renatus Harris organ of 1704, retaining all the original materials and the additions of 135 years, and resulting in a much superior instrument. The large organ and singers gallery, built in 1704, was dismantled in 1864, and the organ moved to the foot of the tower. This new position was not satisfactory, and in 1878 the organ was further moved from the fl oor at the west end of the church to a more appropriate position at the east end of the north aisle, where the new Chancel organ stands today

The Grand (west) organ

After the war when restoration work got under way at St Giles the first thoughts were to consult Messrs J W Walker and Sons about a new organ similar in size and performance to that destroyed. Then the situation suddenly changed. In December 1959 St Luke’s Church, Old Street was declared dangerous, due to the subsidence of the foundations. Noel Mander immediately, and at personal risk, dismantled St. Luke’s magnificent organ of 1733 and brought it to the south aisle of St Giles Church for storage. When the two parishes were united the organ became the property of St Giles Church and it was agreed that it should be rebuilt here by N P Mander Ltd.  The St Luke’s organ was built by Jordan and Bridge in 1733 and was presented  to St Luke’s by a Mr Buckley of Old Street. The organ contained 22 stops over 3 manuals. Its case was almost identical with that of the St Giles Harris organ of 1704, and it is most likely that it was made by the same cabinet-maker, or one of his pupils. Henry Smart composer of many popular hymns, organ pieces and anthems, was appointed organist of St. Luke’s in 1844. He left in 1865, by which time he was totally blind, and moved to be organist of St Pancras Church. Under Smart’s direction in 1844 Messrs Gray and Davison, who were also then maintaining the St. Giles organ, carried out a great deal of work. This 1844 rebuild resulted in Great 14 stops, Swell 9, Choir 7, Pedal 2, couplers 6In 1862 Messrs Gray and Davison added a Pedal Reed and one year later ‘Father’ Willis rebuilt the whole organ; John Stainer (later Sir John Stainer), then organist of St Paul’s Cathedral, was consultant in this rebuild, which reduced the Great by two stops.  ‘Father’ Willis undertook further repairs and cleaning in 1883 under the guidance of C W Pearce, who was organist from 1874 to 1885. Mr Pearce was advised in this work by Sir John Stainer.  In 1902 Henry Jones of Fulham added two entirely new stops to the pedals, a  Trombone Reed and a Pedal Bourdon.  The organ suffered some slight damage in 1940 when incendiary  bombs fell on the roof of St Luke’s; minor repairs were speedily effected. In 1947 Messrs N P Mander overhauled and thoroughly cleaned the instrument, and installed a new blowing plant and motor. The church was unable to raise the necessary finance for other recommended improvements (a new console, addition of string tone and work on the action). Nevertheless, the fine tone of the organ was such that a number of recitals were broadcast on the BBC Third programme in the immediate post-war years.

 

Now, following the Organ Appeal, there are three organs in St Giles in regular use.

Specifications

Chancel Organ (Mander Organs 2008) Great Organ (6 stops)                             1.  Open Diapason            8           2.  Stopped Diapason        8           3.  Principal                      4           4.  Fifteenth                      2           5.  Mixture IV                 11/3           6.  Trumpet                       8                Swell to Great Swell Organ (6 stops)           7.  Gedackt                      8           8.  Principal                      4           9.  Chimney flute               4         10.  Recorder                      2         11.  Sesquialtera II           22/3         12.  Oboe                           8                Tremulant

Pedal Organ ( 3 stops)  

        13.  Bourdon                     16
        14.  Principal                      8
        15.  Trumpet                       8
               Great to Pedal
               Swell to Pedal
Compass

Key compass         C to a3        (58 notes)
Pedal compass       C to f1        (30 notes) Straight Concave

Practice Organ (situated in the vestry, with its own entrance from the churchyard)

(Tickell 2009)

MANUAL 1

Stopped Diapason           8
Principal                         4

MANUAL 11            

Chimney Flute                 8
Spitz Flute                      4

PEDAL                             

Open Flute                      8
Manual 1 to Pedal Coupler

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GRAND ORGAN 

Organ by Jordan and Bridge 1733, Fr. Willis 1863, N.P. Mander Ltd. 1941,1970,1991 Swell (enclosed) Open Diapason 8 Viola 8 Stopt Diapason 8 Principal 4 Fifteenth 2 Mixture lll Contra hautboy 16 Cornopean 8 Clarion 4 Tremulant Pedal Open Diapason 16 Bourdon 16 Octave 8 Gemshorn 4 Mixture lll Trombone 16 Trumpet 8 Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal Cymbelstern

Great

Double Open Diapason 16
Open Diapason 8
Stopt Diapason 8
Principal 4
Flute 4
Twelfth 2 2/3
Fifteenth 2
Larigot 1 1/3
Mixture lll
Fourniture lV-Vl
Mounted Cornet V*
Trumpet 8*
Clarion 4*
Great Reeds on Choir
Swell to Great
Choir to Great 

Choir

Stopt Diapason 8
Dulciana 8
Principal 4
Nason Flute 4
Nazard 2 2/3
Spitz Flute 2
Tierce 1 3/5
Cymbel lll
Cremona 8
Mounted Cornet V* (from Great)
Tremulant