The Church Organ

  For the first 5 years, singing in Chalmers Church was led by a precentor with a tuning fork.  Only metrical psalms and paraphrased scripture passages were sung.  The congregation sat for singing and stood for prayers.

 In 1868, an harmonium was introduced into Chalmers.  It cost £80.  The harmonium bears a Medal of Honour from the Paris Exhibition of 1865

In 1900, a pipe organ ("a kist of whistles") built by Josiah E Dodd was installed to replace the harmonium.  The organ cost £632 which was raised by subscription.  The harmonium was sold for £20, but has since been reacquired, and is displayed near the current organ console.

In 1912, JE Dodd installed a hydraulic motor to the organ for a cost of £64.  This did away with manual blowing of the organ.

This organ was subsequently sold to the Church of the Epiphany at Crafers in 1960.

 The current organ installed in Scots Church started life as the 1882 Fincham and Hobday organ installed in the Flinders Street Presbyterian Church.

 Following the sale of the Flinders Street Church, the organ was moved to Scots, rebuilt and installed in 1960 by JE Dodd at a cost of £3,700. In 1969 it was enlarged by JE Dodd & Sons Gunstar Organ Works.

 During 1989 - 1990, the organ underwent a major restoration and enlargement by Leith Jacob, organ builder of Adelaide.  New pipework was added to the front and horizontal trumpets at the back of the church.  A third keyboard was added to the console.

In 1994 another 24 pipes were added, and in 2000 additions were made to the Pedal Organ, a new rank was added to the Great Organ and other improvements made.

 

The organ now has nearly 1900 pipes.

Pedal Organ:   13 stops
Great Organ:   14 stops
Swell Organ:    13 stops
Positiv Organ:  14 stops

Leith Jacob was apprenticed to Gordon Gunn who together with his brother Sydney were the principals of the Gunstar Organ Works.  The companies of JE Dodd & Sons and Gunstar Organ Works amalgamated in 1942.

PEDAL
1. Open Diapason	16’		30 pipes
2. Bourdon	16’		30 pipes
3. Dulciana	16’	From No. 14
4. Quint	10⅔’	From No. 2
5. Cello	8’	From No. 16
6. Octave Quint	5⅓‘	From No. 2
7. Fifteenth	4’	From No. 16
8. Trombone	16’	From No. 50
9. Double Trumpet	16’	From No. 35
10. Trumpet	8’	From No. 35
11. Tromba	8’	From No. 50
12. Clarinet	8’	From No. 52
13. Octave Tromba	4’	From No. 50
GREAT ORGAN
14. Contra	16’		68 pipes
15. Open Diapason	8’		56 pipes
16. Viola	8’		68 pipes
17. Claribel	8’		56 pipes
18. Gedact	8’		56 pipes
19. Dulciana	8’		56 pipes
20. Octave	4’		56 pipes
21. Flute	4’		56 pipes
22. Twelfth	2⅔’		56 pipes
23. Fifteenth	2’		56 pipes
24. Mixture	III		138 pipes
25. Tromba	8’	From No. 50
26. Octave Tromba	4’	From No. 50
27. Horizontal Trumpet	8’	From No. 54
SWELL ORGAN
28. Open Diapason	8’		56 pipes
29. Viol de Gamba	8’		56 pipes
30. Hohl Flute	8’		56 pipes
31. Gemshorn	4’		56 pipes
32. Flauto Traverso	4’		56 pipes
33. Piccolo	2’		56 pipes
34. Sesquialera	II		112 pipes
35. Double Trumpet	16’		80 pipes
36. Contra Oboe	16’	Ten C No. 38
37. Trumpet	8’	From No. 35
38. Oboe	8’		56 pipes
39. Vox Humana	8’		56 pipes
40. Clarion	4’	From No. 35
POSITIV ORGAN
41. Prastant	8’	From No. 16
42. Koppelflote	8’	From No. 44
43. Octave Prastant	8’	From No. 16
44. Koppelflote	4’		56 pipes
45. Nazard	2⅔		68 pipes
46. Super Octave	2’		56 pipes
47. Terz	1 3/5’		56 pipes
48. Larigot	1⅓	From No. 45
49. Sifflote	1’	From No. 46
50. Contra Tromba	16’		80 pipes
51. Tromba	8’	From No. 50
52. Clarinet	8’		56 pipes
53. Octave Tromba	4’	From No. 50
54. Horizontal Trumpet	8’	Ten C	44 pipes
		TOTAL	1838 pipes

COUPLERS
Great to Pedal             Swell Sub
Swell to Pedal             Swell Octave
Positiv to Pedal           Swell Octave to Great
Positiv to Great            Great & Pedal Pistons coupled
Great to Positiv            Tremulant (Swell)
Swell to Positiv

PISTONS
4 Thumb Pistons to Swell
4 Thumb Pistons to Great
5 Thumb Pistons to Positive
4 Toe Pistons to Pedal

ORGANISTS AND CHOIRMASTERS 
Mr JW Daniel: 1878, Organist & Choirmaster, Chalmers Church
Mr William King: 1884-1890, Musical Director
Miss Hamer: 1884-1890, Organist, Chalmers Church
Mr Louis W Yemm: 1890-1896, Musical Director, Chalmers Church
Mr Gratton:1896-1899, Musical Director, Chalmers Church
Mr LA Bristow: 1886-1891, Conductor, Chalmers Church|
Mr Thomas N Stephens: 1891-1900, Conductor, Chalmers Church
Mr Louis Yemm: 1900-1910, Organist & Choirmaster, Chalmers Church *
Mr Wallace Burnett: 1910-1911, Organist & Choirmaster, Chalmers Church|
Mr Roy Mellish: 1911-1919, Organist & Choirmaster, Chalmers Church
Mr Sable Grivell LAB: 1919-1929, Organist & Choirmaster, Chalmers Church; 1929-1931, Choirmaster, Scots Church
Mr Ernest White ATCL: 1924-1929, Organist & Choirmaster, Flinders Street; 1929-1931, Organist, Scots Church;1931-1962, Organist & Choirmaster, Scots Church
Mr Rolland May MusBac: 1962-1979, Organist & Choirmaster, Scots Church
Miss Rhonda Hoare: Assistant organist for 62 years.1962, Interim choir mistress.
Mr Peter Haddrick BE(Arch), AMusA: 1979-2009, Organist & Choirmaster, Scots Church
From 2014  music has been provided by a team of organists. In 2012, this includes Mrs Jan Cockington, Dr Dirk Zadra and Mr Ashleigh Tobin.

* (In 1910 the organist’s salary was £65 and the blower’s wages were £9/6/6)