St John's Anglican Church
cnr Oaks Avenue and Avon Road, Dee Why

Roger H. Pogson 1968 (2/6 extension electro-pneumatic)

2014 enlarged with electronic additions by Ian Sell of Virtual Pipe Organs, Australia





From SOJ Spring 1997, Summer 1997-98:

The organ was built by Roger Pogson in 1968 and is a unit organ of six ranks and two manuals.


The ranks consist of:

Principal
Stopped Diapason
Gemshorn
Gedact
Nazard 2-2/3
Tierce 1-3/5


Great
Principal
Stopped Diapason
Gemshorn
Octave
Flute
Twelth
Fifteenth
Tierce

Swell
Rohr Gedackt
Spitz Flute
Gemshorn
Nazard
Block Flute
Terz
Nazat
Octave

Pedal
Sub Bass
Bass Flute
Gedackt flute
Quinte
Super Octave
Tierce

8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5


8
8
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
1-1/3
1


16
8
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
 

Tremulant

 

From the Inaugural Organ Recital program (Friday 2 May 2014):

The Organs of St John's, Dee Why

Although the current church building was opened in 1958 it was another ten years before an organ was installed by the Sydney builder Roger H. Pogson. The organ contained six ranks, which were then 'extended' to create twenty-three stops over two manuals.

The organ was dedicated at a service in July 1968 in the presence of Sir Roden Cutler, Governor of New South Wales. Despite the organ's limited scope and potential it served the parish faithfully for nearly fifty years. The possibility of extending or replacing the organ has been considered several times, most recently last year when it was decided that with the advances in technology the Parish Council would investigate the possibility of augmenting the exsting pipework with the latest digital technology. The aim was to create the musically attractive and versatile instrument that the church had always lacked for services and concerts.

The contract for the augmentation of the organ was given to Ian Sell of Virtual Pipe Organs, Australia who has completed several similar commissions for churches and private homes across the East Coast, and who impressed us greatly with his craftsmanship, musicality and dedication to the instruments he builds.

lt was decided to replace the existing console with a new hand-built console, consisting of seventy-two stops over three manuals and pedals. The organ was also to include playing aids, such as couplers and pistons which were absent from the original instrument. It was imperative that the new specification included the original pipework, as we had no wish to abandon the pipework already in use in the church. The organist of St John's, Tom Edwards, in consultation with Ian Sell drew up a specification which included most of the real ranks on the Choir manual, with the 4 foot Principal forming part of the principal chorus on the Great. The new digital stops are produced using the latest digital technology created by the German company Hauptwerk who sample complete ranks of pipes from famous organs (our Tuba stop is from Hereford Cathedral in Englandl). The digital sounds are produced from speakers at the back of the organ chamber, and speak through the existing pipe work. Digital and real stops speak together in perfect unison and we would defy most people to tell the difference!

The Pogson organ was decommissioned following morning services on Sunday 6 April 2014; the last piece of music played on the organ was Intrada by the English composer, Grayston Ives. The installation of the new console and digital components began in the following week and was completed in time for the organ to be played for the first time on Palm Sunday 2014. The first voluntary played on the instrument on Easter Eve 2014 was Jean Langlais' Incantation pour un jour Saint which contrasts the Tuba and En Chamade Trumpet with the full organ. It was quite a sound. The new organ has made a great impact on music-making at St John's, the instrument looks and sounds beautiful and is an inspiration to play. St John's is very proud to be the custodian of this marvellous instrument and we have no doubt that it will contribute much to worship and to our ever-expanding concert series.


New console (2014)

 

The new specification is (pipe ranks in RED):

GREAT
Double Open Diapason
Open Diapason No 1
Open Diapason No 2
Stopped Diapason
Claribel Flute
PRINCIPAL
Wald Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Cymbal
Double Trumpet
Trumpet
Clarion

16
8
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
IV
II
16
8
4
   
SWELL
Contra Gamba
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Salicional
Viola da Gamba
Lieblich Gedackt
Vox Celeste
Principal
Flute
Flageoloet
Mixture
Double Trumpet
Cornopean
Oboe
Vox Humana
Clarion
Tremulant

16
8
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
2
III
16
8
8
8
4

   
CHOIR
Principal
Stopped Diapason
Flute Celeste
Dulciana
ROHR GEDACKT
Chimney Flute
GEMSHORN
NAZARD
Fifteenth
Flute
TIERCE
Larigot
Sharp Mixture
Sesquialtra
Clarinet
Orchestral Oboe
Tuba
Trumpet en Chamade

8
8
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
2
1-3/5
1-1/3
IV
III
8
8
8
8
   
PEDAL
Ope Wood
Open Diapason
Contra Violone
SUB-BASS
Bourdon
Principal
Flute
Fifteenth
Mixture IV
Bombarde
Trombone
Horn
Trumpet

32
16
16
16
16
8
8
4
IV
32
16
16
8
   

COUPLERS & PLAYING AIDS

Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell to Choir
Swell Octave
Swell Sub-Octave
Swell Unison Off
Choir to Great
Choir to Pedal
Choir Octave
Choir Sub Octave

Choir solo to Great
Swell solo to Great
Great Octave coupler

15 general pistons
6 pistons to each division
32' Open Wood on piston
32' Bombarde on piston

15 levels of memory

6 organ settings:

English Cathedral Organ (with pipes/digital)
French Romantic Organ (with pipes/digital)
German Baroque Organ (with pipes/digital)