Organ

Canongate Kirk – Pipe Organ – Positioned in the Gallery. Built in 1998 by Th Frobenius & Sonner of Denmark – Op. 1000

Click on the links below to listen to pieces written by Helen Leach and played by Simon Leach, our organist, on the organ at Canongate Kirk.

Prelude for a Royal Swan was written to mark the 70^th Anniversary of the Accession to the Throne of Queen Elizabeth II, and was first played at the Canongate Kirk service that historic morning, 6^th February, 2022. Composed at the outset of lockdown in 2020 in the outhouse of our cottage in Hawick, The Black Rood of Scotland, a musical meditation on St Margaret’s priceless treasure, was first played for the Canongate Kirk Remembrance Service that year. An Edinburgh Farewell pays homage to the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and was composed especially for his Memorial Service held at Canongate Kirk Sunday 18^th April, 2021. Voicing the urgent need for good stewardship of the planet, The Call to Care for Creation was composed in September 2022 and dedicated to the new monarch, King Charles III, one of the most devoted ambassadors for this all-important cause.

More organ pieces

Click on the links below to listen to pieces performed on the Frobenuis organ by David Goodenough, our former organist at Canongate Kirk.

Prelude and Fugue in C Major BWV 545

Trio Sonata No.1 in E flat Major, BWV525 First Movement

Trio Sonata No.1 in E flat Major, BWV525 Second Movement

Trio Sonata No.1 in E flat Major, BWV525 Third Movement

Three Chorale Preludes for Advent and Christmas, from Das Orgelbüchlein:

i. Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes Sohn, BWV601

ii.Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich, BWV605

iii.Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich herr, BWV606

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (‘Dorian’), BWV538

The Organ was specially designed for Canongate Kirk as a memorial to the Very Reverend Doctor Ronald Selby Wright, the much loved Minister of Canongate from 1937-1977. It was built by the Th. Frobenius & Sønner, Orgelbyggeri A/S of Denmark, a firm well known in the organ world for meticulous craftsmanship and lyrical sound. The Canongate organ is their 1000^th instrument, and the first Frobenius in Scotland. The instrument is a two manual tracker action instrument with 20 stops, 3 couplers and tremulant. There are no pistons or general registration aids.

Registration:

Great	C-g’’’	Positiv	C-g’’’	Pedal	C-f’
Principal	8’	Fugara	8’	Subbas	16’
Rohrflute	8’	Gedeckt	8’	Hohlflute	8’
Octave	4’	Celeste	8’	Principal	8’
Gedeckflute	4’	Waldflute	4’	Basun	16’
Quint	2 2/3’	Flute	2’
Octave	2’	Quint	1 1/3’
Mixtur	IV	Sesquialtera	II
Trompet	8’	Obo	8’
		Tremulant	Variable Speed and Depth
Couplers	Gt/Ped	Pos/Ped	Gt + Pos

Pipes:	Inscriptions:
Great Organ = 616 pipes = 8 stops (11 Ranks)	On the case: Lauda Dominum Praise the Lord
Positiv (Swell) = 505 pipes = 8 stops (9 Ranks)	Deus magnus Dominus God the Lord is great
Pedal = 120 pipes = 4 stops	Lauda Deum Praise God
Total = 1241 pipes
Pitch = A440 cone tuned at equal temperament.

Materials:

Mahogany case

Oak console, bench and pedals

Yellow pine trackers

Cedarwood and leather pallets

Padouk wood reed heads

Pipes of Tin, Copper or Mahogany

Brass and aluminium metal work

Naturals of mammoth tusk ivory

Sharps of ebony

Draw stops of mammoth and ebony

Gold leaf inscription lettering

Swell shutters constructed of two mahogany panels with a lead sheet core.

Recordings:

The instrument has been recorded several times, most recently by the Edinburgh Society of Organists for their ‘Organs of Edinburgh’ CD book (Delphian) which can be ordered at: http://edinburghorganists.org.

Other recordings of the instrument include:

Complete Organ Works of Johann Krebs – Vol 1 – John Kitchen – Priory
Pachelbel: Organ Works Vol.2 – Matthew Owens – Delphian
JS Bach – Organ Works at Canongate Kirk – David Hamilton – Divine Arts

Inauguration:

The inaugural concert was given on 16^th November 1998 by Dr. John Kitchen, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Organist, The City of Edinburgh Organist and Director of Music at Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Edinburgh.

Organ

Click on the links below to listen to pieces written by Helen Leach and played by Simon Leach, our organist, on the organ at Canongate Kirk.

Inauguration:

The inaugural concert was given on 16^th November 1998 by Dr. John Kitchen, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Organist, The City of Edinburgh Organist and Director of Music at Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Edinburgh.

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Organ

Click on the links below to listen to pieces written by Helen Leach and played by Simon Leach, our organist, on the organ at Canongate Kirk.

Inauguration:

The inaugural concert was given on 16th November 1998 by Dr. John Kitchen, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Organist, The City of Edinburgh Organist and Director of Music at Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Edinburgh.

Charity Number

Can we help you find something?

The inaugural concert was given on 16^th November 1998 by Dr. John Kitchen, Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Organist, The City of Edinburgh Organist and Director of Music at Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Edinburgh.