As a follow-up to my post on the Schulze organ at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Armley (Leeds), we come to "Schulze Part II: Doncaster Minster." Following the recital at Selby Abbey, and en route to Heathrow, we stopped off at Doncaster Minster to see the landmark Schulze organ - one which must be counted among the most influential and largest organs built in the UK in the 19th-century.

There are fabulous stories which accompany its genesis, including famously that Edmund Schulze slept within the construction of the organ in the Minster during its erection. It was also to this site that T.C. Lewis came to observe and learn – apparently Schulze was very generous in sharing his knowledge with curious British organbuilders. The 32’ Principal Bass was even assembled out of the packaging crates that transported the smaller pipe material on its long journey from Paulinzelle, Germany (Saxony). It was a massive instrument, with a famously massive (and reportedly noisy) action, and with some rather ingenious mechanical features. There were mechanical extensions of the 16’ pedal stops to 8’ (not unheard of, but nonetheless complicated), and certain stops from the Swell were duplexed to the Solo manual (somewhat similar, I suppose, to what William Hill accomplished with duplexed stops in Birmingham and Liverpool). But its lasting legacy is surely its arresting sound: scintillating, bold, intense, complex, and very much ALIVE!

Beginning with its 20-stop Great Organ - 32-16-16-8-8-8-8-6-4-4-4-3-2-IV Cornett-V Mixture-V Cymbal-16-8-8-(8 omitted)-4 - it’s an incredible textural experience of sound that saturates the entire harmonic spectrum in a spectacularly balanced vertical and horizontal ensemble. Compare that scheme to the 1854 Schulze scheme for the Marienkirche in Lübeck: 32-16-16-16-8-8-8-8-8-6-4-4-4-2-II Rausch-IV Cornett-V Mixtur-III Cymbel-16-8-4. It’s rather democratic dynamically, with a nonetheless powerful 16’ center of gravity, and reeds that color and diversify the pleno rather than dominate the blazing fireworks of the three mixtures. One can register a luminous quint-and-octave Pleno with the Mixtur and Cymbal, a clear reference point to the 18th-century tradition in its polyphonic integrity, but its an ensemble which sounds immediately identifiable with the sound aesthetics of 19th-century Germany when the 5 1/3’ Quint (a large Stopped Flute of the same scale as the 8’!) and Cornett IV are added (with or without the Mixture and Cymbal). 16-(16)-8-8-8-4-4-3-2-Cornett-(Trompete), for example, is a sound which draws the ear towards E.F. Walcker and his ‘Kornett-Mixtur’ idea, whereas the quint-octave-mixtures take us rather towards Ladegast. The 4’ Gemshorn is stringy, speechy, and altogether a gorgeous stop. The 8’ Hohl Flute is the one of triangular construction with a characteristically “matte” sound, and great variety in quality of tone and speech throughout the compass.

The 20-stop Swell Organ is impressive in numbers and somewhat diminutive in sound – possibly a reference to the relationship often between the “Tutti” of Manual I and Manual II on a German organ. It, too, boasts a three-mixture pleno (IV Cornett from tenor C, V Mixtur, and III Scharff) which mirrors the architecture of the Great, just at a reduced dynamic level. The reeds are similarly mirrored (16-8-8-8-8-4), but proportionally contribute more to the overall quality of sound emitted from this division than in the Great. The 8’ Terpodian is an 8’ string of silvery quality (lots of 4’ harmonic), and each of the 8’ stops possesses a partner of equal dynamic level at 4.’ There are no 2’ stops – reeds and upperwork take over from 4’ (Cornett is the logical next step vertically). Hill, Norman & Beard installed a pencil string and accompanying celeste in this division, which while fine and not unattractive, are clearly an intruding presence among these more relaxed sonorities. It’s interesting to see that in the massive 1854 J. H. Schulze organ in the Marienkirche Lübeck , the “Zweites Clavier” (Manual II, or in the Doncaster organ, the “Swell”) contains but two reed stops: 16’ Physharmonica (free-reed) and an 8’ Trompete.

The 13-stop Doncaster Choir Organ therefore finds its analog in the Lübeck organ’s “Dritte Clavier” (Manual III) of 14-stops. It’s yet another dynamic terrace up (i.e. softer), without chorus reeds or powerful mixtures, though extremely effective in Doncaster, owing to its favorable location speaking directly into the transept. It’s 3-rank Mixtur has disappeared, and its 8’ Clarinette has been moved to the Solo, but its foundations at 16-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-4-4-4-4-2 are nonetheless colorful and piquant. Among the seven 8’ stops, four have mirrors at 4’ pitch (could this still be a reference point to the 18th-century practice of multiples of 4’ stops which are simply extra 8’ stops when played an octave lower?). The 4’ Quintaten is interestingly the only stop of its kind in the organ – and it is among the most telling in this division, almost giving the impression of having added a 2 2/3’ Nazard, 2’ Flageolet, and 1 1/3’ Larigot when drawn. Lübeck’s organ had both a 8’ Aeoline (presumably a free-reed) and an 8’ Oboe in this department. Similary in Lübeck, the 8’ Terpodian was located in this department; it seems that in Doncaster, certain elements of Lübeck’s Manuals II and III ended up in the Swell, and the Choir division assumed an even more diminutive and coloristic role. The Flauto Travers and 8’ and 4’ is worth mentioning, first for its poetic color, but also for its unique construction (see photos), carved out of beech wood, with its interior air column equally carved out.

The 8-stop Echo Organ in Doncaster is the analog of Lübeck’s 9-stop “Viertes Clavier” (Manual IV), though THIS was the expressive division in Lübeck, surely for softer, ethereal effects, and for the solo Clarinette (I wonder if it was a free-reed as well, as was always the 16’ Aeoline of Ladegast in Manual IV?)

Doncaster:
16’ Tibia Major
8’ Vox Angelica (not a celeste)
8’ Harmonica
8’ Flauto Amabile
8’ Flauto Traverso
4’ Celestina
4’ Dolcissimo
II Harmonia Aetheria

Lübeck:
16’ Tibia Major
8’ Principal
8’ Fugara
8’ Flauto dolce
8’ Flauto amabile
4’ Octave
4’ Viole d’amour
III-VI Progressio harmonica
8’ Clarinette

Again, in Doncaster, this division is even more of an “Echo” of the Choir than Manual IV is an echo of Manual III in Lübeck. In fact, the Echo truly ‘echoes’ the Choir manual, including the very special wooden Flauto Traverso and delicate quint-octave mixture. The Harmonica is a quiet string stop of a rather neutral character and fewer overtones than your everyday Salicional. Knowing that Adolf Reubke built such stops (and his son, Julius calls for it specifically in his Sonata) makes one wonder if there’s a common thread here. It’s definitely NOT the construction and picturesque character of one of E.F. Walcker’s 8’ Holzharmonicas.

The 25-stop (!) Pedal Organ is then a perfect reflection of the Great and its vertical development – 32-16-16-16-16-16-12-8-8-8-6 2/5 Tierce-5 1/3 Quinte-4-3 1/5 Tierce-II Mixtur-II-Scharff-32-16-16-16-8-8-8-4. The Abbé Vogler woud be pleased with those 32’ series mutations (which work to great effect), not to mention the fantastic 32-16 Posaunes of free-reeds, sporting absolutely giant resonators and tremendous boots. Again, most 16’ stops have an accompanying stop at 8’ (wide, narrow, stopped). Dynamically, it’s not a hugely ‘powerful’ division, but impresses in color, texture, and breadth. One can accompany full Great (even without some of the reeds) with Full Pedal (with 32’ Posaune, etc.!) and the pedal will never dominate. Add “Great to Pedal” and the Pedal division is nearly doubled in dynamic power. Couplers are everything!

Well, there we are! What an organ! The organ is in tremendous need of a full restoration one of these days, but is still making glorious sounds many thanks to the nearly daily efforts of the exceptionally hospitable and generous L. Carrick Smith. I was so fortunate to have Carrick as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide and who took me through all corners of the instrument. We were joined by three of the organ scholars (all part of YOST, the Young Organ Scholar Trust) who also played and have lessons with music director Darren Williams on this marvelous instrument.

Hello from Chicago – nice to be home for just a few days with family!

Nathan