Keith Simpson email

From: Keith Simpson
To:
Sent: April 2023
Subject: School Organs

Dear Lewis,

Here is some information as requested about the organs at Liverpool Collegiate, of which there were three since the school was built:

The first organ at the school was installed by local organ builders Bewsher and Fleetwood in time for the school's opening in 1842. The official opening was carried out by William Gladstone on 6th January 1843.

It was a 3 -manual organ with a compass of only 54 notes on the manuals.  Unusually for a school organ, it had a cymbal stop on the pedals, and the reason for this is that it was used for concerts.  Indeed, the organ had been paid for by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society because the Collegiate Hall was at that time  the home of the Philharmonic, which had been founded just two years earlier by a group of music enthusiasts.

There is more information about the Philharmonic here:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philharmonic_Hall,_Liverpool

Seven years later in 1849, a great deal of controversy was caused  when the Philharmonic moved to new premises in Hope Street and instead of building a new organ there, they removed the Collegiate organ (as was their legal right)  to Hope Street, where it remained until it was replaced in 1930.

Within a year, a new organ was built at Collegiate by Richard Jackson who had organ works in Bolton and Liverpool. This was installed in 1850 and lasted until 1913 when it was replaced by what was to become the school's final organ, built by local firm Rushworth and Dreaper in 1913.

This was a 3 manual organ built using many of the pipes of the original Jackson Organ, but  now with 61-note manuals and a 32' pedal stop which we would use for the last verse of the morning hymn at assembly every day of the week.  

I recall that whenever the BBC or local radio came to record at the school, they asked me  to avoid deploying the 32' Acoustic Bass stop as it caused their microphones to distort!

There is further information on the National Pipe Organ Register:

https://www.npor.org.uk/search

[search term: Liverpool Collegiate School]

Despite the register erroneously referring to this organ as having electric action, I can confirm that the organ was in fact of tubular pneumatic action.  During my time as  pupil at the school (and school organist 1971 to 1975) I spent far too much  time at the organ and inside the cavernous organ loft!  

On a personal note, it was entirely due to the kindness of a teacher of mathematics (Mr L J Elwell) who came into the hall each lunchtime to teach me the organ that I became a church organist and still play now, over 50 years later.  I feel privileged to sponsor organ scholarships at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and Liverpool Bluecoat School to help encourage our future organists. 

I have attached some  photos of the organ, and hope some of this may be helpful in your research.

Kind regards,

Keith Simpson.