A Short History of the Organs

The first known instrument in St Mary's was commissioned from John Geib in 1790. This instrument was housed on the west gallery and comprised twenty-four stops across three manuals. This was large for the time; St Paul's Cathedral had only twenty-seven stops and Canterbury only twenty-four. Interestingly, Lichfield Cathedral had only 23!

The case of this instrument was used as the south and west faces of later instruments in the chancel and is currently in use on the Hill, Norman and Beard organ at the west end of the nave. The plans and specification have been lost but George Gilbert Scott's account of the restoration of St Mary's includes the a partial specification of the Geib organ from Banfield's specification:

The second instrument was commissioned for the completion of the Gilbert Scott restoration in 1844. John Banfield of Birmingham modified and enlarged the Geib instrument. He also added pedals and the long movement. The galleries were demolished during the restoration and the organ was re-sited to the north side of the chancel at this time:

John Banfield's son (also John) built the third organ in St Mary's in 1878. This was basically a significant enlargement of his father's work. This instrument was clearly not reliable since major repair work was required only twelve years later. This work ultimately led to discussions about the fourth organ.

In 1907 a donation from two sisters opened the fund-raising for the Harrison & Harrison organ which was completed in 1909. This much larger instrument was constructed on the site of its predecessor and a new blowing chamber was excavated in the north-east corner of the graveyard. The frontal case of the Geib instrument still provided the west face of the Harrison organ. This organ has never been rebuilt or modified and now has been certified as a major historic instrument.

In 1974 the church was reordered and as part of the scheme, the choir was removed to the west end of the nave. It was decided that an organ here would be more practical and so the firm of Hill, Norman & Beard was commissioned to provide a three-manual, classically voiced instrument, the fifth organ in this church. This instrument employs an early bespoke electronic action.

Ian Miller (sources - Staffordshire Advertiser, John Masfen, Herbert Snow)