Herbert Snow was a prominent reviewer of instruments in the 1930s and this article describes the quality of Arthur Harrison's work well.

Extract from The Organ in St. Mary’s Church, Stafford

By Herbert Snow

..... The parish church of St Mary was at one time collegiate, and evidently there was an organ doing duty there prior to 1779. The following entry appears in the corporation books dated 1779: “That Mr G. Bate be in future be prohibited from playing the piece of music called “The Storm.” Other information which is of interest is dated July 10^th, 1789: “The Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council commissioned John Geib to build a complete organ with twenty-four stops and with a deal case, to be erected on or before the 1^st day of May [1790] for the sum of £820. At a later meeting on August 25^th , 1789, a further sum was added to cover the cost of a mahogany case instead of the one which was to have been prepared from deal, and this was duly provided. The instrument was placed in a gallery at the west end of the church: it had twenty-four stops and three manuals, but no pedals. In 1844, it was moved to the north side of the chancel, and was more or less rebuilt by John Banfield, of Birmingham. The number of stops (including coupler) was increased to thirty-five; a pedal-board with a 16ft open stop was provided (labelled “pedal pipes”): and the organ was improved in other respects. There was a tradition that the twenty-four stop instrument was originally built for the Empress Catherine of Russia, but did not find its way there; and it would appear from the elaboration of the case that there might have been some truth in this. Some of the pipes in the two side towers have been renewed.

In 1878, further improvements and renovations were carried through by Banfield: and later (in 1883) again by the same firm under the supervision of Dr. E. W. Taylor, through whose enterprise, at a still later period, was added a keraulophon, vox humana, pedal bourdon, swell to pedal, and pneumatic motors to the great and swell organs, and a hydraulic blowing plant.

Fortunately,  the John Geib case still exists, and I cannot do better than quote the Rev. Andrew Freeman’s remarks contained in his excellent book, English Organ Cases, which read: “An early and rare example of a two-storied tower can be seen at St Mary’s, Stafford, were the original case of John Geib’s organ of 1790now from the east front of the present instrument. The central tower consists of nine pipes in each of its two stages: the side towers, with five pipes in each, are not divided. The case is very interesting an unusual; it would have been a fine one if the connecting flats had been more skilfully contrived.

The specification of the old organ (with just one doubt as to whether the swell organ contained a mixture as well as the sesquialtera) was as follows:

..... This instrument did duty right down to the year 1909, when the present organ was built, which has had only one cleaning since its erection.

HARRISON SPECIFICATION

..... The double open diapason is well defined all through: I have seldom heard better bottom notes. The large open is “full” and fat, with a tinge of “roundness”; while the small open, of velvety texture in the middle register, becomes a little keener in the upper notes than the large open. The octave is a peculiar stop, with a tone strength a little below that of the second open, yet it consolidates the flue tone admirably, being perky all through the compass. I cannot recall meeting with a similar specimen. Quite as interesting and as useful in its pitch is the octave quint, with the usual superoctave adding a little stronger tone without clashing with and spoiling the effective voice of the twelfth just mentioned. The mixtures (sesquialtera 17 19 22: CC to G, 44 pipes, 17 19 22; and G sharp to A, 14 pipes, 5 10 15) “fit in” without any ranks predominating; and the resulting chorus is very good. The blend and build-up have not been overlooked. The two flutes are typically Harrison: the hohl flute, which is open throughout, is clear and liquid, while the triangular flute is sharp and virile: both are real gems. The reeds (on wind pressures not exceeding 7 in) are smooth and not too close-toned examples with a strong unison: well defined in the upper notes and all very regular in tone. They certainly add lustre to the flue work without injuring it in any way, this making a most satisfying full great.

On the swell, there is a capital soft bourdon, without a semblance of sluggishness, which thickens the sombre, yet rich, tone of the open diapsason, this latter being a shade smaller in strength than the second open on the great. Considerable “brightness” is imparted to the chorus by a fine gemshorn, which is not too forceful in tone. The complete chorus with its sparkling mixtures (12 19 22: CC to A, 46 pipes ; A sharp to A, 11 pipes, 8 12 15), topped by a lively flautina, is ideal. The lieblich flote is a little brighter than the choir flauto traverso, and it speaks with full clarity; whilst the gedackt and strings, of mellow quality, provide an impressive accompanimental background, the vox angelica possessing just a suggestion of bite and the salicional a suggestion of reediness. The vox humana rather resembles a refined, soft-toned clarinet, without being too woody. Of the reeds, particularly alluring is the trumpet, which has plenty of flare; and the double trumpet; of little less fire and lighter in tone, provides a fine chorus double. The chorus is completed by the clarion: of the cornopean class, fairly big and highly penetrative. As an ideal solo reed, the oboe could hardly be improved upon, the tone being imitative right through. The crescendo is big.

The basic tone of the choir flue section is geigen, with the unison a little keener than the great No. 2 open. The octave is about half the power of its great organ companion; and the double geigen is of firm tone, particularly from middle C up, thus providing another species of diapason tone. This is capped by a delightful harmonic piccolo. For accompanimental uses, the dulciana (which is just an echo of the unison geigen) is quite capable of providing a “clear” background to some of the important solo stops. For their respective uses, the flutes are nicely graded, the flauto traverse (with a little orchestral tint) being a good contrast to the swell lieblich flote, and the rohr flote similarly to the great hohl flote. Both offer capital service either for broadening out the soft combinations or for use as solo stops. The clarinet has some exceedingly fine lower notes: it is also well defined in the upper register; and one need never have any qualms about its use in chords.

The solo organ flutes (on 5in wind) are not too big in tone nor is their tone forced. The harmonic stop is even throughout and carries a delightful bloom: while the concert flute is mellow and liquid. There is a good orchestral and woody flavour about the corno di bassetto, which is not so strong in tone as the choir clarinet; and the viol d’orchestre is most impressive, the lower notes resembling a muted viola, and in the upper notes there is a touch of “edge”. The crest of this organ is glorious tuba on 14in. wind. ..... It just floats above the full organ beautifully, and every note is clean, true and void of splutter. The 8ft orchestral hautboy is particularly imitative in the middle and upper regions, where the tone is almost an echo to the swell stop, but with a little orchestral sheen.

The pedal organ is very pleasing  because the open wood has plenty of “drive” and is crisp in speech. It will be noticed from the specification that this stop also provides eighteen notes for the 32ft double open: this latter is “felt” because no booming tone is emitted from these pipes. The open diapason (metal) is much smaller than the open wood; and although it is pungent, perhaps a little of the Willis contra bass calibre would be wise, seeing that the sub-bass is fairly soft. The violone from the gross geigen provides another variant. There is also plenty of reed tone available: 16ft ophicleide, 16ft saxophone (from solo corno di bassetto) and posaune 8ft (from ophicleide). The ophicleide is on 14in. wind and is excellent. Its tone is “free” yet intense and without rattle. The two 8ft accompanimental stops fill their respective uses admirably.