St Mary's Priory Church, Brownedge, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lancashire
The Benedictines from Ampleforth established themselves in Bamber Bridge in 1780, and still serve here today. St Mary's is a grand and beautiful church with a 120ft high spire which pre-dates the present church by some 40 years. In 1891 Peter Pugin, son of the better known Augustine Welby Pugin, rebuilt the church in the gothic style, The work involved adding the Apse and Transepts, the Sacred Heart Chapel and Lady Chapel, lifting the roof of the Nave and adding the rose windows. The church was extended in length to 192ft, including the chancel and porch. The work was completed by August 1892.
In 1927 the peal of six bells were replaced by eight,and at the same time a new clock was installed in the tower. This clock, has the distinction of being, in all but size, exactly the same as the better known Big Ben at Westminster.
The three-manual tabstop console is situated at ground level on the North side of the church. The speakers and amplifiers are at the East end behind the High Altar facing East; the architecture and natural resonance of the building pushing the sound Westward.
In the Summer of 2007 we are lending the church a 2-manual organ for their Summer Festival
Photos to the left are (in order):
The church from the South
The East End
A concert viewed from the West End (you can see three Eminent organs in this photo!)
High Mass
The Cantata II organ used during the 2007 Festival
16 Double Diapason
16 Bourdon
16 Quintaton
32 Contra Bourdon
8 independent memories for
piston settings
18 Audio Channels Console finished in medium rusting oak
Great Organ
8 Open Diapason I
8 Open Diapason II
8 Harmonic Flute
4 Principal
4 Flute
22/3
Twelfth
2 Fifteenth
Mixture IV
Sharp Mixture III Alterable
16 Double Trumpet
8 Trumpet
8 Clarinet Alterable
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Swell Organ (enclosed)
8 Geigen Diapason
8 Gedackt
8 Echo Gamba
8 Voix Celeste
4 Principal
4 Rohr Flute
2 Fifteenth
Mixture IV
Scharf IV Alterable
16 Fagott
8 Cornopean
8 Oboe
8 Vox Humana Alterable
4 Clarion
Tremulant
Choir Organ (enclosed)
8 Chimney Flute
8 Salicional
8 Unda Maris
4 Gemshorn
4 Flute
22/3
Nazard
2 Block Flute
1 Sifflote
Sesquialtera II
Tremulant
Bombarde
16 Double Trumpet Alterable
8 Orchestral Trumpet
4 Clarion
V Grand Chorus Alterable
Swell to Choir
Pedal Organ
16 Violone
16 Bourdon
16 Subbass
8 Octave
8 Gedackt
4 Choral Bass
IV Mixture
32 Contra Bombarde Alterable
16 Bombarde
8 Trumpet Alterable
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
Great & Pedal Combinations Coupled
Pedal to Great (Auto Bass)
Registration Aids
8 thumb pistons for each of Swell, Choir and Great & Pedal
8 General thumb pistons
Reversible thumb pistons for Ch to Ped, Gt to Ped, Sw to
Ped,
Sw to Gt, Sw to Ch, Ch to Gt
Toe pistons for Sw-Gt, Gt-Pd and Advance
Stop sequencer system with 16 pages and 8 steps per page
Sequencer Advance thumb piston in Swell key slip
Setter and General Cancel thumb pistons
Audio