Glen Innes Presbyterian

From 1998 OHTA Conference booklet:

Presbyterianism in the Glen lnnes area began with The Revd Archibald Cameron, a most fervent preacher renowned for his marathon sermons and who ministered to the Scottish pioneers of Wellingrove in 1854. The foundation stone of the first Presbyterian church was laid on 13 February 1866, but it was not until 6 February 1870 that the Glen lnnes church was finally opened and dedicated. At an annual Congregational meeting in 1908 it was resolved that a suitable, central site for the erection of a new church be secured. In 1914 a certain John Rogerson donated the required blocks of land on Macquarie Street, and pald for the taxes until the church buildings were completed. It was not until 1919 that work was commenced on the present church, building progress having been retarded by the First World War. From seven builders who tendered, Mr EW Hickey a Iocal contractor, was successful. The foundation stone ceremony was carried out by the State Moderator The Revd G.A. Gordon on 4 February 1920. [1]

The main entrance of the church, facing Macquarie Street has two flights of stairs 4.27m wide. The memorial foundation stone is to be found on the wall midway. The tower is 24.4m square while the vestibule is 9.1m x 8.23m. The roof is of the hammer-beam truss principle and features Richmond River pine. Behind the centrally placed pulpit stands the organ, presented by the Cameron family. Built by J.E. Dodd in 1923, the dedication service was held on Sunday 24 February. On the following Thursday the organist and choirmaster, Mr John Sinclair, gave the first recital in which he declared the organ to be the 'crowning gift of all, completing the efforts of the congregation'.[2]

In 1929, Whitehouse Bros. added the Great Dulcet 4' and the Swell Violin Diapason 8'. A rebuild by the same firm was begun in 1978 but was not completed by 1982, by which time that firm had gone out of business. In 1985 Brown & Arkley carried out the rebuild with Kelvin Hastie as consultant. The work included moving the detached Dodd console to its present location, the refurbishment of the Whitehouse action and some tonal work.

The current specification is: [3]

GREAT
Open Diapason
Claribel
Dulciana
Principal
Harmonic Flute
Fifteenth

SWELL
Violin Diapason
Hohl Flute
Gamba
Gemshorn
Oboe
tremulant

PEDAL
Bourdon
Bass Flute

compass 58/30

detached stopkey console
electro-pneumatic action

COUPLERS
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell Sub Octave
Swell Super Octave
Swell Sub to Great
Swell Octave to Great
Great Octave

8
8
8
4
4
2

8
8
8
4
8

16
8

A

A

B

B

C
C

[1] The Jubilee Year of the Cameron Memorial Church, Glen Innes, N.S.W, 1970, pp.4-10 passim.
[2] lbid., p.13.
[3] Specification supplied by Kelvin Hastie, June 1998.

From the Sydney Organ Journal (Winter 2010), Richard Ward writes:

The first Presbyterian church building in the town of Glen Innes was opened in 1870, to be replaced in 1920 by the present Cameron Memorial Church building, named in honour of the Revd Archibald Cameron who began his ministry in the Glen Innes area (at Wellingrove) in 1854. Designed by architects Messrs Ross & Rowe and built by contractor Mr F. W. Hickey, 9 the present building was dedicated and opened on 8 December 1920 by the Revd J. G. Gibson, Moderator General. 10

The Cameron family offered to provide a pipe organ for the new building and negotiations with J. E. Dodd had commenced by early 1922. Correspondence between J. E. Dodd and the Revd A. Cameron shows that the cost of an instrument of 15 ranks had been quoted at £1360 plus £125 for freight and travel costs for two men. A smaller instrument with tubular pneumatic action and “with sub and super couplers” was eventually agreed upon and the organ ordered in 1922. This seems to be the instrument quoted at a cost of £735. 11 The organ was finally installed in February 1924.

The Cameron Memorial Church organ was given in memory of Christina, the wife of the Revd Archibald Cameron and the opening and dedication took place on 24th February, 1924. An unusual heart-shaped brass plaque on the organ bears the inscription:

IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF
CHRISTINA CAMERON
PRESENTED BY HER
SONS & DAUGHTERS
24:2:1924

The opening ceremony was conducted by John Sinclair, of Waterloo with words, “I consider this beautiful organ is the crowning gift of all, completing the efforts of the congregation. It is more than that – it is a beautiful tribute to the life, the work and the memory of a parent who did so much in her generation.”

The Glen Innes Examiner further described the event:

“Spacious as is the new church it was not equal to seating the vast congregation which assembled for the dedicatory service on Sunday morning. Every seat was occupied and, in addition, forms and chairs were placed down the aisles and wherever space permitted . . . After a short dedicatory prayer, Mr. John Sinclair, on behalf of the congregation, received the instrument and formally unlocked it and opened it for us . . . Mr. Sinclair then unlocked the console of the organ, and switched on the electric power. The organist, Mr. Arnold Coleman, took his seat at the key board and, the congregation rising, the Te Deum was sung . . .” 12

The appearance of the organ is described:

“The case is in oak, French polished. The arrangement of the front pipes consists of two flats, intersected by towers of the pipes of the great diapason, with a small tower in the centre. The tower pipes stand on a massive moulded truss, and are surrounded with handsome bands in oak, richly carved and moulded. The pipes are decorated in gold and silver, the ground work being a rich silver shade . . . The artistic lines of the case and execution are the acme of decorative art, and well worthy of the fine instrument it screens”.

The Examiner article goes on to describe an organ of “ten speaking stops and three couplers,” however, the organ actually had only eight ranks of pipes. It seems that the Examiner used copy from the newspaper article in the Quirindi Gazette of 11 January, previously quoted.

At the time of the opening, the organ was described as follows:

“The organ has been built by Mr. J. E. Dodd, of Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, Pipe Organ Manufacturer. The case is made of polished Pacific Oak, which has been toned to match the church furnishings. The console, being detached, has been placed within the choir stalls, which enables the player to have full control of the choir. The action is tubular pneumatic throughout, and the mechanical facilities are all that could be desired, enabling the performer to provide numerous combinations with the most pleasing effects. The organ contains eight speaking stops and six couplers, arranged immediately above the swell manual, thus giving tremendous facility in stop control.

“This instrument has been manufactured in its entirety by Mr. Dodd at his Pipe Organ Works in Adelaide and Fitzroy (Victoria), all the wood and metal pipes being made in the before-mentioned factories of the builder, the metals used in the pipes being produced in the Commonwealth – the zinc from the Electrolytic Zinc Company, and the tin from Mount Bischoff (Tasmania).

“The organ possesses many excellencies, and is undoubtedly one of the best and most effective instruments of its size in Australia, and is more than capable of holding its own with any other low-pressure organ of the same size. The builder is to be more than congratulated for the remarkable purity and character of tone of each of the stops, which in ensemble and with the couplers in use, gives a volume of sound that is truly astonishing”.

SPECIFICATION OF THE ORGAN

Great Organ. Compass CC to A – 58 Notes.
1.- Open Diapason, metal, 8ft.
2.- Claribel, wood, 8ft.
3.- Dulciana, metal, 8ft.
4.- Flauto Traverso, wood, 4ft.

Swell Organ. Compass CC to A – 58 Notes.
1.- Hohl Flute, wood, 8ft.
2.- Viole D’Orchestre, metal, 8ft.
3.- Dulcet, metal, 4ft.

Pedal Organ. Compass CCC to F – 30 notes.
1.- Bourdon, wood, 16ft tone.
Every stop full compass, Total, 436 pipes.

COUPLERS
Swell to Great. Swell super octave, Swell sub octave. (Swell couplers available throughout Unison to Great.) Unison to Great Off. Swell to Pedal. Great to Pedal.

ACCESSORIES
2 Double Acting Pedals to Great Organ.
2 Double Acting Pedals to Swell Organ.
Balanced Crescendo Swell Organ Pedal.
Tremulant to Swell by Stop Key.
Electric Motor and Blower controlled from Console. 13

The Dulcet is a narrow-scaled pipe of the Dulciana type, at 4 ft pitch. In the specification given to E. H. Wood, who made the other metal pipes, this rank is shown as a Gemshorn 4ft, 14 however, the Dulcet was substituted before the organ was completed. Dodd is known to have imported these pipes from C. C. Michell of Wakefield, Yorkshire and is thought to be the only Australian builder to have used pipes from this firm. 15

A choral and organ recital was given on 22nd September, 1924 by the organist, Mr A. R. Coleman and a number of choral items and solos were rendered. The Glen Innes Examiner reported that:

“. . . Particularly pleasing were the violin soli given by Mr. N. K. Sligo whose fingers are by no means losing their cunning, and intonation and technique are always a delight. Mr. A. R. Coleman, who is choir master as well as organist essayed a number of soli which showed at once the quality and capacity of the magnificent Cameron Memorial Organ, and his own fine capabilities at the key board. In addition to those men mentioned, outside musicians assisting the choir were Mr. Tucker (bass) and Mr. G. Clark (cornet).” 16

Whitehouse Bros of Brisbane commenced tuning the organ in 1927. In June 1928, it was evident that some repairs were needed and by April 1929, the “shocking condition of the organ” was reported on. Whitehouse Bros were contacted to quote for the cost of repairs and the installation of the new stops suggested by the organist, Mr West. 17

In 1929, Whitehouse Bros of Brisbane carried out the following work:

Alterations and additions to the pipe organ 365
Alterations to front case and back of pulpit 18 10
Supplying new Ventus blower 50
£ 433 10

These alterations included the addition of cone valve windchests operating on pneumatic action off the note channels of the Dodd slider chests. A Violin Diapason 8 ft was added to the Swell, the Dulcet 4 ft was moved to the new Great windchest and an Oboe 8ft was added to replace the Dulcet pipes on the Swell. The new pipes were made by Alfred Palmer of London. 18

The specification of the enlarged instrument was:

Great
Open Diapason 8
Claribel 8
Dulciana 8
Flauto Traverso 4
Dulcet 4

Swell
Violin Diapason 8
Hohl Flute 8
Viole 8
Oboe 8
Tremulant

Pedal
Bourdon 16
Bass Flute 8 (by extension)

Couplers
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Swell Sub Octave
Swell Super Octave
Swell Sub to Great
Swell Octave to Great

Accessories
3 combination pistons to Sw
3 combination pistons to Gt
Compass 58/30

8
8
8
4
4

8
8
8
8

16
8

Tubular-pneumatic action.

The organ continued to be maintained by Whitehouse Bros who carried out a further rebuild in 1978 when the action was converted to electro-pneumatic and the console was moved to its present side location with Laukuff keyboards installed.

In 1985, the organ was rebuilt by the Sydney firm of Brown & Arkley, with Kelvin Hastie as consultant. Work included restoration of the windchests, re-leathering of the bellows, installation of new solid state switching and wiring, and re-making the interior of the console with new oak. The Swell Violin Diapason was extended to give a Gemshorn 4 ft and the Great Dulcet was revoiced and extended to give a Principal 4 ft and Fifteenth 2 ft. 19

Hastie comments that the Violin Diapason and Dulcet pipes were of a good quality that leant themselves to extension with little intervention to the structure of the organ and at relatively little expense. 20

The specification of the organ since 1985 is as follows:

8
8
8
4
4
2

8
8
8
4
8

16
8

A

A

B

B

C
C

Accessories
3 combination pistons to Sw
3 combination pistons to Gt
Electro-pneumatic action
Compass 56/30

A plaque on the console records:

“This Pipe Organ was restored by the Congregation of the Glen Innes Uniting Church in 1985”.

In 2005, the organ was cleaned by Ian Brown & Associates and a plaque records:

“To the glory of God this pipe organ was restored in memory of Bill and Carlie Cameron active members of this church by their son and daughters Archie, Eve and Elizabeth. September 2005”.

Whilst this organ has been altered considerably from its original form, the Dodd pipe work has been retained and tonal alterations have been in sympathy with Dodd principles. This has resulted in an instrument that has good tonal variety with a very satisfying ensemble sound. The organ has been well cared-for over the years and its heritage value lies in the fine casework by Dodd with some original pipe work and windchests.

Organists at Munro Memorial Uniting Church, Quirindi

Miss Prior 1921 21
Miss Merrick 1920s – 1930s
Mrs Doris Lobsey (for 20 years)
Mrs Lyn Brown
Jacqueline Ahmelman 1999 to present. 22

Organists at Cameron Memorial Uniting Church, Glen Innes

Arnold R. Coleman 1924-1926.
Jean Cameron 1926 (relief organist).
J. C. McKelvie 1927-1928 (also gave recital for opening of organ in St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Inverell). 23
Arch H. West 1929-1932 (also gave recital for opening of organ in Taylor Memorial Methodist Church, Inverell). 24
Eric Goodsell 1933-1936
Mrs Jessie Coleman, nee Scott 1933-
Bessie Hutton 1936-1960s 25
Tom (?) Dodman 1940s
John Johnston c. 1957
Arthur Lee
Mrs Heather Wass 26
Bruce Tucker
Belle Carson
Elva Donaghue

Photos: Trevor Bunning (Sept. 2007)

9 The jubilee year of the Cameron Memorial Church, Glen Innes, NSW, 1920-1970, p. 8.

10 Glen Innes Examiner, 9 Dec 1920, ‘A spiritual pilgrimage – Presbyterianism’s new home’.

11 Minutes of the Committee of Management, Cameron Memorial Church, 1909-1929, p.158.

12 Glen Innes Examiner, 25 Feb 1924, ‘The crowning gift. Memorial organ dedicated’.

13 The Cameron Memorial Church, Glen Innes, dedicatory service in connection with the new pipe organ, Sunday, February 24th, 1924. (Leaflet).

14 Dodd, Copy of letter to E. H. Wood, 28 Apr 1923.

15 Brown, I., personal communication, 5 Jan 2008.

16 Glen Innes Examiner, 25 Sep 1924, ‘Choral recital. Choice music at Cameron Memorial’.

17 Minutes of the Committee of Management, Cameron Memorial Church, 1929-1941, p. 3.

18 Brown, op. cit.

19 Brown, op. cit.

20 Hastie, K,, personal communication, 21 May 2008.

21 Quirindi Gazette, 10 Jun 1921, op. cit.

22 Lobsey, M., personal communication, 29 Jan 2008.

23 Inverell Times. 28 Sep 1927, ‘New organ for St Andrew’s’.

24 Eddy, M, Eddy, N, Fuller, P (eds) 2004, Gems for His Kingdom. Inverell Uniting Church, Inverell

25 Minutes of the Committee of Management, Cameron Memorial Church, 1929-1941.

26 Tucker, B., personal communication 29 Aug 2007