Chamber organ by James Bruce, c.1828

JAMES BRUCE CHAMBER ORGAN BELONGING TO SHEILA BARNES

This is the biggest surviving chamber organ by James Bruce and also by far the best preserved. Indeed, it is as close to being unaltered as any historic organ is.

James Bruce lived from 1786 to 1856. He started life working for Andrew Wood, and after his death in 1829, was in business himself in various forms. He worked from Edinburgh, and the area in which he was active ranged throughout Scotland and the north of England. Alan Buchan, who has written an essay about early 19^th century Scottish chamber organs in the Journal of the British Institute of Organ Studies 21 (1997), considers his organs to be the most accomplished of his time in Scotland.

These chamber organs share characteristics. They are all Gothic in appearance, with cases assembled around the organ, and probably made by an independent cabinet maker. They are remarkably uniform in general outline, though there is variation in detail. They are made of mahogany with some veneer, some inlay and carving. The standard of the exterior woodwork is very high.

The stoplist is as follows, according to the stop labels on bass and treble:

Fifteenth	Swell Hautboy
Flute	Swell Principal
Principal	Swell Dulciana
Stop Diapason Treble	Sesquialtra
Open Diapason	Stop Diapason Bass

The Stop Diapason is wood, the Flute is a metal chimney flute. The Sesquialtra is three rank. The upperwork is quite gentle.

There are three combination pedals.

The key compass is GG AA to f³. The Swell stops start at c¹.

The swell shutters are pivoted at the ends (i.e. Venetian shutters). There is a pedla to the right of the combination pedals, the blowing pedal is to the left. There is a two fold horizontal reservoir, with a feeder operated by a foot pedal, though there is also an electric blower.

The organ is in very good condition. There is a small amount of corrosion, especially in the swell, which is kept shut (unless depressed by the foot on the pedal). The Flute stop label is later, and there are one or two parts which have been replaced. The leather may well be original, and although it cannot be as efficient in holding wind as it was formerly, the electric blower allows it to be retained. There are no obvious ciphers or runnings. The organ feels reliable, no doubt partly because it is so well made, and partly because it has not been kept in either high or low humidity. At present the organ is hardly played or ‘maintained’, but it is in the best possible environment.

Report by MARTIN GOETZE and DOMINIC GWYNN ltd

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