Mr Bendy

There really isn't much you can say, other than nowadays the C of E would make them take it down and re-do it straight.

The organ pipes, on the other hand, were straight. At least, the bits on display. It's a bit of a cheat, actually, because the side towers' pipes should poke over the top of the case, but Henry Willis (I imagine it was HW 4, his firm put the organ in in 1963) mitred the pipes so they didn't. It was impossible to get a picture of this, but at the top of the pipes they put a 45-degree mitre back into the organ so the pipes were full-length but not poking up. I suspect an architect who didn't ask and didn't believe in talking to organ builders.

The photo of the church (Chesterfield PC) and the organ (north transept) were taken this last weekend when I wandered up there (207 miles).That's almost olympic-class wandering. The organ is quite loud by the altar under the crossing, but by virtue of its position, in the nave it's almost subdued. I would guess you lose about 40% of the sound. The choir's conductor swore that the pedal Trombone was coming from the other side of the building.

In two weeks' time the church is replacing the two blowers (one normal pressure, one booster for high pressure) and it's just as well, the organ had a nasty case of asthma when playing Philip Drew's (choral director) anthem. All the wind-guzzlers (Open Wood, 32' Bourdon, No1 Open Diapason) got pushed in and not used. I said it turned the performance into neo-baroque Drew. Not something usually associated with Cantores Vagantes.

You can see stonework holding up the organ case. The two arches piercing this stone screen (of the choir vestry) are very pointed, and this and the finish of the bare stone makes me think Edwin Maufe did these after the 1961 fire. A look in his Wiki entry doesn't mention it, but that list isn't exhaustive. Anyone with any answers, please let me know.

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