Organ 

The organ in St Mark’s is the work of Cousans of Lincoln and was installed in 1963. It is widely regarded as their finest organ and was tonally designed by Professor William Leslie Sumner, at that time one of the UK’s most respected organ experts. The case was designed by architect George Pace, incorporated in to his design for rebuilding the church after it sustained bomb damage in the Second World War. The organ was significantly overhauled by Wood of Huddersfield in 2015.

The console, electrical components, most leatherwork, and approximately six ranks of pipes were new in 1963; the remainder came mainly from the Forster & Andrews organ formerly in St Andrew’s Church, Grimsby. This had been built in 1877 and after fire damage was rebuilt and enlarged to three manuals by Cousans in 1908. The organ today contains approximately eighteen Foster and Andrews ranks, five ranks of 1963 pipes by pipe-makers Stinkens (of Zeist, Holland), a 1963 Trombone/Trumpet, a Swell Contra Hautboy bass octave and a Krummhorn bass octave probably made in Leeds, and two fine spotted metal ranks on the Great which look like the late 19th century work of T. C. Lewis.

In 2015 the Great Harmonic Flute was added to the instrument, reclaimed from a Willis Organ. It replaced the Gemshorn which has been moved to the Positive, which it in turn has replaced a redundant Dulciana. The Swell 16’ Contra Hautboy and 8’ Trumpet have been re-voiced on to the wind pressure of the flue pipes so that the swell has a more cohesive ensemble. An electronic transmission and combination piston system has been added by Musicom, which has modernised the instrument’s registration aids and increased its flexibility. 

Organ Specification

Pedal Organ

1 Open Wood  16
2 Bourdon  16
3 Echo Bass  16
4 Quint 10  2/3
5 Octave  8
6 Flute  8
7 Octave Flute  4
8 Trombone 16

Swell Organ

(Enclosed)

19 Open Diapason  8
20 Lieblich Gedacht  8
21 Salicional  8
22 Voix Celestes  8
23 Principal  4
24 Fifteenth  2
25 Mixture III  22.26.29
26 Krummhorn  8
27 Contra Hautboy  16
28 Trumpet  8

–  Tremulant  –

Couplers

Great Organ

9 Quintaton  16
10 Open Diapason No.1  8
11 Open Diapason No.2  8
12 Hohlflote  8
13 Principal  4
14 Harmonic Flute  4
15 Twelfth  2 2/3
16 Fifteenth  2
17 Mixture III  19.22.26
18 Trumpet  8

Positive Organ

29 Spitzflote  8
30 Stopped Diapason  8
31 Gemshorn  4
32 Nason Flute  4
33 Nazard  2 2/3
34 Blockflote  2
35 Tierce  1 3/5
36 Larigot  1 1/3
37 Trumpet  8 (from Gt.)

Swell Tremulant
6 thumb pistons to Great
6 thumb pistons to Swell
6 thumb pistons to Positive
6 toe pistons to Pedal
6 toe pistons duplicating Swell pistons
6 General thumb pistons (in treble and bass of Swell)
Swell to Great reversible thumb piston
Great to Pedal reversible thumb piston
Swell to Pedal reversible thumb piston
Positive to Pedal reversible thumb piston
Swell to Great reversible toe piston
Great to Pedal reversible toe piston
Two Stepper Advance thumb pistons and one toe piston
One Stepper Retard thumb piston and one toe piston
General Cancel Setter piston
Piston level selector panel & display