Page:The Early English Organ Builders and their work.djvu/39

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Organ Builders.
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the Chapel of St. Edmund; another in the Chapel of St. George; and a large organ in the choir. Davies, of Kidwelly, in his "Ancient Rites of Durham,"[1] has left us a curious passage concerning the organs of that rich foundation. He says:

"There were three pair of organs belonging to the said quire, for maintenance of God's service, and the better celebrating thereof. One of the fairest pair of the three stood over the

quire door, only opened and played upon on principal feasts, the pipes being all of the most fine wood, and workmanship very fine, partly gilt upon the inside, and the outside of the leaves and covers up to the top, with branches and flowers finely gilt, with the name of Jesus gilt with gold. There were but two pair more of them in all England of the same making; one in York and another in Paul's. Also there was a lantern of wood like unto a pulpit, standing and adjoining to the wood-organs over the quire door, where they had wont to sing the nine lessons in the old time, on principal dayes, standing with their faces towards the high altar. The second part stood on the north

  1. Compiled from ancient monastic MSS., and printed in 1672, 12mo.