Renatus Harris: Difference between revisions
→Extant Harris organs: Remove St Bride's Fleet Street - the much-altered Harris organ there was destroyed entirely by incendiary bombs in WW2 and replaced in 1957 with a magnificent Compton instrument. |
→Extant Harris organs: Remove St Peter Mancroft Norwich - any trace of the Harris organ disappeared in the 19th century and the present organ there is an entirely new Peter Collins. |
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==Extant Harris organs== |
==Extant Harris organs== |
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The most complete surviving organ by Harris is that of [[St Botolph's Aldgate]], built in 1702 - 1704, which is also regarded as the oldest church organ in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/restored/aldgate]</ref> It was restored in 2005 - 2006 by [[Goetze and Gwynn|Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn]], and features in the documentary [[The Elusive English Organ]]. Among Harris' surviving or partially surviving organs are those of [[Bristol Cathedral]] (1685), [[All Hallows Twickenham]] (1700), and |
The most complete surviving organ by Harris is that of [[St Botolph's Aldgate]], built in 1702 - 1704, which is also regarded as the oldest church organ in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.goetzegwynn.co.uk/restored/aldgate]</ref> It was restored in 2005 - 2006 by [[Goetze and Gwynn|Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn]], and features in the documentary [[The Elusive English Organ]]. Among Harris' surviving or partially surviving organs are those of [[Bristol Cathedral]] (1685), [[All Hallows Twickenham]] (1700), and the [[Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors]]' Hall, [[City of London]] (1722) (Restored by [[Mander Organs]] in 1966). A Harris organ at [[Christ Church Greyfriars]], also known as [[Christ Church Newgate]], in [[London]] was destroyed along with the church during [[the Blitz]] in December 1940. The organ of [[St Michael, Cornhill]] contains nine ranks from the Harris instrument of 1684. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 15:27, 30 November 2014
Renatus Harris | |
|---|---|
| Born | ca. 1652 |
| Died | August / September 1724 Salisbury |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Children | Renatus Harris III, another son |
| Parent | Thomas Harris |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Organ making |
Renatus Harris (ca. 1652 - 1724) was a master organ maker in England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.
During the period of the Commonwealth, in the mid seventeenth century, Puritans controlled the country and organ music was banned in churches. Many organ makers left England for the continent, including Harris's father, Thomas. It was while the family was living in France that Harris was born. After the Restoration the family returned to England.
Harris grew up in his father's business and eventually became one of the two most prominent organ builders of his generation, along with his hated rival "Father" Bernard Smith. Harris had a flair for publicity and was not above using under-hand tactics against Smith. Harris's grandfather Renatus was also an organ maker, as were Renatus Harris's two sons (one also called Renatus).
He died at Salisbury in August or September, 1724.[1]
Organs of the Temple Church and Christ Church, Dublin
The rivalry between the two men led to the famous Battle of the Organs in 1684, when both were bidding for the contract to build the new organ for the Temple Church, London. Each erected an organ in the Temple Church and they hired prominent organists Giovanni Battista Draghi, John Blow and Henry Purcell to demonstrate the superiority of their instruments. Harris lost out to Smith, but in 1697, after Smith reneged on a contract for a new organ at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Harris appositely installed the instrument which had lost there instead. Harris's organ, which was installed and maintained by John Baptist Cuvillie, and later Philip Hollister, was replaced by an organ by John Byfield in 1752. However, the Harris-Cuvillie organ which survived the 'Battle of the Organs' today survives in St John's Church, Wolverhampton.
Extant Harris organs
The most complete surviving organ by Harris is that of St Botolph's Aldgate, built in 1702 - 1704, which is also regarded as the oldest church organ in the United Kingdom.[2] It was restored in 2005 - 2006 by Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn, and features in the documentary The Elusive English Organ. Among Harris' surviving or partially surviving organs are those of Bristol Cathedral (1685), All Hallows Twickenham (1700), and the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors' Hall, City of London (1722) (Restored by Mander Organs in 1966). A Harris organ at Christ Church Greyfriars, also known as Christ Church Newgate, in London was destroyed along with the church during the Blitz in December 1940. The organ of St Michael, Cornhill contains nine ranks from the Harris instrument of 1684.
References
- Williams, Peter F. (1961) ‘The organ in the church of St. John, Wolverhampton’, in: The Organ, vol. xli, no. 161 (July 1961), pp. 8–16
- Hickman, E. P. (2003) A History of the Renatus Harris Organ in St John’s Church Wolverhampton, rev. ed. Wolverhampton: St John’s Church
- Boydell, Barry (ed.) (1999) Music at Christ Church before 1800: documents and selected anthems Dublin: Four Courts Press
- Boydell, Barry (2000) ‘The Flourishing of Music, 1660-1800’ in: Milne, Kenneth (ed.) Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin: a history. Dublin: Four Courts Press; pp. 298–314
- Boydell, Barry (2004) A History of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin: Boydell Press