present command. The Jordans were employed constantly in altering echo organs into swells; the former being enclosed in a box, required only the addition of a sliding shutter to produce the desired effect. We cannot fix the date of the elder Jordan's decease, but we believe that the younger Jordan died about 1750.

There were at this time other builders of great repute, viz., the junior Byfield, Messrs. Glyn and Parker (who built the organ at the Foundling Hospital, since restored by Bevington); Christian and Gerard Smith, were also independent builders, succeeding their uncle, Father Smith, who must not be passed over. Thomas Schwarbrook was also a celebrity, who built, among others, an organ for St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, having a remarkable case, to be mentioned hereafter.

CHAPTER IV.

1750 To 1811.

John Snetzler-Samuel Green-Messrs. Crang and Hancock-John Avery -Richard Bridge-Byfield, Jun.-G. P. England-Paul Micheau. JOHN SNETZLER, a native of Germany, born 1710, was induced to come to this country to help meet the demand for organs which sprung up immediately after the Restoration, as a natural reaction to the fierce destruction that these and other ecclesiastical appurtenances suffered during that troubled period. He was the first to introduce, if he did not invent, the Dulciana, one of the most charming of our soft stops, and perhaps to this, together with sterling general work, may be attributed the success which attended his earlier efforts. The first organ he built in this country was at Lynn Regis, which, though passing through much molestation, is still of the same design and compass as when Snetzler left it. The next great work of this maker that we shall notice is of interest, inasmuch as we have the original and present condition of the instrument before us, and are thus afforded a good opportunity of seeing the progress that was made, as well as the state of the organ during the latter half of the last century.

In St. Martin's Church, Leicester, on September the 21st, 1774, was opened, by the performance of the Dettingen Te Deum and Jubilate, a three manual instrument, which, if we except the absence of pedal pipes, was up to the knowledge and attainments of that date. The original synopsis runs as follows :

GREAT ORGAN.

Compass GG to e3, no GG sharp, 57 notes.

1. Large open diapason

Feet

12

2. Small ditto, 4 lowest notes, principal pipes groved into No. 3... 8

and also gives an interesting review of the great steps that have taken place since Snetzler lived:

COMPARATIVE NUMBER AND SIZE OF STOPS OF ORGAN BEFORE AND AFTER REBUILDING.

The old organ of Ripon Cathedral is supposed to have been by this maker, though, with the exception of four stops retained in the organ built by Booth, of Leeds, about fifty years since, nothing now remains.

Snetzler did an immense quantity of work, of which it is impossible to mention even a tithe, though we cannot pass over a little instrument which has come especially under our notice.

The late Earl of Egremont, when living at Bromley, Kent, bought at a sale a little chamber organ, and as the church of St. Decuman's, Somerset, had no instrument to lead the services, this was lent to the churchwardens, and has since remained in the edifice. It at once strikes the hearer as being superior in tone, and it is interesting in that it remains precisely as it left the workshop. It contains eight stops in all, of which three do not run through. Although there are no pedals and only one accessory movement (for commanding the stops), this little organ nevertheless is of great value, on account of its excellent tone and quality throughout. It bears Snetzler's autograph, and the date 1760.

Snetzler died in London at a great age, after having done perhaps as much work as any one builder could well get through. The date of his death seems doubtful, though it has been said that he even saw the birth of the present century.

Samuel Green, born 1740, was one of the many remarkable builders of this age. His name is connected with such a number of works, scattered over so large an area, that it is difficult to find a county without some specimen thereof. He devoted much time to the scientific advancement of the action, &c.; and, like many worthy pioneers in art and science, to his love for the true source of benefit to his profession, he sacrificed that worldly wealth which so often falls to the lot of the ordinary plodder instead of to the inventive genius. Thus we find a pathetic appeal on his behalf in the Gentleman's Magazine, together with a complete list of all his organs, which, having been republished, it is unnecessary to repeat

here.

Green was considered a first-rate maker and voicer of reeds. He paid much attention to the swell department, where he introduced the Venetian shutters in place of the old sliding front. He also greatly extended the compass of this manual, in one case, at least, going so low as tenor C. His masterpiece was the organ of Canterbury Cathedral, which, with the exception of seven pedal pipes added in 1825, still remains as he left it; it was opened 8th July, 1784, by Dr. Hodges, then professor of music at Oxford. The instrument contained the almost unprecedented number of 2500 pipes. Green built the organ presented to Salisbury Cathedral by George III., on the west front of which appeared the following :

MUNIFICENTIA

GEORGII TERTIA

CLEMENTISSIMA PIETISSIMI OPTIMI

PATRIS PATRIE

ET

HUJUSCE DIOCESIOS

INCOLAE AUGUSTISSIMA.

This organ has been replaced by an entirely modern one by Willis. Green died in 1796, aged 56. It is remarkable that in this builder's largest instruments there were no accessory movements whatever to assist the performer.

Messrs. Crang and Hancock were a firm who built many organs of considerable note about this time. As an instance of their work we will cite the organ at Chelmsford parish church-a three-manual instrument, containing some good diapason work, and of a pleasing quality throughout. It has been renovated by Messrs. Hill and Son, and moved from a damp west corner to the north side of the aisle, and were it not that the swell only reaches tenor C, would be a complete though unpretending instrument. The date of the work is 1772. Hancock was noted as a good voicer of reeds.

John Avery was a builder whose name is honoured as that of a master in the art, he having built organs dating from 1775 to the beginning of the present century. He built one at St. Stephen's, Coleman-street (1775) -three manuals, compass G G to E in alt; no G G sharp, no couplers or pedal pipes. Avery also built an organ of some size (twenty-seven speaking stops) at St. Margaret's, Westminster, the church where Smith's second organ in this country stood. The date of Avery's is 1804. Richard Bridge was another celebrity who flourished at this period. He built the organ at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, 1757, containing twentyfive speaking stops. Bridge has had ascribed to him the honour of building the fine organ at Christ Church, Spitalfields, though Jordan and Byfield, jun., shared the work with him.