The organ was built at an unknown date by Porritt (Leicester) in Brampton Congregational Church about a mile to the west of the Ragged School. It was rebuilt in its present location by J. Housley Adkins (Derby) in 1930, and overhauled by J.W. Walker in 1959. A second overhaul in 1992 was carried out by J. Poyser (Derby). At the chapel organist’s request the oboe was replaced with a 4’ Principal (pipes retained) and a balanced swell pedal added. It is of particular interest to note that J. Poyser’s father carried out the 1959 overhaul while employed by Walkers and his grandfather was part of the Housley Adkins team that did the work in 1930.
The organ stands at the front left of the room; the display pipes have silvered bodies and gilded mouths. The console is attached, with the drawstops on flat jambs; the Great to Pedal coupler is duplicated on each side.
On my visit in 1992 I found the instrument in good playing order. The stopped flutes are attractively woody, the Gedact nearly as beaky in tone as the Oboe. The Swell Open is a gentle, attractively breathy sound in contrast to the cleaner Great Open. This is a musically competent little instrument.
— Julian Rhodes
Technical information:
- GREAT
8 Open Diapason
8 Stop Diapason
8 Dulciana 1-12 grooved
4 Principal
4 Harmonic Flute
2 Fifteenth
- SWELL
8 Open Diapason
8 Gedact
8 Viol di Gamba grooved
8 Vox Celeste tc
4 Principal
- PEDAL
16 Bourdon
- 3 unison couplers (Great to Pedal duplicated on each jamb).
- 2 composition pedals to Great.
- Trigger pedal to Swell.
- Compass: 58/30.
- Tracker action to manuals, charge-pneumatic to pedals.
The Ragged School Chapel 