Shakespeares Church Organ

At the heart of this library are 54 individual ranks, which in combination result in a wide range of timbral possibilities. To unlock the expressive potential of the organ, we’ve created 33 presets, each representing a carefully chosen registration (a specific combination of stops). 

These presets are presented based on their primary pitch range: 11 Manual Registrations, designed for sounds primarily played on the organ's keyboards, and 4 Pedal Registrations, featuring sounds focused on the lower pitches controlled by the pedal keyboard. We've explored even richer sonic textures in an additional 18 Combination Presets, which layer and blend sounds from both the manuals and the pedals, offering complex and evocative tonal landscapes. 

Organ Manual Presets: 

This section focuses on the sounds of the organ's keyboards (manuals), offering 11 presets:

Full Organ: 

The organ at its most powerful, utilising a wide range of stops for a grand and majestic sound, ideal for dramatic chords and soaring melodies.

Less Full Organ: 

A slightly more restrained version of the "Full Organ", offering a balanced and versatile sound suitable for a variety of musical contexts.

Soft Flutes: 

Emphasises the delicate and gentle tones of the flute stops, creating a light and airy sound perfect for intimate passages and ethereal textures.

Soft Strings: 

Evokes the warm and mellow sound of string stops, providing a smooth and expressive tone for lyrical melodies and gentle harmonies.

Bright: 

An emulation of an iconic organ sound with distinctive vibrato and bright character.

Reeds: 

Showcases the bold and vibrant sound of the reed stops, offering a powerful and assertive tone for fanfares and dramatic statements.

Brass: 

Focuses on the bright and resonant sound of the brass stops, ideal for adding brilliance and power to your compositions.

Soft Bach: 

Designed for Baroque music, this preset provides a clear and articulate sound well-suited for counterpoint and intricate passages.

Diapason: 

The fundamental and foundational sound of the diapason stops, offering a rich and warm tone that forms the core of the organ's sound.

Cornet: 

The bright and piercing sound of the cornet stops, adding a distinctive and soloistic quality.

Solo Trumpet: 

The clear and brilliant sound of the trumpet stop, perfect for soloistic melodies and fanfares.

Organ Pedal Presets: 

This section focuses on the sounds of the organ's pedalboard, providing 4 presets:

Smallest: 

This preset uses the quietest pedal stops for a subtle and delicate bass foundation.

Small: 

Offers a slightly fuller sound than "Smallest," providing a clear and defined bass line.

All (No Reeds): 

Utilises all the pedal stops except for the reeds, creating a powerful but smooth bass sound.

All: 

This preset uses all available pedal stops for the fullest and most powerful bass sound, providing a deep and resonant foundation.

Combination Presets: 

18 presets that combine sounds from both the manuals and the pedals, providing a wide range of pre-blended textures:

Full Organ Pedal Reeds: 

Combines the Full Organ manual preset with reed stops from the pedal, creating a massive and powerful sound.

Full Organ: 

Combines Full Organ with all non-reed pedal stops for a full sound with a smoother bass.

Full Congregation: 

Designed to evoke the sound of a church service, combining Less Full Organ and Pedal All No Reeds presets

Lighter Congregation: 

Combines Less Full Organ with Pedal Small presets, creating a gentle and intimate texture. A lighter and more delicate version, ideal for quieter moments.

Soft Flutes: 

Layers the Soft Flutes manual preset with the quietest pedal stops for a delicate and ethereal sound.

Strings Chorale: 

Combines Soft Flutes and Soft Strings with the Smallest pedal preset, creating a beautiful and harmonically rich texture.

Strings Ethereal: 

Layers Soft Strings with the "Small" pedal preset, for a smooth, atmospheric sound.

Fanfare: 

Combines the Reeds and Brass manual presets with all pedal stops for a triumphant and celebratory sound.

Simple Bach: 

Designed for playing Bach's music, combining the Diapason manual preset with the Small pedal preset, offering a clear and articulate sound.

Fanfare and Solos: 

Layers the Cornet, Solo Trumpet and Brass manual presets with all pedal stops for a bright and virtuosic sound.

Final Verse: 

Combines Diapason & Solo Trumpet & Pedal all no reeds

Full Fanfare: 

Combines the bright and powerful sounds of the Reeds, Brass and Solo Trumpet with the full and resonant sound of Pedal All No Reeds. Designed for creating triumphant and celebratory fanfares, adding grandeur and excitement.

Classical Flutes: 

Layers the clear and articulate sound of Soft Bach with the delicate bass foundation of the Smallest pedal preset. Ideal for evoking the sound of Baroque music and creating elegant, refined textures.

Festive Full Organ: 

Combines the foundational Diapason and vibrant Reeds manual presets with the powerful sound of the Pedal no Reeds to create a rich and celebratory sound

Restrained Organ: 

A more subtle and nuanced sound, combining the balanced Less Full and soloistic Solo Trumpet manual presets with the full sound of the Pedal All No Reeds. Perfect for adding depth and texture without overpowering the other elements in your mix.

British Bach: 

This preset evokes the sound of English Baroque music, layering the clear and articulate "Soft Bach" and smooth "Soft Strings" manual presets with the delicate bass of the "Pedal Smallest" preset.

Full French: 

This preset is designed for creating a grand and dramatic French Romantic organ sound. It combines the powerful "Long Full" and "Long Brass" manual presets with the full sound of the "Pedal all no reed" preset.

Glory Days: 

Creates a rich and majestic sound by combining the foundational "Long diapason" and vibrant "Long reeds" manual presets with the defined bass of the "Pedal small" preset.

Controls

Mixer: 

Control the spatial character of the organ with three microphone positions (Close, Mid, Far), allowing you to shape the sound from intimate to expansive.

FX: 

Enhance and shape the sound with built-in Reverb and Release controls.

Controls: 

Fine-tune your performance with Expression and Dynamics controls, as well as global Tune, Pan, and Volume.

With this comprehensive selection of presets, combining the different characteristics and sounds, Shakespeare's Church Organ provides a versatile foundation for a wide range of musical styles and applications. Whether you're scoring a historical drama, creating contemporary soundscapes, or composing classical pieces, these presets offer a wealth of inspiration and sonic possibilities.

Recorded for the RSC, the sound of this inspiring church organ was brought to the stage at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for the 2024 production of Twelfth Night. Played by actor Thom Petty in the role of Curio, the organ masterfully underscored the story's light and dark moments, weaving everything from solemn funeral marches to Ragtime into the fabric of the play. From the organ’s 54 ranks, arranged into five divisions, we created the most characterful and commonly used registrations, providing composers and producers with a comprehensive range of authentic and inspirational organ sounds that sound equally at home in the theatre and in larger arrangements. The unique acoustics of the Holy Trinity Church were captured with three microphone positions, resulting in clarity through close mics, as well as a rich, distinctive sound imbued with both grandeur and an ethereal atmosphere that carries centuries of history within its resonance.

A voice forged through centuries

The Holy Trinity Church organ, with its origins traced back before the Reformation, stands as a testament to enduring craftsmanship. Developed and lovingly restored over centuries, it comprises an Upper Organ (housing the powerful Great and expressive Swell divisions, along with the foundational Pedal stops) and a Lower Organ (featuring the versatile Choir and a second expressive Swell division, also with its own Pedal stops). The profound sound of the organ has resonated within this listed building’s walls for centuries – a witness to history, a voice of devotion. Now, its vast dynamic range, from the most intimate whispers to the commanding pronouncements of its full ensemble, is yours to explore, adding depth, historical weight, and undeniable emotion to any production.