Knox Grammar School Chapel
Pacific Highway, Wahroonga

Ronald Sharp 1965 (2/31 mechanical)

From SOJ September 1976, February/March 1984:

Knox Grammar School is a Uniting Church School with about 1,200 enrolments. It has a strong commitment to music and achieves a very high standard in this area. The fine Ronald Sharp organ in the War Memorial Chapel is well known throughout Australia and the world through recordings (Peter Hurford) and broadcasts. Although preceded by a number of small Walcker organs, this instrument has the distinction of being the first major modern mechanical action organ in the country. Although unorthodox in some tonal and mechanical aspects, this instrument is one of great musical beauty. Built largely in the early 1960s, Ronald Sharp later completed the organ with the addition of all the prepared-for reed stops.

The specification is:

Hauptwerk Prestant Rohrflöte Prestant Spitzflöte Nasat Oktav Mixtur Cymbel Dulcian Trompete Trompete Brustwerk Gedackt Rohrpfeife Principal Blockflöte Quint Sifflöte Sesquiltera Scharff Rankett Regale Recit Cornet Pedal Subbass Prestant Oktav Nachthorn Mixtur Posaune Trompete Schalmey Cornet

8 8 4 4 2-2/3 2 IV III 16 8 4 8 4 2 2 1-1/3 1 II III 16 8 V 16 8 4 2 IV 16 8 4 2

(top manual of 32 notes) en chamade

Brustwerk - Pedal coupler
Tremulant to the whole organ
Cymbelstern
Compass 56/30
Wind pressures 60mm
Folding doors to Brustwerk

Photos: Donn Mendoza (Oct 2009)











5 photos above:  David Tagg (November 2009)