Transferring the wind to where it is needed is fundamental to the operation of a pipe organ. This picture shows the lower side of the bellows, and the two metal pipes are two of the pipes to convey wind from the bellows. The pipe to the left goes to the bourdon soundboard, that to the right to the swell soundboard. In the foreground can be seen a piece of pipe waiting to be used.
To the right of the picture can be seen a hole which will have a much larger pipe connected to it which brings wind in from the blower.
Working under the bellows is difficult as access is restricted; many instalations would be done with flexible piping. Using the rigid metal pipes is a sign of the high quality of the work being undertaken at St Gregory’s.
A further difficulty at St Gregory’s is the limited space in which the organ is being installed. In its location at Grazeley, at ground level, although access was limited, it was possible. At St Gregory’s, the organ will be at least 6 metres above ground level, and with brick walls on three sides and a sheer drop on the fouth, the provision of access for maintenence and tuning has to be worked out more carefully. Nowadays health and safety issues have to be addressed – in 1881 this was not an issue!