Walking with the Ancestors - HJ Gauntlett

Grand Re-designs

Despite the obstacle of a legal career, Gauntlett's musical ambitions persisted and he quickly established a reputation as a noted music journalist and one of London's leading organists of a period that also marked the beginning of his pre-occupation with reforming Protestant congregational music. During his lifetime, Gauntlett was reckoned to have written around 10,000 hymns and, while this figure may be a little optimistic, he was certainly involved in compiling practically every major collection of published hymns for nearly fifty years. However, Gauntlett believed the singing of a large congregation also required an organ 'to lead and support it' and, working in collaboration with the renowned designer William Hill, he provided the energy to bring about the most radical changes to English church organ building for two centuries. Basing his ideas on the continental models of Holland and Germany, Gauntlett sought a re-design of the instrument that increased the independence and extent of the pedal board and expanded the organ's expressive capabilities. Over a ten-year period, Gauntlett and Hill's innovations not only radically altered organ construction but provided a template that would inspire organists and organ-builders alike for generations to come.