After the Restoration, the number of workmen in England being found too
few to answer the demand for organs, it was thought expedient to make
offers of encouragement for foreigners to come and settle here; these
brought over Mr. Bernard Schmidt and ---- Harris; the former, for his
excellence in his art, deserves to live in the remembrance of all who
are friends to it.
Bernard Schmidt, or, as we pronounce the name, Smith, was a native of
Germany, but of what city or province in particular is not known. He
brought with him two nephews, the one named Gerard, the other Bernard;
to distinguish him from these, the elder had the appellation of father
Smith. Immediately upon their arrival, Smith was employed to build an
organ for the royal chapel at Whitehall, but, as it was built in great
haste, it did not answer the expectations of those who were judges of
his abilities. He had been but a few months here before Harris arrived
from France, with his son Renatus, who had been brought up in the
business of organ-making under him; they met with little encouragement,
for Dallans and Smith had all the business of the kingdom: but, upon the
decease of Dallans in 1672, a competition arose between these two
foreigners, which was attended with some remarkable circumstances. The
elder Harris was in no degree a match for Smith, but his son Renatus was
a young man of ingenuity and perseverance, and the contest between Smith
and the younger Harris was carried on with great spirit. Each had his
friends and supporters, and the point of preference between them was
hardly determined by that exquisite piece of workmanship by Smith, the
organ now standing in the Temple church; of the building whereof, the
following is the history.
On the decease of Dallans and the elder Harris, Renatus Harris and
father Smith became great rivals in their employment, and there were
several trials of skill betwixt them; but the famous contest was at the
Temple church, where a new organ was going to be erected towards the
latter end of king Charles II.’s time. Both made friends for that
employment; and as the society could not agree about who should be the
man, the master of the Temple and the benchers proposed that each should
set up an organ on each side of the church. In about half or three
quarters of a year this was done: Dr. Blow, and Purcell, who was then in
his prime, showed and played father Smith’s organ on appointed days to a
numerous audience; and, till the other was heard, everybody believed
that father Smith would certainly carry it.
Harris brought Lully, organist to queen Catharine, a very eminent
master, to touch his organ. This rendered Harris’s organ popular, and
the organs continued to vie with one another near a twelvemonth.
Harris then challenged father Smith to make additional stops against a
set time; these were the vox humane, the cremona or violin-stop, the
double courtel or bass flute, with some others.
These stops, as being newly invented, gave great delight and
satisfaction to a numerous audience; and were so well imitated on both
sides, that it was hard to adjudge the advantage to either: at last it
was left to the lord chief justice Jeffries, who was of that house; and
he put an end to the controversy by pitching upon father Smith’s organ;
and Harris’s organ being taken away without loss of reputation, Smith’s
remains to this day.
Now began the setting up of organs in the chiefest parishes of the city
of London, where, for the most part, Harris had the advantage of father
Smith, making two perhaps to his one; among them some are very eminent,
viz. the organ at St. Bride’s, St. Lawrence near Guildhall, St. Mary
Axe, &c.
Notwithstanding Harris’s success, Smith was considered an able and
ingenious workman; and, in consequence of this character, he was
employed to build an organ for the cathedral of St. Paul. The organs
made by him, though in respect of the workmanship they are inferior to
those of Harris, and even of Dallans, are yet justly admired; and, for
the fineness of their tone, have never yet been equalled.
Harris’s organ, rejected from the Temple by judge Jeffries, was
afterwards purchased for the cathedral of Christ-church, at Dublin, and
set up there. Towards the close of George II.’s reign, Mr. Byfield was
sent for from England to repair it, which he objected to, and prevailed
on the chapter to have a new one made by himself, he allowing for the
old one in exchange. When he had got it, he would have treated with the
parishioners of Lynn, in Norfolk, for the sale of it: but they,
disdaining the offer of a second-hand instrument, refused to purchase
it, and employed Snetzler to build them a new one, for which they paid
him seven hundred pounds. Byfield dying, his widow sold Harris’s organ
to the parish of Wolverhampton for five hundred pounds, and there it
remains to this day. An eminent master, who was requested by the
churchwardens of Wolverhampton to give his opinion of this instrument,
declared it to be the best modern organ he had ever touched.[71]
[71] Hawkins.
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