Sunday, December 7, 2008

Organ Sydney Town Hall

William Hill & Son Grand Organ


This monumental organ is one of the grandest and greatest in the world today, boasting speaking stops with wind pressures ranging from 3 1/4" up to 10" for the Tuba Chorus.Its immense case looms 64' wide and 32' in height crowned with the low octave of the Pedal Open Diapason 32'. This was in 1888 the largest organ in the world. This is the only organ in existence that possesses a full length 64' reed!

Built in London by William Hill and Son, the Grand Organ was shipped to Australia and installed in 1890. It was then the largest organ in the world and is still the largest ever built with tubular-pneumatic action. Its 126 speaking stops and 14 couplers are spread over five manuals (Choir, Great, Swell, Solo, Echo) and pedals. There are approximately 8,700 pipes.

The first recital was held on Saturday 9 August, 1890 at which the City Organist from Liverpool, England W.T. Best performed for 4,000 guests.

The organ was restored between 1972 and 1982 by Sydney organbuilder Roger H. Pogson and is used regularly for performances, including many played by the City Organist, Robert Ampt.

Read the full history here





Built between 1886 and 1889 by Hill & Son, of London, the instrument was instantly famous for then being the world’s largest organ and for the novelty of its full-length 64-foot Contra Trombone stop. It remains the world’s largest organ without any electric action components and is of international significance as representing the pinnacle of British achievement in the Victorian era, even though its conservative design was the subject of debate at the time. It is easily the best-known of all Australian organs and is the source of admiration around the world, not only for the immensity and opulence of its tone and for its magnificent case, but also for its high level of originality and the quality of the restoration work.

Although the organ is considered substantially original in condition, several changes have been made over the years. The most significant of these was the lowering of the pitch to concert standard by S.T. Noad in 1939, this change being most noticeable in the reed stops, which are coarser in tone colour as a result. A comprehensive restoration was undertaken over ten years from 1972 by Roger H. Pogson Pty Ltd and many of the minor changes (such as the swapping of ranks between Swell and Choir) were reversed. Other changes retained to the present are the balanced swell pedals (the provision of which necessitated the removal of four composition pedals for the Great), the concave/radiating pedalboard, the transposition of Swell Piccolo from 2’ to 1’, the addition of the high-pitched Carillon bells to the Solo, the enclosure of the Solo orchestral reeds and the enclosure of the entire Choir division (originally only the reeds were enclosed). During the work carried out by Roger Pogson some alterations were made to the pneumatic action operating the Choir division and the console timbers (originally in fumed oak) were lightened during repolishing.





Hill & Son 1886-89 (5/127 tubular-pneumatic/Barker lever)

GREAT
Contra Bourdon
Double Open Diapason
Bourdon
Open Diapason I
Open Diapason II
Open Diapason III
Open Diapason IV
Harmonic Flute
Viola
Spitz Flöte
Gamba
Hohl Flöte
Rohr Flöte
Quint
Principal
Octave
Gemshorn
Harmonic Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Cymbel
Sharp Mixture
Furniture
Contra Posaune
Posaune
Trumpet
Clarion


SWELL
Double Open Diapason
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Hohl Flöte
Viola da Gamba
Salicional
Dulciana
Vox Angelica
Octave
Rohr Flöte
Harmonic Flute
Gemshorn
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Piccolo
Mixture
Furniture
Trombone
Bassoon
Trumpet
Cornopean
Horn
Oboe
Clarion


CHOIR (enclosed)
Contra Dulciana
Open Diapason
Hohl Flöte
Lieblich Gedackt
Flauto Traverso
Gamba
Dulciana
Octave
Violino
Celestina
Lieblich Flöte
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Dulcet
Dulciana Mixture
Bassoon
Oboe
Clarinet
Vox Humana
Octave Oboe


SOLO
(small reeds enclosed)
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Violin Diapason
Doppel Flöte
Flauto Traverso
Stopped Diapason
Viola
Octave
Harmonic Flute
Flauto Traverso
Harmonic Piccolo
Contra Fagotto
Harmonic Trumpet
Corno di Bassetto
Orchestral Oboe
Cor Anglais
Octave Oboe
Contra Tuba
Tuba
Tuba Clarion
Carillon Bells


ECHO
(enclosed and non-expressive)
Lieblich Gedackt
Viol d'Amour
Unda Maris II
Viol d'Amour
Flageolet
Glockenspiel
Echo Dul. Cornet
Basset Horn


PEDAL
Double Open Diapason Metal
Double Open Diapason Wood
Contra Bourdon
Open Diapason Metal
Open Diapason Wood
Bourdon
Violone
Gamba
Dulciana
Quint
Octave
Prestant
Bass Flute
Violoncello
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Mixture
Mixture
Contra Trombone
Contra Posaune
Posaune
Trombone
Bassoon
Trumpet
Clarion

32
16
16
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
6
4
4
4
4
3
2
3 Rks
4 Rks
4 Rks
5 Rks
16
8
8
4



16
16
8
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
4 Rks
5 Rks
16
16
8
8
8
8
4



16
8
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
3 Rks
16
8
8
8
4




16
8
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
2
16
8
8
8
8
4
16
8
4
2




8
8
8
4
2
4 Rks
4 Rks
8



32
32
32
16
16
16
16
16
16
12
8
8
8
8
6
4
4 Rks
3 Rks
2 Rks
64
32
16
16
16
8
4

TC


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COUPLERS

Great to Pedal

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Pedal

Solo to Pedal

Swell to Great #

Swell Super Octave [to Great] #

Swell Sub Octave [to Great] #

Solo to Great #

Solo Octave

Choir to Great #

Swell to Choir

Solo to Choir

Echo to Swell

Pedal to Great Pistons

Tremulant to Swell (toe lever)

Tremulant to Choir and Solo (toe lever)

Tubular pneumatic key, stop and
combination action (vacuum for stops).

Mechanical action with pneumatic-lever
assistance for Great and couplers
marked #

Compass 61/30

Pistons (internally adjustable):

3 to Echo

7 to Solo

8 to Swell

8 to Great

7 to Choir

6 to Pedal (toe levers)

Balanced swell pedals for Choir, Solo

orchestral reeds and Swell

No. of pipes = 8,756

Pitch a1 = 440Hz