The Town Hall Organ
The organ
The restored Town Hall Organ.
Originally built in 1911 by the English firm of Hill, Norman & Beard, the
Town Hall organ was a gift to the city from former mayor, city councillor and
founder of the Auckland Star, Henry Brett. The gift was conditional on a number
of free concerts being staged each year, a tradition that has been upheld to
this day.
When it was installed, the organ reflected the trends of the time, which placed
great importance on size, opulence, power and the proportions of the cases and
pipe displays. However, it was dramatically altered around 1970 in line with the
neo-baroque movement prevalent at that time. This saw the removal or
substitution of many pipes and the lowering of its wind pressures.
Town Hall Organ pipes.
All that remained of the original organ was the case, display pipes, wind chests
and reservoirs. It lacked the power and volume needed of a true Town Hall organ
and was in need of a major overhaul in order for it to reach its full potential.
Rising concern over the years about its lacklustre sound resulted in a decision
to undertake a $3.5 million restoration of the organ in 2007.
Auckland City Council committed $3 million to the project and the balance was
raised by the Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust.
With over 5300 pipes - the largest being about 10m long and weighing
approximately 120kg - the restoration was a significant undertaking.
The restored organ is not just a replica of the original, it's a 21st century
instrument in the tradition of the finest concert hall organs, a combination of
the best of old and new technology.
The highly anticipated civic inauguration event on 21 March 2010 is a chance for
Aucklanders to experience the organs first free public performance since it's
restoration.
The inaugural event features a symphony composed and played by Auckland city
organist Dr John Wells, specially commissioned for the occasion by the Lodge of
the Liberal Arts No 500 and the Freemasons Roskill Foundation.
The grand opening is part of a week long celebration - with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra concerts on 25 (now sold out) and 27 March as well as the
Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust's free concert on 28 March, all featuring
international guest organist Thomas Trotter. For more information about the
concerts visit the Auckland Philharmonia
Orchestra website.
The Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust will continue to support a public programme
for the organ, including free public concerts, as well as the development of
additional musical events, and the education of students.
Visit www.aucklandorgan.org.nz for more information.
The upgrade
The project involved:
- upgrading or replacing a large number of the 5000-plus pipes that comprise the organ
- upgrading or replacing other items such as the bellows and console
- maintenance of the chamber the organ sits in.
One hundred and twenty-five year old German company, Johannes Klais Orgelbau
carried out the redevelopment work. The company is a world leader in the
organ-building industry, with an impressive resumé boasting redevelopment and
creation of some of the world's most magnificent organs, their most recent
project being the Beijing National Grand Theatre organ.
The organ was shipped to the Klais Orgelabau workshop in Bonn, Germany in 2007.
The South Island Organ Company worked with Johannes Klais Orgenlabu on the
redevelopment project and will be responsible for its ongoing maintenance.
Updated March 2010
