The Town Hall Organ
The
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.
All that remains of the original organ is the case, display pipes, wind chests and reservoirs. It lacks the power and volume
needed of a true Town Hall organ and is in need of a major overhaul in order for it to reach its full potential.
Now, as the organ and Auckland Town Hall head towards their centenary, the organ is set to receive the much-needed revamp to
restore it to its former glory.
The upgrade
The project involves:
- 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 will be carrying 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.
Philipp Klais, great-grandson of the company's original founder and the fourth generation of organ builders in the family, is
visiting Auckland in September 2007 to start planning the removal of the organ. The removal is scheduled for January 2008 and is
expected to take around six weeks to complete.
Once removed, the organ will be shipped to the Johannes Klais Orgelbau workshop in Bonn, Germany for refurbishment. The company's
aim with the project is to revive the style, spirit, power and quality of the original organ without trying
to recreate the exact instrument.
The South Island Organ Company will be working with Johannes Klais Orgelbau on the redevelopment project and will be responsible for
its ongoing maintenance once it is reinstalled.
Funding
Auckland City Council is contributing $3m to the project, which is expected to cost $3.5m in total.
The Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust is working hard to raise the additional
$500,000 needed to complete the project. One of the fundraising projects they have initiated is an "organ donor" programme,
which involves adopting individual pipes or "families" of pipes within the organ.
With costs ranging from $100 for a String chorus pipe up to $350 for Principal chorus pipes and $1000 for a "family" of
pipes, the Trust is hoping to make significant gains towards their $500,000 goal. At the same time, it gives organ lovers and
Aucklanders a chance to be part of this significant project.
Donors will receive a limited edition certificate signed by the Mayor of Auckland and the Trust Chairman and if they wish, their
names will be recorded in an official donor record book. Those who make significant contributions of $1000 and more will also have
the opportunity to have their name displayed on a donor board inside the organ.
To find out more visit the
Trust's fundraising page.
Farewell concert
A free concert organised by the Trust in conjunction with The Edge Community Arts programme, the Auckland Organists Association
and the Friends of the Town Hall Organ offers the chance to hear the organ's grand finale in its current form.
The Graduate Choir will sing favourites such as the Widor Toccata, Sousa's Liberty Bell and Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D
minor, along with carols and choir items, under its Director of Music Terrence Maskell.
The concert takes place at 2.30pm on Sunday, 9 December 2007 and although admission is free, a collection will be taken for the
Friends of the Town Hall Organ.
Updated August 2007
