Our History...

Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. is one of the oldest and most famous organ building companies active in the world today, having been in continuous operation since 1845, and with an opus list of over 2,500 organs up to the present day.

Henry 'Father' Willis
1821 - 1901

Henry Willis II
1852 - 1927

Henry Willis III
1889 - 1966

Henry Willis 4
1927 - 2018

Henry Willis & Sons today...

For nearly twenty-five years the Company has been run by David Wyld. David was a chemist by training, working in the laboratory and manufacturing side of a major rubber and plastics company but at the same time carrying out musical studies including the organ, counterpoint and composition with Philip Moore and, later, Dr. Ruth Gipps. He was the founder and Managing Director of Mirabilis Records from 1989 to 1995. Prior to being appointed as Managing Director of Henry Willis & Sons he was taught pipemaking and voicing personally by Henry 4, before Henry retired from the Company in 1997. On taking over, David's objective was to bring the Company back to the forefront of British Organbuilding and strictly to maintain the Willis characteristics and house style which has, in some areas, meant a reversion to the older methods of the firm.

In 2000 The Head Offices and factory re-located from Petersfield in Hampshire to Liverpool, a city with which Henry Willis & Sons has had very strong ties including a working Branch since 1854.

The current staff of Henry Willis & Sons has a combined experience of more than 150 years of working for the Company in all fields and the Head Office premises in central Liverpool are equipped for all aspects of organ building, on the grandest scale.

St. James, Florence, Italy

A New organ of 25 stops over two manuals and pedals with mechanical action for St. James' Episcospal church in Florence, Italy.
This organ was built with the Willis patented Floating Lever.

St. Matthew in the City, Auckland, New Zealand

A new organ of 58 stops over four manuals and pedals for the John Loughborough Pearson Church of St Matthew in the City, Auckland, New Zealand.