Henry Willis & Sons has rebuilt this 1895 Willis organ, also completing the specification. The elaborate case and screen, by Sir Ninian Comper was erected when, in 1932, the organ was moved west from its original position in the North Choir Aisle. The cost of providing the casework meant that the proposed specification was never completed. The choir organ was added in 1957 under the direction of Henry Willis III. The recent work has enabled the organ to be re-disposed in the gallery and the console brought down to ground level and made mobile. The space that was occupied by the console behind the Chaire case now houses the Great Organ which is able to speak into the building. The Choir Organ has been moved to the position formerly occupied by the Great Organ, and has now become an extremely useful division. The 'prepared for' or incomplete ranks have now been added.
The bellows, with internal controls are stripped and cleaned
The Bellows
are re-leathered
and are ready to be re-instated in the organ
Newly made Concussions
Crash Motor for
the Swell Box
The Soundboards are stripped for full factory
restoration and the tables are bored, pegged
and screwed back to the Grid where they have come away
New fillings are cut and fitted before deep flooding with hot glue
The undersides of the Soundboards slowly take shape
The Buckram undercloth is applied
The Pallets are laid down and the pins are fitted
Newly manufactured motors are
fitted to the Bottom Boards
and connected to the pallets
The new underactions are ready to be
fitted to the new Bottom Boards
After the table is trued, it is lubricated with
colloidal graphite and the bearers are
re-instated and papered
The slides are back in place
The 1930s console has suffered over the years
and had also been fitted with a very basic
two-level capture system and "short draw" solenoids
The console is stripped down in the factory,
new Drawstop Jambs are made of mahogany
and the Kneeboard & Pedal Sweeps are re-made
The new jambs are marked out
The jambs are bored
and "long draw" solenoids
are fitted and wired
The Ivory Bushes
& Willis Scroll labels
are fitted
The Console is thoroughly
tested in the factory
The Soundboards and pipework are
re-instated in the Swell Organ
Looking down into the re-positioned Choir Organ
(this space was formerly occupied
occupied by the Great).
From here it can now speak into the church
New winding for the Great Organ
now relocated to behind the Chaire Case
The new Solid State Transmission can also be seen
The Tromba, with its completed 16' Trombone
octave being installed behind
the Choir Organ
