Henry Willis & Sons Ltd. Organ Builders

Stichting Cathedral, Leiden, Holland.

Click image for close up

Some details

Henry Willis & Sons is proud to announce having been chosen as the builder for the new organ project at Stichting Cathedral, Leiden in Holland. Stichting Cathedral (Hooglandse Kerk) is already home to an exceptional Van Hagerbeer organ, however the Cathedral also wanted a large English Romantic organ to accompany the Cathedral Choir and to contribute to the promotion of Leiden as the "City of organs".

In 1991 St. Mark's Church, Claughton, Birkenhead closed and the 1892 Father Willis organ was transferred to Holland as a house organ. This organ is now destined to be the basis of the new organ for Stichting Cathedral. This instrument is a fine example from the period during which Father Willis brought back much of the timbre of his earlier organs, which had been suppressed through the 1880s due to the fashions of the day. The reeds in particular are, tonally, extremely well-developed and exhibit the 'clang' for which this comany's reeds became well known.

St. Mark's Church
disappears

The Father Willis
in its original home

The Father Willis organ is to be restored retaining all of the original pipework, soundboards and actions (Great & Swell actions being 'Willis Lever'). It is planned toadd six registers to this instrument along standard Willis lines of the day. The original files detailing the history of this organ shew that the specification was somewhat restricted in 1892 by financial constraints at the time which explains the absence of a Voix Céleste and the prepared for Pedal Ophicleide.

Once restored, the Father Willis will occpupy a position on the North side of the Cathedral Nave. On the South side will be three new divisions: South Choir/Positive; Solo and Pedal Organs. A new Four Manual Console will be constructed to play the new divisions and the Father Willis together. The Father Willis actions will be made playable electrically from the new console as well as being playable independantly from their original console.

Proposed Specification for the North Side organ

Click Here to show or hide proposed specifcation of the North Side organ

The 1892 Father Willis Organ during its incarnation as a House Organ

Proposed Specification for North & South Side Organs

GREAT				SOUTH CHOIR / POSITIVE
1.	Dbl Open Diapason	16		32.	Open Diapason	8
2.	Bourdon	16		33.	Lieblich Gedact	8
3.	Open Diapason No. 1	8		34.	Gemshorn	4
4.	Open Diapaon No. 2	8		35.	Nazard	2 2/3
5.	Hohl Flute	8		36.	Fifteenth	2
6.	Principal	4		37.	Tierce	1 3/5
7.	Twelfth	2 2/3		38.	Mixture	3rks
8.	Fifteenth	2
9.	Mixture	3rks		SOLO
10.	Double Trumpet	16		(Enclosed)
11.	Trumpet	8		39.	Contra Gamba	16
12.	Clarion	4		40.	Flûute Harmonique	8
				41.	Gamba	8
SWELL (Enclosed)				42.	Vox Angelica	8
13.	Lieblich Bourdon	16		43.	Concert Flute	4
14.	Open Diapason	8		44.	Gambette	4
15.	Lieblich Gedackt	8		45.	Cornet de Violes	3rks
16.	Salicional	8		46.	Cor Anglais	8
17.	Voix Céleste (TC)	8			Tremolo
18.	Principal	4		(Unenclosed)
19.	Piccolo	2		47.	Tuba	8
20.	Mixture	3rks		48.	Tuba Clarion	4
21.	Contra Fagotto	16
22.	Hautboy	8		PEDALE
23.	Vox Humana	8		49.	Double Open Wood	32
24.	Trumpet	8		50.	Open Diapason	16
25.	Clarion	4		51.	Violone	16
	Tremolo			52.	Contra Gamba	16
				53.	Bourdon	16
CHOIR				54.	Octave	8
26.	Claribel Flute	8		55.	Violoncello	8
27.	Dulciana	8		56.	Flute	8
28.	Viola da Gamba	8		57.	Fifteenth	4
29.	Flûte Harmonique	4		58.	Mixture	3rks
30.	Piccolo Harmonique	2		59.	Contra Ophicleide	32
31.	Corno-di-Bassetto	8		60.	Ophicleide	16
				61.	Trombone	16
				62.	Posaune	8
				63.	Clarion	4

Click here to show or hide proposed specifcation of the North & South Side organs

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