![]() ![]() You can set up different sounds on the manuals and pass from one to another, or combine them for a greatly amplified sound character. The organ is like an orchestra, from charming flutes to trumpets and trombones, with many interesting harmonic mixtures and options for voicing. After finding the perfect organ to sample, this became a pet project. From playing in churches before he could reach the pedal board, to practicing at night locked alone in Worcester Cathedral as a teenager, he has always had a soft spot in his heart for this instrument. Spitfire co-founder Paul Thomson grew up sat on the organ stool. It has three manuals, Swell, Great, Choir, and a full pedalboard. The original hydraulic blowing engines (water powered) have also been restored to working order by James Richardson-Jones and are retained as an alternative to electric blowing (one of very few left in the world!). As an important example of ‘Father’ Willis's work, in 2012-13 the organ was fully restored by organ builders Harrison & Harrison based on historic principles. ![]() The only significant changes have been the replacement of the Choir Gemshorn 4ft by a 2ft Piccolo in 1909, the provision of electric blowing in the 1920s, and the installation of a balanced swell pedal in the 1940s. The Union Chapel Organ remains essentially unaltered. Henry Willis, regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era, also built the organs at the Royal Albert Hall and St Paul’s Cathedral. ![]() The organ at London’s Union Chapel was built by Henry ‘Father’ Willis in 1877 specifically to match the size and acoustics of the building, and is undoubtedly one of the finest in the world. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |