Seeing the organ in parts in various areas of Henry Willis’s factory during their Open Day was a very strange experience. As I walked through the Wood Shop, the Metal Shop, the Assembly Halls and the technical areas, among the work benches and machinery, past and under the huge parts being assembled for the new cathedral organ in New Zealand, I would suddenly see a stop board, a set of lead tubes, a console mirror or a pedal board and recognise it as part of our Norman and Beard instrument. Even in the Assembly Hall, whose roof is higher than that of a normal house, the huge 32’ pipe to provide bottom C for the Auckland Cathedral was nearly touching the roof, yet the top eight foot section was standing on the floor beside it, as it was too big to be fully assembled! In comparison, the parts of our organ looked Lilliputian, but they seem to be receiving just as much care.
For the complete report from David Stewart please click here. (please note Adobe Acrobat require to open pdf)