Jobs completed 2015
Jesmond, The Church of the Holy Name
2 manuals 21 stops. Overhaul and install electric stop action
Actions and soundboards
Actions and soundboards
Actions will be overhauled and restored and new magnets will be fitted. Solenoids will be fitted in place of the present drawstop action. Soundboards to be checked.
19th January 2015
26th January 2015
10th February 2015
Console
Console
Keyboard overhauled and new contacts to be fitted. New Set & Cancel pistons to be installed. Pedalboard will be overhauled and refaced, and fitted with new contacts. Stop-tab units will be renewed and the console woodwork will be refurbished. Electronic coupling and piston systems will be installed in the console.
19th January 2015
26th January 2015
10th February 2015
Electrical System
Electrical System
Electronic coupling and piston systems will be installed in the console. New low-voltage cabling will be installed throughout the organ. An electric shutter engine will be installed to operate the swell shutters
Kenya, Pembroke House School
To relocate the organ from the Chapel of the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, and rebuild and install in the Chapel at Pembroke School.
H&H 1906, restored by H&H 2012: 2 manuals, 12 stops.
Work completed June 2015.
Building the organ in the workshop
October 2014
![]() Assembly of the organ in the workshop |
|||
03 November 2014
11th – 18th November 2014
December 2014
19th January 2015
02 February 2015
At the bench
October 2014
![]() Fitting up reservoir and wind system |
|||
03 November 2014
11th – 18th November 2014
24th November 2014
December 2014
7th January 2015
19th January 2015
26th January 2015
02 February 2015
10 February 2015
Installation on site
June 2015
Grand Temple, Freemasons’ Hall, London
Henry Willis & Sons 1933.
Full restoration of the mechanism, and the addition of a further division. (3 manual, 50 stops)
The main organ was dismantled in January 2013. There has been a full restoration of the mechanism and a new division created called the Grand Organ which has been installed above the organ console. Completed April 2015 (Click HERE to see the new specification)
See below for a series of images showing the progression of the work from start to completion.
Design
Design
Pre-work
![]() Section A – Section through HP reservoir |
|||
![]() Drawings |
![]() Section C |
||
![]() The organ |
![]() Case front view |
![]() Case side view |
Console
Console
An new division has been added and a new jamb layout.
Pre-work
![]() manuals before work |
![]() rear of console before work |
![]() back of console |
March & April 2014
![]() fitting key buttons |
||
May 2014
![]() removing stop tabs |
![]() console |
![]() stop tabs |
![]() working on the jamb blower switch |
June & July 2014
![]() Stops |
![]() Stops |
![]() manuals |
![]() console |
14th October 2014
21st October 2014
28th October 2014
![]() Design drawing for trunking |
||
![]() Adding felt to pedalboard |
||
![]() toe pistons |
||
3rd – 18th November 2014
![]() fitting pedals to pedal-board |
![]() Pedal board |
25th November 2014
![]() Keys |
||
1st December 2014
December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
Soundboards, Actions & Chests
Soundboard, Actions & Chests
New slider chests of traditional construction have been installed.
New off-note chests of similar construction to the main soundboards provided for the front pipes that are speaking.
New three stage electro-pneumatic actions with chest magnet primaries for soundboards and chests.
Pre-work
![]() Pedal Violone chest |
![]() Swell reed chest |
![]() Great action |
April 2014
![]() Lower Great chest |
||
May & June 2014
![]() Pitmans, Choir 9 stop soundboard |
||
July, August & September 2014
![]() soundboard |
||
14th October 2014
November 2014
Pipework
Pipework
New front pipes have been made. All pipework is made of spotted metal with large basses of zinc.
Pre-work
![]() Swell main |
![]() Great Trumpet pipes |
||
![]() Swell reeds |
|||
April 2014
![]() Cor Anglais |
![]() Swell Waldhorn |
||
![]() Swell Waldhorn |
|||
May – Sept 2014
01 October – 18th November 2014
![]() Grand Mixture |
|||
25th November 2014
December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
9th January 2015
26th January 2015
26th January 2015
March 2015
Wind System
Wind System
Two new single rise reservoirs and blowers have been manufactured and installed in the room below the console. Wind trunking is made of either wood or zinc.
Pre-work
![]() Pedal wood pipes |
![]() ventil |
||
![]() trunking |
|||
March – Apr 2014
![]() ventil |
![]() Ventils |
||
May – June 2014
July – August 2014
![]() roller valves |
![]() roller valves |
||
September 2014
![]() Cleaning wind boxes |
|||
October 2014
![]() trunking |
|||
1st – 18th November 2014
![]() clamped trunking |
|||
25th November 2014
October 2014
Miscellaneous
November 2014
December 2014
Photographs taken by Dennis Ramsey
February 2015
Photographs by Charles Grace | ||
March 2015
Photographs below by Charles Grace | ||
April 2015
Photos by Dennis Ramsey | ||
Completed
The Completed Organ
Oxford, Wadham College
Willis 1862: 2 manual 18 stops. The organ will be thoroughly restored without change.
Soundboard, Actions & Chests
Soundboard, Actions and Chests
Great and Swell slider soundboards removed and to be overhauled in our workshop. The Pedal chests will be overhauled on site. Rollerboards to be overhauled and rebushed. Trackers to be checked and renewed where necessary. Backfalls to be overhauled and square beams re-centred. New cloths and leather buttons to be fitted. Pneumatic Pedal actions overhauled. Mechanical drawstop action and Swell Pedal action overhauled. Pedal Open Bass ventils restored.
Pre-work
4th May 2015
19 May 2015
10 Jun 2015
17 Jun 2015
Console
Console
The pedalboard is to be overhauled and all playing surfaces refaced. Key coverings to be restored. Stop knobs to be refurbished and jamb bushings renewed. Console woodwork to be restored.
Pre-work
19 May 2015
10 Jun 2015
17 June 2015
Pipework
Pipework
All pipes to be removed and cleaned. Reed stops to be repaired and voiced. Once pipework has been reassembled it will be regulated and tuned.
Pre-work
5 May 2015
19 May 2015
10 Jun 2015
Wind System
Wind System
Pipe wind conveyances to be repaired. Double rise reservoir and feeders releathered and wind trunks repaired. Blower overhauled and chamber soundproofed. Hand blowing mechanism restored.
Pre-work
May 2015
10 Jun 2015
17 June 2015
Installation
Singapore Freemasons’ Hall
J W Walker, 1970: 2 manuals, 18 stops
The organ is to be overhauled, and the low-voltage electrical system to be renewed. The speech and balance of the pipework will be checked and the organ will be tuned.
Actions
Actions
The pneumatic motors for the bass of the Pedal Sub Bass will be releathered. Each action movement will be checked and adjusted. An electric shutter engine will be fitted in place of the present electro-pneumatic machine.
Pre-work
1st July 2015
Console
Console
The keyboards and pedalboard will be dismantled and overhauled. New contacts will be fitted. The stop-tab units will be regulated and their contacts will be cleaned.
Pre-work
1st July 2015
Swell & Wind System
Swell & Wind System
Swell shutters to be re-felted. The wind system will be checked and made sound. New electro-magnets will be fitted to operate the tremulant, and the tremulant diaphragm will be releathered if required.
1st July 2015
Electrical System
Electrical system
The existing low-voltage electrical system will be removed. New processor based coupling equipment will be installed. New low-voltage wiring will be installed to connect the new coupling equipment to the organ and new low-voltage power supplies will be provided. A new tremulant timer will be installed.
1st July 2015
Twickenham, St Stephen’s
Henry Willis c1890. 3 manuals 27 stops.
The organ was cleaned and partially refurbished.
(Below are a series of images showing the progression of work from old to new)
Soundboard & Actions
Soundboard, Actions and Chests
The upperboards were lifted and planed true to re-establish the correct clearance for free movement of the sliders. The table-tops were checked and splits repaired.
Pre work
After work
Console
Console
The stop names were revised to take account of the pipework changes. The key touches were checked and adjusted.
Pipework
Pipework
The pipework was removed from the organ, cleaned and repaired. The composition of the Swell Mixture was revised to follow typical Willis practice. The Gamba was returned to the Choir and the Open Diapason to the Swell. The speech and balance of the pipework were checked and the organ tuned.
Pre-work
After work
Wind System
Wind System and Swell Boxes
The action regulator was repaired. The wind system was checked for soundness and cleaned. The actions were checked and adjusted.
Pre-work
After work
For archived images click on the Flickr Logo 
.