Mander Organs in East London will carry out the repairs to the Town Hall organ © Roslyn Tappenden
The painstaking restoration of Birmingham’s Town Hall entered a new phase last week when the organ console was moved to a temporary location in East London.
The keyboard and framework section was carefully removed by a specialist team from Mander Organs in London who will carry out necessary repairs and look after the console until work on the Town Hall is complete.
Cllr John Alden, Birmingham’s cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, was present during the delicate removal operation. He said: “It is a great honour to see this unique piece of Birmingham’s musical history up close and I look forward to seeing the organ console restored to its rightful place in the new-look Town Hall.”
Councillor John Alden was present when the organ was removed © Roslyn Tappenden
Birmingham Town Hall opened in 1834 and its organ, built between 1833 and 1837 by William Hill, was specially commissioned by the city’s general hospital.
When it was built, the instrument was the largest organ in England, incorporating three almost 10 metre (32 ft) long pipes in its decorative case front.
Although Hill completed the organ in 1837, he is understood to have continued working on it for several years. Upon completion it boasted a staggering 3,000 pipes. However, in 1933 Henry Willis made further changes, doubling the number of pipes to 6,000.
The historic organ dates back to the 1830s © Roslyn Tappenden
Some of the pipes have now been removed and sent to London for restoration. The remaining pipes will be cocooned in a protective shell while the ceiling of the great hall is decorated.
Work on the Town Hall is due for completion in 2007 with a grand opening pencilled in for October.
