The William Hill & Son Grand Organ built in 1875: Job No 1564
Tanunda Barossa Regional Art Gallery
Further photos of the hall and organ restoration work in progress
Ethel Adelaide Hill has reached another milestone - wind.She is joined by Herr Schnizer & Peter Guy
Please click here for the first recording
The Tanunda Liedertafel with the Hill & Son Grand Organ
Brief History
Hill & Son of London stood for perfection in organ design and workmanship that brought them to the forefront of their art in the 19th century. William Hill died on 18 December 1870, the firm passing to his son Thomas. The above organ, formerly in the Adelaide Town Hall, was ordered in 1875 and completed in 1877. It therefore represents one of the largest instruments produced under his supervision.
In 1970 the organ was rebuilt, an action that was not regarded as a success. It was dismantled and placed in storage prior to the installation of the J W Walker organ in 1990.
The rebuilt Hill organ (photo:TB)
The SA Committee was aware of the conditions of sale of the organ, and maintained a watching brief from its dismantling. As no sale eventuated, and the future of the instrument was seen to be in jeopardy, OHTA formally registered their interest in the instrument in February 1994. The major obstacle to acquisition was the need to find a location for the organ, preferably in South Australia.
Discussions were held with various parties in the Barossa Valley. In October the District Council of Tanunda indicated it was prepared to accept, in principle, the placement of the Organ in the Soldiers Memorial Hall subject to various guarantees. As a consequence, a formal approach was made to the Adelaide City Council to acquire the organ and ownership was relinquished to OHTA on 21 March 1995.
Temporary storage was found on the property of Mr. George Lucey in the Adelaide Hills. Over the next two years the organ was laid out and the original tonal structure determined by placing the pipes in their racks above the chests. The process of fundraising and nature of the restoration were thoroughly canvassed at this time.
In 1997 a feasibility study was planned involving the partial erection of the instrument. An open day was held in Tanunda on Sunday 14 September to allow the people of the Barossa Valley to view the organ and express their opinions. As a result, on January 14 1998, the Soldier’s Memorial Hall Committee gave its approval for the OHTA to proceed with the proposal to place the Hill & Son organ in Tanunda.
The owner of Chateau Tanunda offered storage so, after three years in the Adelaide Hills, the organ was moved to the Barossa Valley. From this point a number of things were put in train. Cost estimates were devised; Appeal brochures developed; tax deductibility sought, and fund raising began. In March 2000 the Friends of the Hill & Son Grand Organ were formed. This group have not only organized events to raise funds for the project but have stripped all paintwork from façade pipes, casework and swell box, checked and corrected any faults in the woodwork and reerected the casework in the Hall. The Friends have created a community around the instrument to support and ensure its promotion and use in the future. Professional help has diapered some of the facade pipes and completed the faux graining of the case.
Current Situation
The project is entering its final and most expensive phases. The case is erected and may be viewed on the Stage of the Tanunda Soldiers Memorial Hall. The framework has been erected in the factory of George Stephens. Extensive research has been done as to the nature of parts to be reconstructed, especially the wind system and Barker lever, which were previously discarded. It now remains to order materials and complete the task, expected to take a further twelve months. As to the Hall, arrangements have been made to renovate the Stage area with repair to the walls and installation of a new roof. Consideration has been given to new lighting arrangements.
Further information may be obtained from the South Australian Committee
David Shield
June 2003
4
8
8
16
III
2
4
8
II
4
4
8
III
2
2 2/3
8
8
16
4
4
8
16
8
16
8
8
16
32
16
4
2
8
8
8
4
8
8
8
8
8
2
II
16
8
8
4
4
8
8
8
16
III
2
4
8
II
4
4
8
III
2
8
8
8
16
4
4
8
16
16
8
8
8
16
16
32
16
4
2
8
8
16
4
8
8
8
From the 2009 OHTA Conference Book, David Shield writes:
The organ forming part of the Barossa Regional Gallery complex was originally in the Adelaide Town Hall. It is not possible here to give a detailed outline of the history of the organ or of its restoration.1 What follows is a brief overview of its history and acquisition by OHTA, followed by a truncated outline of the preparations required before the erection of the instrument and some of the process.
The decision in 1860 to build a Town Hall in Adelaide led also to discussion about a civic pipe organ. Led by Charles Compton and the Philharmonic Society, an organ was finally acquired from Hill & Son using 1872 specifications, and erected in 1877. The firm of Fincham & Hobday added a fourth manual in 1888. Except for a change in pitch in 1939, it remained largely in original form, warding off cries for modernisation until it eventually succumbed in 1969-70. The rebuilt organ was regarded as a failure. Rather than restore the organ, a decision was made to replace it. A few expressions of interest emerged, but no actual buyer; so the organ was removed to Adelaide Council storage pending final sale. OHTA made an enquiry as to its status in 1990 and was encouraged to express further interest. As no buyers were forthcoming, and after representations, it was given to OHTA on condition it was relocated within South Australia, restored and not sold.
The first difficulty was the search for a new location. Consideration of halls state-wide, including the now-demolished Centennial Hall of the Adelaide Show Society, led eventually to the Tanunda Soldiers’ Memorial Hall. Despite an initial rejection by the then Tanunda Town Council, the concept was accepted subject to the condition that all costs associated with the project should be born by OHTA.
Having overcome the first hurdle, storage was the next. Redundant churches and abandoned railway sheds were all considered and discounted. At an 11th hour, after a public meeting, an offer was received for space in a large private shed on Mount Lofty. This was gratefully accepted. After a few years the instrument was again moved to the Chateau Tanunda. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for this facility.
With storage secured, fund raising began in earnest in 1999 at the last South Australian Conference, and restoration commenced.
The Tanunda Soldiers’ Memorial Hall stage had been used for drama productions and later for the showing of films. It was in a very dirty and dilapidated condition. The first thing to do was to clear this debris of years past. Faded curtains were removed as was the painted backdrop and a pile of other material dumped against the back wall. The film screen was lowered and dismantled. Old electrical wiring in metal conduit was disposed of. Storage areas had been constructed for the grand piano, trestle tables and stackable plastic seating. These were all removed.
The second step was to remediate the walls and windows. This involved not only repainting the surfaces but a considerable amount of repointing the brickwork and external sealing from, particularly, the westerly weather. The old sash windows were removed and replaced.
Access to the fly area was not in accordance with current occupational health and safety regulations. The wooden ladder and platform on the eastern wall were removed and replaced with a metal passageway above the proscenium arch, giving easier access to the fly and roof space above the hall. Completely new wiring was installed including three-phase for the organ. Lighting was specially designed both for the hall and stage area. A new stage roof and false ceiling were put in place.
The case was erected during this phase as part of a feasibility study to enthuse the larger community. The decorative carved keystone was the first item to be restored. Affectionately named “Ethel Adelaide Hill” the work was undertaken by Marc Nobel in Melbourne as were the central façade pipes which followed after the removal of white paint by volunteers of the Friends of the Hill. The case was faux grained by local artisan Lyal Rozensweig.
Beneath the stage, the basement had to be prepared for the installation of a specially constructed and engineered steel frame prior to the stage floor being cut and lowered.
This entailed cutting the concrete for the excavation of eight footing pads. The pressed metal ceiling also had to be preserved and carefully measured and cut.
Once the floor was lowered, it was resurfaced. This enabled the construction of the steel frame to proceed. One of the aims of the project has been to make the organ visually accessible. This has been achieved underneath the stage by surrounding that part of the organ with a glass case allowing visual access. Additional to this, acoustic tiles in the hall were removed and the walls remediated and painted.
The whole of the organ’s restoration project has been under the supervision of master organbuilder George Stephens. The instrument’s framework was taken to his workshop and re-erected. Here the giant main bellows, the Barker lever action and Barker lever, all discarded in 1969, were reconstructed. A new pedal board was made and new keyboards in Hill style ordered from England. After some discussion as to whether to replace or restore the windchests a decision was made in favour of the latter and the work sent to Wakeley Pipe Organs Pty Ltd in Melbourne. It had been estimated that nearly 90% of the original pipework was intact. The missing material has been recreated or reconstructed by Tim Gilley.
Throughout 2009, the action and pipework have been worked on to get to the position you find it in today. There is still much to be done and further finance is needed to complete the project.
A further development over the time was the installation and development of the Barossa Regional Gallery complex with the construction of two galleries in the foyer and beneath the gallery of the Main Hall. The organ is now a feature of this multi arts complex.
Hill & Son 1877; George Stephens Pty Ltd (ongoing)
3 manuals, 37 speaking stops, mechanical and Barker lever action
GREAT ORGAN
Double Open Diapason
16
Open Diapason
8
Open Diapason no.2
8
#
Stopped Diapason
8
Principal
4
Harmonic Flute
4
Twelfth
3
*
Fifteenth
2
Full Mixture
17.19.22 III
Sharp Mixture
26.29 II
Posaune
8
Clarion
4
Swell to Great Sub Octave
Swell to Great
Swell to Great Octave
SWELL ORGAN
Lieblich Bourdon
16
Open Diapason
8
Hohl Flute
8
Pierced Gamba
8
gvd.bass #
Principal
4
Rohr Flute
4
Fifteenth
2
Mixture
17.19.22 III
Double Trumpet
16
Cornopean
8
Oboe
8
Clarion
4
CHOIR ORGAN (unenclosed)
Cone Gamba
8
#
Lieblich Gedact
8
Dulciana
8
gvd.bass *
Voix Céleste
8
TC *
Gemshorn
4
#
Lieblich Flute
4
Flageolet
2
*
Clarionet
8
Swell to Choir
PEDAL ORGAN
Double Open Diapason
32
Open Diapason
16
Bourdon
16
Violoncello
8
*
Trombone
16
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
* ranks consisting entirely of new facsimile Hill pipework
# ranks which have been partially reconstructed
Compass: 58/30
Lever swell pedal
Composition pedals
Mechanical stop and key action, latter with Barker lever assistance
_________________________________________________________________________
1 Details of the early history may be found in various publications. Shield, D., ‘Charles Henry Compton: Championing the Hill’, OHTA News (October 2005), pp.13-18; Ibid., ‘The Philharmonic: Acquiring the Hill’, (October 2007), pp.9-14; ‘Alfred Hollins Passes Through Adelaide’, Organ Australia (June 2008), pp.46-48, with missing last two paragraphs December 2008, p.4; ‘Pitching for Change: the ABC and Dupré 1938/9’, OHTA News (October 2008), pp.20-4; ‘Erecting the Hill with Robert Mackenzie’, scheduled for OHTA News (October 2009). Also see the section on the current Walker Instrument in the Adelaide Town Hall.
Photos: Trevor Bunning (March 2009)
Two photos above: Simon Colvin (Jan 2010)
Further photos of the hall and organ restoration work in progress
