THE Liverpool Philharmonic Hall organ, originally made by Liverpool instrument manufacturer Rushworth and Dreaper and installed at the Hall in 1939 has been restored to its former glory by another Liverpool-based business, Henry Willis & Sons Ltd, over a two-year period.
The organ has been extensively refurbished, including the pipes which have been cleaned and voiced, and the organ console which has been fitted with new keys and new electronics. The motor below the stage which generates the wind to play the organ has been revamped and the trunks that carry the wind to the pressurised reservoirs have been repaired.
Michael Eakin, Chief Executive of Liverpool Philharmonic, said: “We are delighted to see the return of our much-loved pipe organ to our stage at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
“The pipe organ is part of Liverpool Philharmonic’s rich heritage and we look forward to audiences experiencing its majestic sound for generations to come.”
The organ restoration was supported by the Rushworth Foundation, a long-standing supporter of Liverpool Philharmonic which promotes the legacy of the Rushworth family music business and its support for music and the arts for over a century.
Jonathan Rushworth, of the Rushworth Foundation, said: “Our family business built the organ in the original Hall which was destroyed by the fire in 1934. It is really exciting and quite humbling for our family that the organ which was built by the Rushworth family business in the magnificent new Hall in 1939 to replace the original instrument has now undergone major work to bring it to concert standard again.
“Liverpool Philharmonic are to be congratulated on preserving this worthy and unique instrument, which can now be enjoyed in its full splendour for the next generation.”
