THE ‘FATHER WILLIS’ ORGAN
The organ was originally built by 'Father' Henry Willis, one of Britain's finest organ builders.
The organ dates from 1874 and was at that time a rather smaller instrument consisting of only 40 stops in all. At that time the organ console was on ground level and the fine oak organ case was also lower in the arch of the organ chamber. All the stops were on either side of the console being of the large rose wood type and set in two columns which stretched the entire height of the stop jambs.
In 1937 the organ was given a much needed rebuild by Willis & Sons. Part of the work done was to put in a new modern console and raise it up above the choir stalls. This meant also raising the entire organ case which now fills the arch of the organ chamber. The fine organ case has the huge 16ft pipes of the Violone stop forming a central tower with smaller pipes of the Diapason stops either side and are all made from spotted metal.
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