The organ was installed for the opening of Leeds Town Hall in 1858. It was completely rebuilt in the 1890s by Leeds firm Abbott and Smith. This rebuild, combined with more alterations in 1908 greatly changed the character of the organ, losing brilliance in favour of a more weighty sound. The organ was overhauled again in 1927; after that its condition gradually deteriorated until by the 1960s it had become quite unreliable. By 1968 it was unplayable and fell completely silent. In 1972 the instrument was fully restored and rebuilt by the local firm of Wood, Wordsworth & Co. but not everything was replaced. The Victorian materials have not fared well with a modern heating system, and many of the technological components have become completely obsolete. Because the organ has been ‘patched up’ over the years, maintenance and access to have become very difficult.

Over 6,000 organ pipes all need to be individually controlled, supplied with wind at the correct pressure, and respond instantly to the player, involving a huge amount of very sophisticated technology. The framework and materials which hold the enormous weight of the instrument are costly. Rather than do another ‘patch up’ job, which would keep many of the existing problems, just over half of the existing pipes will be retained but everything else will be made completely new, including the console.
When the organ was first built it was one of the largest and most ambitious in the world – this renewal will result in one of the largest and most comprehensive concert organs in the country, reflecting the vision of the original builders.

Yes. In the 1970s the sound of the organ was changed considerably. It was made smaller and many of the rich colours of the Victorian instrument were lost, in favour of a cleaner and brighter sound. We want to retain that clarity and brilliance but restore what was lost, resulting in a modern and versatile concert instrument with a huge range of colours and dynamics.

The Leeds Town Hall organ is one of the most used organs in the country. Weekly Monday lunchtime recitals feature leading players from the UK and abroad for anyone to come enjoy free of charge. It also features in the International Orchestral Season, and with visiting choirs, brass bands, and silent films in the Leeds International Film Festival. The new organ will be used to encourage and inspire a new generation of players, through joint projects with the Leeds Organ School, the Royal College of Organists, and Education Leeds.

There’s very little of the original 1850s pipework left, and there aren’t enough unaltered examples of similar instruments for us to be sure exactly what it was like.  Even if it were possible, it would not have the versatility that we need for the repertoire that’s played on it, and it would probably not be adequate to play with modern symphony orchestras and brass bands.

With regular maintenance, it should be another 50-100 years before another major rebuild is necessary.

The money is a commercial loan taken out by Leeds City Council to finance the work, so as to guarantee the work could be undertaken while the wider Town Hall refurbishment scheme is underway. This money will have to be paid back from funds raised through the various fundraising schemes. If the money isn’t raised, loan repayments will be taken from the concerts budgets, thereby adversely affecting the provision of concerts and events across the city.