New Auckland Town Hall Organ Virtually Ready To Go
The eagerly awaited new Auckland Town Hall organ, which will be New Zealand’s largest, has entered the final preparatory phase before its inauguration in March.
The City Council accepted the instrument “as complete” from the builders, Klais Orgelbau, on 2 December.
That day City Organist Dr John Wells, played the organ for the first time in a short demonstration for the mayor, officials and key guests. Informal first reports indicated the instrument sounded “marvelous” with immense presence in the room. English consultant Ian Bell said it sounded “terrific”.
Some final voicing touches and a few mechanical adjustments are now being made by Klais staff.
From now until the organ’s first public performance, Klais managing director Philipp Klais says, it will be in what Bach would have called its “proving” phase. It will be played as intensively as possible by Dr Wells and others to ensure absolutely everything performs perfectly under heavy workload.
Addressing a gathering of Auckland Organists Association members, Philipp Klais explained the company had been particularly keen to secure the Auckland project because it envisaged a style of instrument closely matching Klais’ own evolving thinking on the future of the concert organ. This affinity seemed to promise an exceptionally close partnership and that had been borne out over the course of the project.
He also believed that the character of the new instrument would attract many new friends for the pipe organ and hoped it would be made widely accessible to all sectors of the community.
(Click on any image to view a larger version. All photography by Hans Weichselbaum)
ORGANZ (The New Zealand Association of Organists Inc.)
We welcome anyone with an interest in the organ, whether a player or not, to join one of the regional organists' associations in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Otago-Southland. (There are also local organ groups in the Manawatu and Waikato.) The regional associations will link you into the organ community in your own area. It is also possible to join the national body ORGANZ direct.
This website contains a range of news and information for everyone with an interest in the organ in New Zealand and items are being added all the time. Visit it regularly to keep up with developments, such as news from the organ world, upcoming concerts and events such as our national Congress, held each year during Queen's Birthday Weekend.
Use the links on this page to contact the Regional or National Secretaries for details. Many of the menu items at left expand when clicked to show more pages under the general headings.
About ORGANZ
ORGANZ (The New Zealand Association of Organists, formed in 1961) is the national society for the organ community in New Zealand. Membership is open both to organists and others with an interest in the instrument.