This is an archive of news articles from May 2005. Current news articles can be found here and an archive index can be found here. Information in this archive may no longer be valid.

• Concert hall organ restoration in Lige
  From Monday 26 September until Sunday 2 October 2005 the Lige Philharmonic Orchestra will be staging a week long inaugural festival to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the 1888 Pierre Schyven organ in the Philharmonic Concert Hall. This is the only working concert hall organ in the whole of French speaking Belgium and Brussels. The organ (pictured right, click for a larger version) has been restored over the past two years by Manufacture Thomas and the Luxemburg Organ Manufactory (under G. Westenfelder) following plans drawn up by Jean Ferrard. The organ boasts has 3676 speaking pipes and 55 stops over three manuals.

  The hall, restored in 2000, was built by architects Louis Boonen and Laurent Demany, and was opened by Eugne Ysae on 30 April 1887. Two white marble staircases connect the Hall Csar Franck to the Foyer Eugne Ysae. The Italianeaque Salle Philharmonique has a capacity of 1,162, and is richly decorated with ten paintings by Emile-Edouard Berchmans adorning the dome on the theme of Apollo and the Nine Muses. The programme of celebration includes four free organ recitals, two symphonic concerts, meetings with the craftsmen who worked on the organ and a silent film evening with organ improvisation among many other events.

  More pictures and details at www.opl.be
  
  

• from.sweden - a Londonwide festival of Swedish music
  If you've been enjoying the articles on Swedish organs and organ music in recent issues of The Organ, take the chance to see Swedish organist and composer Gunnar Idenstam in London this month. For concert details, see the from.sweden website.
  
  
• Cork 2005 International Pipe Organ Festival
  We have more details on the first Cork International Pipe Organ Festival, which will run every three years to showcase Ireland's pipe organs and music. From the 21st to 25th of May, the organs of Cork City and County will be played by eminent organists in a series of mostly free concerts. For details, see the Cork 2005 and Pipe Organ Society of Ireland websites.
  
  
• News from STOPS
  The Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society have now purchased the New Palace Centre in Greenlaw, currently home to their three preserved cinema organs, following a successful application for funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund matched with support from the Scottish Borders Council and their own funds. News will presumably soon appear on their website, and you can read more about the New Palace Centre here.
  
  
• New Chief Examiner at the RCO
  Patrick Russill (pictured right), Head of Choral Direction and Church Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, was recently appointed Chief Examiner by the Royal College of Organists filling the role previously held by Peter Wright who was elected President of the College in March.
  
  
• News from St Albans
  Young musicians from eighteen different countries have applied to take part in this year's International Organ Festival in St Albans. Entrants include organists from UK, USA, Korea, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Russia, Slovakia and Hungary. Of forty entries, about half will be invited to take part in the festival after audition by the international jury, whose members include Ludger Lohmann (Austria), John Scott (UK/USA), Jos van der Kooy (the Netherlands), Erwan le Prado (France) and Jane Watts (UK). More information can be found at the St Alban's website.
  
  
• Restoration for New Zealand organ
  Christchurch Cathedral's pipe organ is receiving a $NZ 100,000 restoration and cleaning from the South Island Organ Company of Timaru, New Zealand. The organ will be cleaned following earthquake strengthening work to the cathedral, and a humidifier fitted to compensate for the cathedral's dry atmosphere. The lowering of pitch that accompanied the instrument's 1926 rebuilding by Hill, Norman and Beard will be partially reversed to bring the instrument up to concert pitch.

  Removal of the pipes for cleaning has revealed a hidden porcelain washbasin behind the Pedal 32' reed, presumably provided for the organists' convenience in the days when the console of the current organ's smaller predecessor was located nearby. You can view the Cathedral's website here, and the 1926 specification here.
  
  

• A Directory of Composers for Organ
  Dr John Henderson reports that the third edition of this work is now complete, including 17112 composers from 106 countries. Details, sample pages and contacts can be found on his website.
  
  
• Verizon Hall, Philadelphia to unveil new Dobson organ and search for organist
  In May 2006, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, USA will unveil Lynn Dobson's Opus 76 with an organ festival comprising 14 events over two weeks. The new organ will rank as one of the world's largest concert hall organs when complete, with 6,938 pipes, three blowers, 300 levels of memory, 111 stops and a total weight of about 32 tons. Verizon Hall will close for six weeks this summer to complete the installation. The case was installed with the largest pipes in 2001, meaning that the organ has theoretically had a specification of only Prestant 32' and Double Open Wood 32' for its first five years! Last year the attached console and winding system were installed, leaving the majority of the pipework and the stunning curved detached console for installation this year.

  
  Click on any image to enlarge. Images are from left to right: The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, © Jeff Goldberg/Esto, Verizon Hall prior to console installation, © Roman Violy, and Dobson Opus 76 after console installation, © Evelyn Taylor

  The organ will be inaugurated by The Philadelphia Orchestra at a concert on May 11, 2006, led by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. The program will include a new work commissioned by the Kimmel Center and The Philadelphia Orchestra from composer Gerald Levinson, as well as Barber's Toccata festiva (premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy in 1960) and Michel Corrette's (1707-1795) Organ Concerto in C Major, Op. 26, No. 4, all performed by Olivier Latry, organist of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Also on the program will be Saint-Sans' Symphony No. 3, Organ, with organist Michael Stairs. The concert will be followed by a postlude performance of improvised organ music by Latry. Further details of the concert series can be found at the Kimmel Center website.

  The Kimmel Center is also looking to appoint an organist to play and curate the new organ. Mervon Mehta, Vice President for Programming and Education, comments "When complete, the new organ will significantly expand the repertoire and programming possibilities for Kimmel Center Presents, The Philadelphia Orchestra and other users of the hall. We're looking for someone who will be a passionate and energetic advocate and can convey the significance of the pipe organ, its history, and music to diverse audiences ranging from highly educated enthusiasts to young students." So if you are, or know "a leader in the organ field with a deep knowledge of organ repertoire, strong improvisation skills, and the ability to perform in a variety of settings from organ/choral concerts to educational concerts, films, meetings and conventions, and occasionally as a recitalist and soloist for large orchestral works", see the Kimmel Center website for details of the position.
  
  

• Good news from Hartford
  Reports have reached us that Austin Organs has tentatively begun to restart operations following professional advice from turnaround professionals. Initially the firm will concentrate on service work and fulfilling existing contracts, with the aim of re-establishing financial security and customer trust after a cash-flow crisis caused by a church defaulting on payment led to closure of the firm in March 2005. It is hoped to hire back most of the workforce laid off following closure, and progress through rebuilding work until the company is fully ready to build new organs once more.