Before being disassembled to allow for the Town Hall redevelopment project in 2013, the Town Hall organ was a longstanding jewel of Wellington’s cultural landscape. Intricately crafted to have the power of a full symphony orchestra and located in a world-class auditorium with exceptional acoustics, the organ served as the cornerstone of countless concerts, recitals, and community events.
Currently, the organ’s many parts are in the capable hands of the South Island Organ Company (SIOC), the team tasked with disassembling, repairing, restoring, and cleaning the century-old instrument. Some members of the team have been working on the organ ever since it’s disassembly. However, as you could imagine, cleaning a 118-year-old instrument with four thousand parts is no light work.
“What I like about working with organs is the variety of materials,” says SIOC team member Katja Schneider. “There are woods, metals, leathers, glues- elements that all present their own challenges." Each section of the organ requires precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the instrument's intricate mechanics.
The main parts of the organ were shipped to the SIOC’s workshop in Timaru after the organ was dismantled in 2013. Those parts have all been restored, cleaned, had their polish refreshed with shellac, and had most of the leather parts replaced. This part of the works was completed in 2016.