37:
161:, the then Cathedral organist) after being reduced to 49 speaking stops, which was felt at the time to be an appropriate size for the Cathedral. When installed at Winchester in 1854, it was the first cathedral organ in the world to have thumb pistons and a concave and radiating pedalboard, both the inventions of "Father" Willis (in collaboration with Wesley in the case of the pedalboard) and now standard features of organs throughout English-speaking countries.
22:
110:
style, and a substantial (and similarly equipped) church. Industrialists competed to endow the most lavish halls and instruments. The result was a convergence of both a very fine and technically proficient organ builder, and a substantial number of commissions for really exceptional instruments. This
283:
has a small Willis organ comprising one manual of four and a half octaves, seven stops and 350 pipes. The organ, donated by
Charlotte Yonge of England, arrived on Norfolk in 1876 and was installed in St Barnabas' church in 1880. In 1985, Henry Willis IV, great-grandson of the founder, travelled to
264:
Although four generations of Henry
Willises are mostly remembered for organs on the grand scale, they also built smaller instruments. Seven examples exist in Australia, including the last one imported, the 1881 organ (Great: 5 stops; Swell: 4 stops; Pedal: 1 stop; 3 couplers) in
722:
225:, was designed and built specially for the size and acoustics of the new Chapel building in 1877 by “Father” Willis, it was fully restored from 2013-2015 and it is notable for its fully working original hydraulic blowing system.
726:
639:
295:, both built in 1932. These organs both contain stops invented by the builder: the Sylvestrina at 8 foot pitch on the Choir divisions. In 1929, he rebuilt Father Willis' notable concert instrument at
57:
Five generations of the Willis family served as principals of the firm, until 1997, when Henry Willis 4 appointed as
Managing Director, David Wyld; who subsequently became the majority shareholder.
921:
114:
As well as large organs, from around 1860 the firm made compact and lower-cost instruments suitable for smaller spaces such as the chancels of village churches. These were called
749:
129:, and traded under the name of Henry Willis & Sons and Lewis & Company Ltd. until 1923 when the reference to Lewis was dropped. The firm moved into Lewis's works at
84:, was nicknamed "Father Willis" because of his contribution to the art and science of organ building and to distinguish him from his younger relatives working in the firm.
487:
102:, itself a time when both civic and religious commitment led to the construction of a large number of impressive buildings and other public works. During the
916:
153:
of 1851 at the
Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. With 70 speaking stops this was the largest of the organs exhibited. The organ was later installed in
911:
931:
287:
Henry Willis III built and worked on many organs across
Britain, the most notable examples of his work (in addition to Liverpool Cathedral) being in
886:
936:
906:
753:
613:
261:. This was built in 1892, and originally installed in the Brisbane Exhibition Building, then in 1927 moved to its current location.
91:
whom he met at
Cheltenham, and who was instrumental in gaining for Willis the contract for his first work on a cathedral organ, at
299:. The resulting instrument was said to eclipse any other Willis concert hall organ, and to be the finest concert organ in Europe.
901:
54:
builders founded in 1845. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other countries.
491:
317:
842:
266:
181:
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is the largest pipe organ in the UK, with two five-manual consoles, 10,268 pipes and a trompette militaire.
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407:
106:
many towns equipped themselves with imposing town halls, preferably with a Willis instrument of the
270:
239:
192:
115:
222:
203:
158:
88:
858:
Sumner W L, 'Father Henry Willis, Organ
Builder, and his successors'. 1955 Musical Opinion Ltd.
657:
437:
247:
165:
111:
heritage continues with recent new instruments in
Florence (Italy) and Auckland (New Zealand).
29:
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274:
125:
In March 1919, Henry Willis & Sons merged with another prominent firm of organ builders,
103:
876:
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196:
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43:
organ, the last major instrument to be personally supervised by "Father" Henry Willis, 1899
617:
8:
292:
229:
211:
173:
254:
138:
61:
861:
Thistlethwaite N, "The Making of the
Victorian Organ". 1990 Cambridge University Press
774:"History of All Saints Church, Bodalla: The Willis Organ"; church pamphlet; copy held.
838:
784:
207:
169:
25:
164:
Famous "Father" Willis organs subsequently installed in cathedrals include those at
808:
296:
150:
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Launch of the restored 1887 Father Willis organ in Union Chapel, Islington, London
64:, the firm later moved to a purpose-built works, designed by Henry Willis III, at
243:
177:
119:
107:
466:
381:"Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp MI: 1857–1860 "Father" Henry Willis "Scudamore" Organ"
408:"A Victorian bell founding enigma - T. C. Lewis, organ builder and bellfounder"
280:
235:
40:
588:
563:
538:
513:
228:
The Grand Organ built by Henry Willis & Sons between 1923 and 1926 at the
68:; and after acquisition by David Wyld, to its present base and head office in
36:
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99:
134:
81:
21:
355:
65:
215:
51:
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258:
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Restoration of the Willis Organ at the Old High Church, Inverness
130:
922:
Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United
Kingdom
133:
and remained there until it was destroyed by bombing during the
98:
The Willis firm is regarded as the leading organ builder of the
28:
organ, built by Willis in 1864, extended in 1882 and rebuilt by
871:
199:
interior, is of "Father" Willis origin and dates back to 1866.
149:
The "Father" Willis's organ won a 'Council' gold medal in the
284:
the island to carry out restoration work on the instrument.
835:
The Organ, its evolution, principles of construction and use
752:. www. northside-chronicle.whereilive.com.au. Archived from
877:
1883 Father Willis organ at St Dominic's Priory, London NW5
816:
253:
In Australia, a 4,600 pipes organ was installed at the
723:"End of an era as founder of town organ-builder dies"
273:, commemorating the 'father of Australian dairying',
157:
by the family firm (largely due to the initiative of
118:
after their proponent, John Baron, who was rector of
60:
Founded in London, at 2 & 1/2 Foundling Terrace,
336:
324:
725:. Petersfield Post. 19 October 2018. Archived from
218:and was, at that time, the largest in the world.
206:built by Henry Willis & Sons in 1871 for the
893:
616:. Glasgow Metropolitan Cathedral. Archived from
917:Manufacturing companies established in 1845
750:"Organ recital marks 80 years at City Hall"
658:"The Grand Organ Royal Albert Hall, London"
912:Manufacturing companies based in Liverpool
315:
80:The founder of the company, the eponymous
932:1845 establishments in the United Kingdom
589:"The National Pipe Organ Register - NPOR"
564:"The National Pipe Organ Register - NPOR"
539:"The National Pipe Organ Register - NPOR"
514:"The National Pipe Organ Register - NPOR"
747:
435:
318:"Henry Willis, organ builder – obituary"
316:Obituaries, Telegraph (28 August 2018).
144:
35:
20:
238:had a Willis until it was destroyed by
230:Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool
894:
832:
490:. Winchester Cathedral. Archived from
467:"National Pipe Organ Register: Hunter"
342:
330:
937:British companies established in 1845
741:
405:
907:Organ builders of the United Kingdom
640:"Login | King's College London"
447:. Organ Heritage Trust of Australia
16:British pipe organ building company
13:
852:
14:
948:
865:
436:Maidment, John (1 January 1991).
438:"T.C. LEWIS - a short biography"
406:Offen, Richard (December 2007).
320:– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
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182:Glasgow Metropolitan Cathedral
1:
902:Pipe organ building companies
302:
7:
195:, designed to complete the
137:in 1941. The firm acquired
10:
953:
826:
813:The Alexandra Palace Organ
75:
785:"Norfolk Island Anglican"
271:Bodalla, New South Wales
872:Henry Willis & Sons
240:a fire in November 1992
223:Union Chapel, Islington
159:Samuel Sebastian Wesley
89:Samuel Sebastian Wesley
48:Henry Willis & Sons
30:Harrison & Harrison
819:HQM 1199 (Hayes 1970).
360:St Matthew-in-the-City
248:Royal Academy of Music
44:
33:
488:"The Cathedral Organ"
289:Westminster Cathedral
275:Thomas Sutcliffe Mort
193:King's College London
145:Notable Willis organs
104:Industrial Revolution
50:is a British firm of
39:
24:
833:Sumner, W L (1973).
494:on 16 September 2021
197:George Gilbert Scott
155:Winchester Cathedral
141:of Clapham in 1937.
927:Pipe organ builders
702:Liverpool Cathedral
417:. The Ringing World
415:kent.lovesguide.com
293:Sheffield City Hall
174:Salisbury Cathedral
166:St Paul's Cathedral
139:A. Hunter & Son
87:He was a friend of
644:internal.kcl.ac.uk
255:Brisbane City Hall
210:had four manuals (
45:
34:
614:"Cathedral Organ"
267:All Saints Church
208:Royal Albert Hall
187:The organ in the
170:Lincoln Cathedral
26:Reading Town Hall
944:
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815:, Sleevenote to
809:Felix Aprahamian
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620:on 27 March 2022
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297:Alexandra Palace
151:Great Exhibition
116:Scudamore organs
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853:Further reading
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789:www.ohta.org.au
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729:on 29 July 2020
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660:. Mander Organs
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244:Blenheim Palace
178:Truro Cathedral
147:
120:Upton Scudamore
108:symphonic organ
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62:Gray's Inn Road
17:
12:
11:
5:
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866:External links
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756:on 6 July 2011
748:Staff Writer.
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680:"Union Chapel"
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356:"Willis organ"
347:
345:, p. 237.
335:
333:, p. 207.
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281:Norfolk Island
236:Windsor Castle
146:
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127:Lewis & Co
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41:St Bees Priory
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387:. 26 May 2015
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385:Buzard Organs
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221:The organ at
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792:. Retrieved
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758:. Retrieved
754:the original
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731:. Retrieved
727:the original
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705:. Retrieved
701:
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684:Union Chapel
683:
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662:. Retrieved
652:
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622:. Retrieved
618:the original
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596:. Retrieved
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521:. Retrieved
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496:. Retrieved
492:the original
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470:. Retrieved
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449:. Retrieved
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135:London Blitz
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82:Henry Willis
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56:
47:
46:
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760:13 November
698:"Our Organ"
593:npor.org.uk
568:npor.org.uk
543:npor.org.uk
518:npor.org.uk
445:ohta.org.au
343:Sumner 1973
331:Sumner 1973
204:Grand Organ
168:in London,
95:, in 1847.
66:Petersfield
896:Categories
472:2 February
451:5 November
421:5 November
365:5 November
303:References
242:, as have
214:) and 111
93:Gloucester
52:pipe organ
598:21 August
573:21 August
548:21 August
523:21 August
212:keyboards
70:Liverpool
794:24 March
707:24 March
391:15 March
259:Brisbane
246:and the
827:Sources
733:29 July
664:29 July
624:29 July
498:29 July
131:Brixton
76:History
32:in 1999
841:
189:Chapel
441:(PDF)
411:(PDF)
216:stops
839:ISBN
796:2024
762:2009
735:2020
709:2024
666:2020
626:2020
600:2019
575:2019
550:2019
525:2019
500:2020
474:2021
453:2018
423:2018
393:2023
367:2018
291:and
202:The
180:and
817:HMV
257:in
191:of
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
