Pierce Pipe Organs

Once again, Pierce Pipe Organs are proud sponsors of this event.
Sheona is the Anna Lapwood equivalent on the Tenor Horn!
Though no pipe organs are to be heard, this is always a brilliant concert.

We are excited to announce that we have been awarded a contract to build a new pipe organ for the recently refurbished Chapel of our Glorified Lord, located at Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland. This work is being undertaken in a joint collaboration between Pierce Pipe Organs Pty Ltd in Brisbane, and our colleagues at Anderson Pipe Organs Limited.

Mechanically, the organ will be completely new and designed to fit in the small gallery at the rear of the Chapel. We have designed a tonal scheme spread over two manuals and pedals in consultation with the School’s organist, Helen Lukman-Fox. This scheme will use primarily new pipework whilst retaining some of the best ranks of pipes from the former instrument to create an instrument suited to the many varied musical requirements of the school.

We are grateful to Diocesan School for entrusting this exciting project to us and look forward to sharing more about this organ and our progress over the coming months.

Well they say ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’. And yes, a lot of cleaning we do is in Churches. 😇

However, we also have the joy of maintaining the 1986 Klais Organ in the Concert Hall of QPAC! With its impressive 4 manuals, 88 speaking stops, and beautiful French style console, we certainly enjoy working on this instrument which is the focal point in the Concert Hall.

This week we’ve had a team start working on cleaning the Swell division. We have already cleaned the Positive, Great and Solo. Thankfully it is in a nice air conditioned room with the present hot Brisbane weather outside. Keeping the pipes clean is best practice to ensure the organ speaks well and clearly. The organ is extremely well laid out with its expert craftsmanship, but there are some tight spaces we need to navigate - but we’re always able to find a solution to get the work done. 😁

Thanks to QPAC for finding time in the busy schedule to allow us access to keep this instrument performing at its best.

Last week we spent time at Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art ahead of the film screening featuring David Bailey.

The films were based on current GOMA exhibitions, one of which is around ‘contraptions’. The organ being the biggest GOMA contraption! After the performance, there were a series of organ tours which allowed people to get up close and see the inner workings of this unique instrument.

The organ is a 1929 Wurlitzer with 3 manuals, 15 ranks, 6 tuned percussions, a piano and includes a 32’ Diaphone that sits under the cinema seats and gives everyone a good shake! It was originally installed in the Regent Theatre, Brisbane and Pierce Pipe organs were part of the team which restored and installed the organ here in 2007.

A detailed 4h was spent tuning the organ and testing all functions prior to the performance. With its many reeds and percussions/effects, we needed to make sure everything was doing what it does best! Making magical music.

Thanks to the GOMA team for supporting this instrument and bringing it to the public so all can enjoy.

Well the year is in full swing!

This past week has seen the team working at Brisbane City Hall. We take this quieter time of the year (for City Hall) to complete cleaning of the chambers, walkways, and accessible pipe racks/chests and general maintenance. The hall was also replacing all the internal lighting in the organ so we had to remove several ranks to give them clear access.

We then had several days to complete tuning throughout the entire organ. Thankfully, with the building being air conditioned and a humidification system in the organ, a lot of it does stay pretty well in tune - but nonetheless, we still go through all ranks and check the tuning to keep the organ in top shape! The balcony level of the hall is open to the public - and one person clapped after tuning a rank. 😂 (Thank you!).

A big thanks to the team for getting this work done, and to City Hall for the time. 😁