The Willis Organ
The organ was originally built in 1871 for St. Stephen’s Church in Hampstead, London, by the renowned organ builder Henry Willis. Nowadays the organ is located in Örgryte New Church.
In 1902, the organ was changed: the Choir division was enclosed, and the Gemshorn 4’ and Piccolo 2’ were replaced with a Gamba 8’ and a Voix Celeste 8’. A Bourdon 16’ in the Pedal was added on a tubular- pneumatic cone-valve chest, in addition to a coupler, Choir + Swell. When St. Stephen’s became redundant in the 1980s, the organ was dismantled and sold. The instrument was later bought by Tostareds kyrkorgelfabrik.
In 1993, the company partially restored the organ and installed it as an interim instrument in the Organ Hall of the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Gothenburg. At this time, the Choir’s Gemshorn 4’ and Piccolo 2’ were reconstructed and the Gamba 8’ and Voix Celeste 8’ stops from 1902 were moved to the Swell. Originally, the organ was built into a vault with only a small façade visible above the console. From the beginning, the organ had two side façades with the Violone 16’ to the left and the Grand Open Diapason 16’ to the right. The right-hand façade, above the console, was retained, while the pipes on the left were used for the new façade, designed by Tore Johansson of the Tostared firm.
After installation of the French symphonic organ in the Organ Hall in 1998, the Willis organ was purchased by a foundation, which installed the instrument in the Örgryte New Church, where it is part of the beautiful neo-Gothic room from that same year. In connection to the placement in Örgryte New Church, Tostared completed the restoration of the instrument.
Disposition
Choir (I) C–g3
Dulciana 8
Lieblich Gedact 8
Gemshorn 4
Flute Harmonique 4
Piccolo 2
Corno di Bassetto 8
Great (II) C–g3
Double Diapason 16
Open Diapason 8
Claribel Flute8
Viola 8
Octave 4
Quinte 2 2/3
Super Octave 2
Mixture III
Bombarde 8
Swell (III) C–g3
Contra Gamba 16
Open Diapason 8
Lieblich Gedact 8
Gamba 8
Voix Celeste 8
Octave 4
Flageolet 2
Cornopean 8
Hautboy 8
Vox Humana 8
Clarion 4
Tremulant
Pedal C-f1
Grand Open Diapason 16
Violone (metal) 16
Bourdon 16
Violoncello 8
Ophicleide 16
Couplers
Great to Pedal, Choir to Pedal, Swell to Pedal
Choir to Great, Swell to Great
Swell to Choir
Swell to Great-4’, Swell to Great-16’
7 fixed combinations (by means of combination pedals); original hitch-down Swell pedal with two fixed positions
Mechanical key and stop action;
Great with Barker levers (also for 16 the manual couplers)
Wind pressure: 76mm (Bom- 16 barde 8’, Violoncello 8’, and Ophicleide 16’ on 135mm)
