Tayside Organists' Society

News

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Stuart Muir & Gordon Stewart at the Caird Hall Organ

The Friends of
The Caird Hall Organ

Launch event
Tuesday 2 March 2010

The Launch event of this new charity took place in the Caird Hall on Tuesday 2 March 2010. Stuart Muir, City Organist and Gordon Stewart, Hon. President of the Friends showed off the stunning sounds of the instrument to a large enthusiastic audience. Mark Venning of Harrison & Harrison, Organ Builders, spoke about the organ's history and Jim McKellican, Interim Chairman of The Friends, outlined the society's planned future activities.

Forthcoming attractions include an evening with Carlo Curley on 1 June and a silent film presentation accompanied by Nigel Ogden at the organ on 26 November.

Why not join the Friends and support this exciting new venture?

Please send your name, address, postcode and email address to:
The Friends of the Caird Hall Organ
Caird Hall
City Square
DUNDEE
DD1 3BB
Scotland
or email: cairdfriends@live.com

Gordon Stewart

"Gordon Stewart plays the Caird Hall Organ"

This CD includes works by Bach, Handel, Bossi, Hollins
and Percy Grainger and features the Pipes and Drums of Dundee High School with the organ in Highland Cathedral.

Available from:
Dundee City Box Office
6 City Square
DUNDEE
DD1 1BG
Scotland
Tel: 01382 434940

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From Perth, Scotland to Melbourne
- via Perth, Australia!

The organ formerly in the City Hall in Perth, Scotland, is now installed
in Haileybury College, Keysborough, Melbourne, having been rebuilt
by Pipe Organs W.A. of Perth, Australia.

The Inaugural Recital was given on Sunday 17 May 2009
by Thomas Heywood, who has acted as Consultant for the project.

The organ as it was in Perth, Scotland

The organ as it is now in Australia

Aikman Hall, Haileybury College

Gallery case

The instrument was built by John R Miller around 1884 for the original Perth City Hall. Miller enlarged it when he moved it to the "new" City Hall in 1911. It was rebuilt and further enlarged, with a new 4-manual console, by Henry Willis III in 1957. Rushworth & Dreaper installed a solid state capture system in 1980. When the new Perth Concert Hall was opened in 2005, the City Hall closed and the organ became redundant. The Council was keen that the organ should find a new home, as a result of which it was gifted to an Australian school that was seeking to install an instrument capable of filling a large auditorium. The organ was shipped to Australia by Pipe Organs W.A., who have installed it in Aikman Hall, Haileybury College, Keysborough, Victoria. You can view the specification and the rebuilding work on the organ builders' website: http://www.pipeorganswa.com.au/miller.html

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