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HISTORY & TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE GRAND ORGAN IN THE VICTORIA HALL Come and hear it live at a Saturday Organ Prom!
click on pictures to enlarge
It was built by the Conacher Organ Company in
1884 for the Saltaire exhibition, and re-erected in
the Victoria Hall for the opening in 1888.
Master Potter George Meakin paid for it and presented it to the Hanley Borough Council . It had 37 stops, 4 keyboards and pedals.
In 1922 it was rebuilt and enlarged by another
famous organ builder of the time, Henry Willis,
when it was enlarged to 62 stops.
Its tonal range was expanded to include several
colourful solo stops and additional powerful reed
stops, including a family of Trombas at 16' 8 & 4'
pitch on the Great Organ, a huge 16' Pedal
Ophicleide, and a second Tuba stop on the Solo
organ at 18" wind pressure.
In 1988 the organ was completely restored for the
Victoria Hall' s centenary by Hill, Norman & Beard,
and following the 1997 refurbishment of the hall, the
organ is now in the care of the firm of David Wells
Organ Builders, Liverpool for tuning and
maintenance. It now has 72 stops, 4 manuals and
pedals.

Technical specification of the Victoria Hall Organ

10 Solo Organ- 16, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2, 16 , 8 , 8, 8
17 Swell Organ - 16, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2 & 2/3, 2, III, V, 8, 8, 16, 8, 4
14 Great Organ - 16, 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2 & 2/3, 2, III, IV, 16, 8, 4
15 Choir Organ - 16, 8 ,8, 8, 8, 4, 4, 2 & 2/3, 2, 1 & 3/5, 1, III, 16, 8, 8
16 Pedal Organ - 32,16,16,16,16,16, 8, 8, 8,4, II,16, 32,16, 16, 8
Wind pressures range from 3" to 18" and are generated by 2 fan blowers. There are 5 humidifiers. A full detailed specification of all the stops is available for £1.50 - go to 'Contacts'

The Victoria Hall's Grand Organ is now ranked as
one of the best concert hall organs in the world, its
array of beautiful tone colours and wide dynamic
range from very quiet sounds to the majestic "full
organ" is linked to the equally famous acoustic of
the hall, highly acclaimed by many of the top
orchestral conductors, instrumentalists, soloists and
choirs. Why not come and hear it for yourself at one
of the Saturday Organ Proms?