AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

28 May 2007

Town hall organ to be reinstated

The Auckland Town Hall organ is about to turn 100 and it is set to receive a much-needed revamp for its birthday present.

Auckland City Council would like to see the organ regain the splendour it possessed when the town hall first opened in 1911, and it has made a substantial contribution of $3 million towards the project.

“This is an opportunity to secure a truly world-class musical instrument for the town hall that will satisfy the expectations of Aucklanders and all music-loving New Zealanders for the 21st century,” explains Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee chairperson, Councillor Penny Sefuiva.

The estimated cost of the entire project is approximately $3.5 million, which will involve upgrading or replacing a large number of the 5000-plus pipes that comprise the organ, along with other items such as the bellows, and the organ console.

The redeveloped organ will incorporate the ability to allow visitors to walk through to observe its inner workings. A small demonstration organ is also being purchased, which will enable people to see first-hand how an organ operates.

To date, the Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust has raised approximately $150,000 and is seeking support from all quarters to raise the balance of the funding required to ensure the restoration is completed.

Concert organs are an integral part of major civic buildings throughout the world. They are important for civic functions such as concerts, recitals, citizenship ceremonies and graduations.

According to Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust chairperson Stephen Hamilton, the organ requires a major overhaul in order for it to reach its full potential.

“It simply isn’t loud enough, it can’t balance an orchestra, and it doesn’t deliver excitement to the audience to the extent it should,” he says.

“What better way could there be to celebrate the centenary of the Auckland Town Hall in 2011, than by redeveloping New Zealand’s most significant musical instrument,” he adds.

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, universities and concert organisers also have shown considerable support for the restoration and reinstatement of the organ.

The wheels have already been set in motion to get this project underway. A comprehensive, international tendering process was carried out last year to select the most suitable organ builder to carry out the works.

One hundred and twenty-five year-old, fourth-generation German company, Johannes Klais Orgelbau won the bid.

The German company is a world leader in the organ-building industry, with an impressive resume boasting redevelopment or new creation of some of the world’s most magnificent organs, their most recent being the Beijing National Grand Theatre organ last year.

Johannes Klais Orgelbau expressed great enthusiasm for the Auckland plans after several visits to the city to complete their competitively priced proposal, which includes bringing in local craftsmen to work alongside the German team.

It will begin work on the Auckland Town Hall organ project this year and it is estimated that the project will take between two and three years to complete.

ENDS

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