80 years at City Hall
The Brisbane City Hall Organ 80th Anniversary Concert, organised by the Organ Society of Queensland, was also the last organ recital for three years while City Hall is repaired.
Organists Rupert Jeffcoat and Christopher Wrench performed favourites from Toccata, Elgar and Handel.
Cr Newman said the City Hall organ was one of the largest surviving ones in the world, built in 1892 by Henry Willis & Sons Organ Builders in London.
“This is an amazing instrument not just in Australia but around the world and the concert celebrates not only the organ, but the beautiful heritage building it was custom built for,” he said.
“We had large screens so the audience can get a close-up view of the organ in action and gain an insight into how this unique and dynamic instrument works.”
Music on the evening included the Bingam Roulade, Jongen Toccata, Elgar Sonata in G (1st movement), Karg-Elert Homage to Handel and Widor Toccata.
The organ was built in 1892 by Henry Willis & Sons Organ Builders (London - UK) for the Brisbane Exhibition Building at Bowen Park. It remained in the Exhibition Concert Hall until it moved to the Brisbane City Hall in 1927.
When City Hall closes next month, the organ will need to be removed from the building.
It will be totally dismantled and all 4,600 pipes packed and transported for storage to an air-conditioned humidified facility before a return three years later at a cost of about $1 million. This compares with an estimated $20 million to build City Hall a new organ.
Organ Society of Queensland Dr Steven Nisbet said the concert was an opportunity for old friends to farewell the organ for three years and for a whole new generation of music lovers to experience the unique sounds of this magnificent instrument.
Proceeds from the evening go to the National Trust Brisbane City Hall Appeal to raise funds for the restoration of City Hall and the historic organ.
