McEwan Hall organ

Robert Hope-Jones 1897; Henry Willis III 1953; Rushworth and Dreaper 1980, Forth Pipe Organs 2014

The organ in the McEwan Hall, the University's graduation hall, has had a chequered career.  It was originally built by Robert Hope-Jones, and distributed in various parts of the building since no space had been left for an organ when the hall was designed.  Hope-Jones's recently invented electric action united the organ's disparate sections, which were originally played from a console in the gallery.  A major rebuilding and redesigning project was undertaken by Willis in 1953 in consultation with University organist, Herrick Bunney; at that time a new movable detached console on the floor of the hall was installed and the instrument enlaged from 42 to 62 stops.  In 1980 Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool overhauled the organ, installing a new electropneumatic action, and in recent years further tonal changes have been made when Rushworth substituted some ranks from the old St Giles' organ.  The organ suffers to some extent from its scattered and eccentric layout, yet it can sound impressive in the majestic space of the remarkable hall, which was planned by Sir Rowland Anderson to a design inspired by the form of the ancient Greek theatre, and which incorporatees also many ideas from early Italian Renaissance architecture.  The hall is very reverberant, having a reverberation period when empty of just over six seconds.  By the mid 2000s the organ was beoming increasingly unreliable. Problems caused by ageing components and much exacerbated by chronic low humidity conbimed with high temeratures.  In former times the problem was not nearly so prevalent, since heating systems were not so efficient .  By this stage the organ was under the care of Forth Pipe Organs who were awarded the contract for the restoration and renovation of the organ in consultation with the University organist Dr John Kitchen and external consultant Roger Fisher.  The Willis III 1952 console has been beautifully restored and changed as little as possible, however the opportunity has been taken to add a modern combination action, with a stepper, giving more flexibility in setting the pistons.  Controversioally, perhaps, the unusual Willis III 'infinite speed and graduation' swell pedals have been retained and are now working smoothely and very responsively.