Coburg Town Hall 90 Bell Street, Coburg, VIC - Christie Pipe Organ performance

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Coburg Town Hall 90 Bell Street Coburg, 3058

Photo: Courtesy of Rick Arden

TOSA’s Blackett & Howden organ comprises nine ranks of pipes, controlled from a 2-manual Christie console. Full details can be found on the web-page covering Cinema North, Reservoir, where the two chambers were located on opposite sides of the proscenium.

At Coburg, the chambers are both on the right-hand side of the proscenium, the solo chamber being above the main chamber. This “stacked” arrangement was very frequently found with organs of this size in the United Kingdom, and thus is typical of UK practice. As at Reservoir, the Aeolian harp is installed against the back wall of the stage.

The console is placed on a lift, inset into a stage extension close to the chambers. “The organ was presented to the public for the first time in its new venue, at a concert on 20 February 2000, by Ray Thornley and Gail Dibben, and supported by Bernadette Conlon on the Piano Accordion. The organ has since been tonally finished to concert standard by Pipe Organs Australia of Keysborough, Victoria, between August and October 2000, and was presented to a group of enthusiasts, by many organist, including John Atwell, for the first time in its finished form, on 19 December 2000 -

Contributed by Greg Lynch -