Some Organs by William Hill and son of London.

This firm was started about 1755 by John Snetzler, who was succeeded in 1780 by his foreman, Ohrmann. Ohrmann had a partner, W. Nutt in 1780 who was afterwards joined by Thomas Elliot about 1803. Elliot carried on alone, taking in a partner, William Hill in 1825, who had married his daughter. Elliot died in 1832, leaving Hill alone until 1837, when he was joined by Frederick Davidson. After 1838, Davidson left to go into partnership with John Gray and the firm became W. Hill and Son.

A partner of the firm, Arthur George Hill, wrote a valuable book of "Organ-cases and Organs of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, etc.", 1883, as well as designing many very fine cases for the firm's instruments. He was responsible for the casework of the Sydney Town Hall organ. There is also a very fine organ-case at the Hunter-Baillie Memorial Church, Annandale which was possibly designed by him. The lack of organ-cases in New South Wales makes these two very fine examples all the more pleasing.

In an article on Hill organ-cases in "The Organ", Oct. 1944, Ernest E. Adcock refers to Dr. A G. Hill's knowledge of the proper treatment for organ pipes in casework. He illustrates this by the case designed for the Sydney Town Hall organ and says:

The late Rev. Andrew Freeman, a noted authority on English and Continental organ-cases, said it was the most successful 32ft. front which had ever emanated from England.

The firm amalgamated with Norman and Beard in 1914 and is now in business under the name of Hill, Norman and Beard.

The Sydney history of the firm as far as the present writer can gather, is as follows:

The Town Hall organ was built at the London works and erected by a team of men sent out. These men were under the supervision of the firm's representative in Sydney, a Mr. Edward Mylrea searched out business for the firm, specified, obtained the necessary details and forwarded this to London. When the completed instrument was landed, he would then supervise or carry out himself the erection.

Another of this firm was Holroyd. Mr. W. Pogson knew Holroyd from at least the 1910's to the late 1920's. But if a note by the late Mr. Cherry is correct, then Holroyd erected the Hill organ in the Roman Catholic cathedral at Goulburn during or after 1890.

The firm has representatives at the present time in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Organ at Newtown Methodist Church

This organ was erected by Messrs. Hill & Son of London, under the direction of the late Mr. F. Morley, at that time Organist at the Bourke Street Methodist Church.

In 1880, extra stops were added. In 1903, Mr. W. Pogson was appointed organist and was instrumental in having many improvements effected. In 1905, the organ gallery and loft were built and some alterations to the organ itself were made. Other improvements were made including the additions of stops and the converting of the pedal action to the pneumatic system. The original method of blowing the organ was by hand; this gave place to hydraulic power which in turn was replaced by electric power. This is called a "Discus" blower installed at present outside the church.

Mr. Pogson told the present writer of two additions. The first was the addition of gamba and celeste ranks by Richardson. The second was the converting of the swell and pedal organs to pneumatic action, the addition of the swell stops and a new radiating and concave pedal board by C.W. Leggo for Fincham & Sons of Melbourne.

Specification of the Organ as it Stands To-Day:

SWELL ORGAN. The reeds are smooth in tone and have not suffered so much from age as other examples. The piccolo sounds very gently blown.

GREAT ORGAN. Scales: diapason (inaccessible ( between 7" and 8"; principal 3"; fifteenth 1 3/4". The trumpet is a very fine stop.< /p>

PEDAL ORGAN. Scales: metal 16': 11". Wood 16': 9 3/4" x 11 1/2". Bourdon: 6 1/2" x 7 1/4".

The tone of the organ is very impressive both in individual ranks and in ensemble. the swell super and sub couplers add to the possible effects of this instrument, the pneumatic action permitting this, as, also, itt allows on the Pedal some very useful borrowings. The extension of the great Open Diapason to provide a 16' metal base is both effective and economical. (Some of these facts were obtained from Mr. Pogson, others from a booklet "Centenary of Newtown Methodism", 1840-1940.)

The Organ at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Goulburn according to the late R. Cherry's collection.

This organ was built in 1890 and erected by Holroyd.

The Organ at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Newcastle (according to the late R. Cherry's collection.)

Some other Hill organs known to the present writer.

4. Town Hall, Sydney 1886-9.Opened 1890 by the late W. T. Best. Cost: £16,300. Set in an elliptical cove approx. 68' long and 26' wide. There are 8,672 pipes altogether. Five manuals, 127 speaking stops and 14 couplers. Compass:manuals CC-C (61 n.):Pedals CCC-F (30 n.) Pitch altered from C535 to C522 in 1939, being done by Mr. S.T. Noad and costing just under £1,000.

5. Presbyterian Church, Rose Bay2 manuals and pedal

6. St. Barnabas' Church of England, Broadway 2 manual and pedal.

7. St. John's Church of England, Ashfield 2 manual and pedal (electric action by Handel and Wiltshire).

8. St. Andrew's Cathedral, George St., Sydney. Built in 1886. 3 manuals, 34 speaking stops, 7 couplers, this instrument, which stands in the northern transept, was replaced in the late 1920's by a Whitely organ erected opposite in the southern transept. When, towards the end of its life, the Whitely organ broke down, the disused hill with rat-eaten bellows, pneumatics, etc., would be called into service. Both the Whitely and Hill instruments are incorporated in the present re-build by Hill, Norman & Beard (Aust.).

9. Hunter-Baillie Memorial Church, Annandale. A 3 manual, tracker-actioned organ with 25 speaking stops and 5 couplers. The diapason and flute tone are of excellent quality while the organ case mentioned earlier is of great beauty. There is a 16' reed stop on the great, labeled "Bombarde", which was added later under the direction of the then city organist, Auguste Wiegand.

The great organ has a comprehensive tonal scheme, the fifteenth, mixture and reeds adding a "fire" and brilliance which, although smaller in scale, is similar in effect to the Town Hall organ. The swell organ is similar to the specification at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Newcastle, while there is a bourdon and open wood stock on the pedals.

10. St. John's Church of England, Darlinghurst. This organ, built in 1886, was originally a 3 manual Hill organ of 32 speaking stops and 6 couplers. It has since been rebuilt.

11. Bourke Street Methodist Church. This very beautiful 2 manual organ is thought to be an early Hill. The 8' and 2' flutes on the swell possess a similar character to the 2' stop at the Newtown Methodist Church. This church, no longer used for services, is now and A.B.C. studio.

12. Pitt Street Congregational Church. The present 3 manual organ is a later Hill organ, being installed in 1911.

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