Inscribed on the plaque
above the console is the following statement:
This organ was
presented to the Corporation by Alderman Sir Samuel Turner JP
and was formally declared open by the donor on the occasion of
the visit of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary to
the Town on 9th July 1913.
The first recital was then given by
Herbert Walton, then Organist of Glasgow Cathedral. J.J. Binns
of Bramley, Leeds was the chosen builder; Sir Samuel's place
of worship, the former Baillie St. Methodist Church, had a
large instrument by Binns and this may have influenced his
choice.
Rochdale Town Hall was opened in 1872
with provision for an organ to fill the three arches. The
delay in installation until 1913 meant that the organ was both
technically and tonally advanced for its time with the then
latest tubular pneumatic action and combination system. During
the 1970s it was apparent that a major rebuild and update
would be needed. An organization with the acronym THOR (Town
Hall Organ Restoration) was created which raised modest funds
and which attracted the interest of the Carnegie UK Trust.
This trust, together with Rochdale MB Council jointly and
generously donated large sums which saw a complete rebuild
being completed by J.W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1978-79. A
new electro-pneumatic action was installed together with a
full complement of playing aids. The keyboards were inclined
and a humidifier added to protect the windchests.
The instrument was re-opened in 1st
December 1979 with a joint recital by Dr. Gilbert Kennedy and
Wayne Marshall. A large audience headed by the Mayor of
Rochdale was present.
This concert organ has many orchestral
stops together with robust and complete flue and reed
choruses. The sound of "FULL ORGAN" underpinned by a majestic
Pedal Division complements the grandeur of the magnificent
Great Hall. The organ never fails to elicit the highest praise
from visiting players; the tonal projection into the Hall is
absolute and unhindered. The voicing reflects, in part, the
work of the German organ builder, Schulze, of whom Binns was
an admirer.
Mr Frank Greenwood B. Mus FRCO
ARMCM was the appointed Borough Organist until 1935.
Since then, and currently, professional players have been
engaged by the local Organists' Association to give regular
recitals. The late Mr Harvey Smith, the excellent organist of
the Rochdale Methodist Mission based at the Champness Hall
nearby, took part in these recitals in earlier days. With the
advent of the Brereton Memorial Fund, the organ bench was also
rebuilt and fitted with an adjustable mechanism.
In conclusion it is appropriate to
quote an extract from the I.A.O. Members Information Guide
concerning the Rochdale instrument "The organ is really
thrilling and the acoustic setting impressive. It is well
worth travelling quite some distance for the experience."
A. M. Wilson
Alan M. Wilson (1927 - 2019) was
a former President and long time committee member of the Oldham,
Rochdale & Tameside Organists' Association(ORTOA), who for
forty years has had the brief for liaison with Rochdale
Council and the organ builder Andrew Carter regarding the
upkeep of the Binns organ. Apart from his vast knowledge of
organists and instruments in the area, he regularly played the
town hall instrument for the weekly tours of the building till
2019 and had played a pivotal role in the campaign in the
1970's which successfully brought about a rebuild by
J.W.Walker & Son in 1979
Jonathan Scott plays
Wagners' Tannhauser Overture (arr. E Lemare)
