The organ in the Feather Market building was originally meant to be housed in the Town Hall. A fund was set up for such an organ through income derived from concerts and the hiring out of the Town Hall. In 1882, Norman Brothers, and Beard of Norwich, built an organ specially for the Kimberly exhibition. This was the biggest and most powerful instrument heard in South Africa at this time. The organ was offered for sale at the Kimberly exhibition. Mr Benson, who was spokesperson for the builders of the organ in South Africa, advised the Council on this purchase for the Town Hall. Mr Benson found the Town Hall too small, but the Feather Market Hall big enough to house the organ. The organ was first played on the 15th of June 1893. Roger Ascham, the municipal organist, gave more that 1 000 concerts on this organ between 1895 and his death on the 31st of March 1934.
I got the above information here.
That's a beauty!
ReplyDeleteLovely organ....and the music they produce is soooo dramatic and inspiring. have you heard this one?
ReplyDeleteFirefly, I think you may want to check your info about this organ. I think this organ was installed in 1999, when the FMH was renovated, and was built by Jan Pekelharing; parts of the original organ were actually used in the new instrument, so the old organ pipes still seen in the other hall, are only decorative.
ReplyDeleteLouise
I wondered about this organ - I remember the original Feathre Market Hall organ being in the original hall next door, not here. The original organ used to accompany the Collegiate carol service every year, until the stage became too weak to carry our weight.
ReplyDeletets soo nyc and u fil free whn you there
ReplyDelete