During the summer vacation of 2014 a new pipe organ will be installed in the Elgar Concert Hall of the Bramall Music Building, increasing still further the range of possibilities for music-making in this amazing concert hall. In keeping with the size of the hall, the organ will be in essence a classical instrument, though with an enclosed (but not 'orchestral/symphonic') division and a further ‘chair’ organ, in meantone tuning at A=415.
The organ will be the first to be built in this country by the well-established and highly regarded French company headed by Marc Garnier. The Garnier company has built organs in Europe, notably the Renaissance style organ in the protestant church of St. Paul, Strasbourg (1974) and the North German style organ in St Jean, Belfort (1984). More recently they have built organs in Japan, including the organs of the concert halls of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (1991), which has interchangeable classical and modern cases, and of the Tokyo University of the Arts (2000). The latter is the organ featured on the recording of J. S. Bach’s Clavier-Übung Part III performed by Masaaki Suzuki.
Planned specification of the Marc Garnier organ for the Elgar Concert Hall.