A colleague has alerted me to the fact that the organ in the Great Hall at Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College - formerly Wyggeston Boys' School (Leicester) is in urgent need of a new home. It is a two manual Walker organ dating from 1932 The NPOR link is here: http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=D07877
The balcony on which it stands is to be re-developed and the organ will be disposed of, if no offer of removal to a new home is forthcoming. If anyone knows of a church (or school, etc) requiring an instrument of this size and design, please contact me by PM, and I can put you in touch with someone who used to play it and who has drawn this to my attention.
Thank you.
Looks like a superb instrument. I hope it can be saved soon.
It is indeed a fantastic instrument. I used to play it for assembly most days when it was still a Grammar School. It has a bright crisp sound, a magnificent full organ and the hall has about a 3 second resonance. It has open wooden panelling around the sides and this lets the sound flood out. A sound worthy of any cathedral. I can't believe it could be destroyed. The blower is under the floor of the main hall entrance accessed through a lift-off trap door. It used to trip out every now and again and I would have to get the lifting keys from the caretaker to get down to re-set it. There are passageways under the hall corridors with graffiti on the walls from firewatchers in the war. Typical that the authorities have no consideration for the heritage in their care; just rip it out and destroy it. Progress!!!
What is the latest with this organ?
I have spoken to a builder friend of mine who has told me that the school are no longer in such a rush to get rid of the instrument...
Good news. Let's hope that they appreciate the wonderful treasure which they have and which it is their duty to hand on to future generations.
Sorry everyone - bad news, this is from a friend of mine who played the instrument on many occasions, although it appears all is not completely lost
"I was at the College about 3 weeks ago and was able to see Groves (organ builders) taking the last of the pipes down. They'll be used in a new, larger, instrument that they're installing at Trent College. Better than scrapping it but very sad to see it go."
There is is
Jontytrain