READING TOWN HALL

The organ was built by Henry Willis in 1864 for the old Town Hall, which dates from 1785. Additional buildings, designed by Alfred Waterhouse, were erected in front of the small Hall in 1876. The present large Hall was added in 1882, to a design by Thomas Lainson  in harmony with the Waterhouse building; the Art Gallery and Reading Room completed this impressive group of municipal buildings in 1894.
The organ was rebuilt by Willis for the new Hall in 1882, with magnificent casework designed by Thomas Lainson jnr, and new front pipes of tin. The Solo Organ and several other stops (shown by an asterisk in the following specification) were new at that time, the old Solo Organ becoming the new Choir Organ.
The organ has been cleaned several times; electric blowing was introduced earlier this century, the pitch was lowered in 1947, and a balanced swell pedal was introduced in 1964; but no other changes have been made.
In 1999 the organ was restored to its 1882 form, with reinstatement of the original sharp pitch (c=540). 

PEDAL ORGAN


    1. Open Diapason   (wood)     16
  * 2. Violone    			16
    3. Bourdon			16
    4. Principal		 	 8
  * 5. Ophicleide			16



CHOIR ORGAN


     6. Lieblich Gedact	 	 8
   * 7. Viol d'Amore  		 8
     8. Salcional 		 	 8
     9. Flūte Harmonique	 	 4
    10. Piccolo Harmonique	 2
    11. Corno di Bassetto	 	 8
    12. Oboe		 		 8

SWELL ORGAN


  24. Double Diapason		 16
  25. Open Diapason		  	  8
  26. Stopped Diapason		  8
  27. Principal			  4
  28. Piccolo			  2
  29. Sesquialtera	17.19.22 
  30. Cornopean   		 	  8
  31. Hautboy			  8
* 32. Vox Humana		 	  8
  33. Clarion			  4


SOLO  ORGAN


* 34. Hohl Flute			  8
* 35. Concert Flute			  4
* 36. Orchestral Oboe		  8
* 37. Tuba			  	  8

      
GREAT ORGAN


  * 13. Double Diapason		16
    14. Open Diapason 		 8
  * 15. Open Diapason		 8
    16. Claribel Flute		 8
    17. Principal			 4
    18. Flūte Harmonique		 4
    19. Twelfth			 3
    20. Fifteenth			 2
    21. Mixture 	17.19.22      
    22. Posaune			 8
  * 23. Clarion			 4

The actions are mechanical, with pneumatic 
lever to the Great Organ and pneumatic assistance to the 
Pedal Open Diapason.


Manual 58 notes; Pedal compass 30 notes



      
COUPLERS



Choir to Pedals	Choir to Great
Great to Pedals	Swell to Great
Swell to Pedals	Swell Sub Octave (to Great)
Solo to Pedals	Swell Super Octave (to Great)
Solo to Great



ACCESSORIES


Four composition pedals to Pedal and Great
Three composition pedals to Swell
Reversible pedal to Great to Pedals
Swell Tremulant (foot lever)
Lever swell pedal



* Stops dating from 1882

THE FATHER WILLIS ORGAN

1864 and 1882

RESTORED BY

HARRISON & HARRISON 1999

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For further information, email Mark Venning:
h.h@btinternet.com