Work starts on project to turn former Birkenhead church organ into the largest English pipe organ in continental Europe

Feb 3 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

Work starts on project to turn former Birkenhead church organ into the largest English pipe organ in continental Europe

Leiden’s cathedral already has a Baroque organ, but it is unsuitable for the romantic compositions of the late 19th and 20th Centuries.

When finished, the organ will retain a small plaque from its Birkenhead days which reads: “To the glory of God and in memory of Henry and Sarah Harrison. This organ was given by their daughters”.

David Wyld, managing director of Henry Willis & Sons, said: “The prospect of building, essentially, a new Cathedral organ based on the superlative work of our founder and our predecessors in the firm is extremely exciting.”

Henk Kooriker, organ adviser on the project, said: “This means that the organ will be restored in complete accordance with the written specification, and this is therefore entirely in line with the stringent views that we in the Netherlands hold as far as monumental organs are concerned.

“The expansion that is to be carried out will therefore certainly fit in seamlessly with the existing organ, and thus produce a world-class cathedral organ.”

It is hoped that the project will be completed in 2014.