Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ, 19th-century pipe organ in Sydney Town Hall, Australia.
The Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ is a pipe organ in the Centennial Hall of Sydney Town Hall, with five 61-note manuals, a 30-note pedalboard and 127 stops. It has 8,800 pipes and bells, and its original gas-powered blower had 8 horsepower. The wooden Contra-Trombone is played from the pedalboard.
Sydney City Council rejected William Hill & Son's first proposal of £5,000 as too modest, so a committee drew up specifications for a world-class instrument. The organ was built in the United Kingdom, shipped to Sydney, and inaugurated on 9 August 1890. The final bill came to £14,241, including the case.
The organ hosts regular concerts where organists from around the world perform both classical and modern works for audiences. These performances show how the instrument remains central to Sydney's musical life today.
Visitors should check the schedule before planning a visit since maintenance and tuning work often happen on weekday mornings. It is wise to consult the event calendar to make sure the instrument will be available to hear during your visit.
The Contra-Trombone is a wooden pedal stop, and its 64-foot pipes are the only ones of that full length besides the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ in Atlantic City. The organ's original 1890 blower was a gas engine of 8 horsepower.
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