Union Chapel Organ

The organ at London’s Union Chapel was built by Henry ‘Father’ Willis in 1877 specifically to match the size and acoustics of the building, and is undoubtedly one of the finest in the world. Henry Willis, regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era, also built the organs at the Royal Albert Hall and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Union Chapel Organ remains essentially unaltered. The only significant changes have been the replacement of the Choir Gemshorn 4ft by a 2ft Piccolo in 1909, the provision of electric blowing in the 1920s, and the installation of a balanced swell pedal in the 1940s. As an important example of ‘Father’ Willis's work, in 2012-13 the organ was fully restored by organ builders Harrison & Harrison based on historic principles. The original hydraulic blowing engines (water powered) have also been restored to working order by James Richardson-Jones and are retained as an alternative to electric blowing (one of very few left in the world!). It has three manuals, Swell, Great, Choir, and a full pedalboard. Spitfire co-founder Paul Thomson grew up sat on the organ stool. From playing in churches before he could reach the pedal board, to practicing at night locked alone in Worcester Cathedral as a teenager, he has always had a soft spot in his heart for this instrument. After finding the perfect organ to sample, this became a pet project.

The organ is like an orchestra, from charming flutes to trumpets and trombones, with many interesting harmonic mixtures and options for voicing. You can set up different sounds on the manuals and pass from one to another, or combine them for a greatly amplified sound character.