Modern Organ Building

Progress, Volume IX, Issue 4, 1 December 1913, Page 814

Modern Organ Building

The construction of a church or concert organ involves the art and subtlety of the musician combined with the patience and skill of the finished tradesman. This extraordinary commingling of opposite qualifications is evident right down from the time of Father Smith, the “grand old man” of the industry, who built the original instrument in Westminster Abbey 250 years ago, and to whom is attributed the saying that organ builders “wielded the plane in the making of musick. ’ ’ When we remember the simple flute and diapason limitations of Smith, and the feats of physical endurance which characterized both the player’s and wind pumper’s efforts at that time,

and then compare the wondrous variety of tonal effects obtainable in the modern organ, with its comparatively easy manipulation, we are led to ask: How has it all been accomplished ? A visit to the factory of Mr. Arthur A. Hobday will solve the question.

Without doubt the introduction of what is called the tubular pneumatic action into the modern organ has given new life to the industry and

supreme delight to

~ • , Tv/r erection for Koslyn rresbytenan v^burcl the organist. Mr. Hobday explained to a representative of Progress that before this action had been adopted, the player had to press the keys so heavily, especially when the manuals, or keyboards, were coupled, that brilliant execution became out of the question. There was no response of a yielding mechanism to the lightest touch of the finger. Now, however, the whole of the action of the organ is controlled by wind chests, supplied with air from the main motor-driven bellows, and each chest connects with its own key; so that the moment a key is depressed the air is released from the chest and becomes the operative for whatever member is combining in the action which is to produce a given note.

The wind supply is of paramount importance in the perfect organ, and it follows that the efficiency of the generating plant should be high. The Kirby patent hydraulic engine, with hydraulic starter, is used solely by the firm, for it possesses the required efficiency while manifesting great running economy as to water, etc.

THE INDUSTRY OF MR. ARTHUR A. HOBDAY, WELLINGTON

So important is the pneumatic principle, so vital, in fact, is it to the carrying on of successful organ building, that Mr. Hobday conducts a weekly class amongst his staff for the express purpose of discussing any matter of improvement arising out of the daily routine. - The Wellington headquarters of the firm, situated in Sydney Street, are open during business hours to the public, who are invited to inspect the various stages of construction and the materials used. The erecting department has a length of 94 feet, a width of 55ft., and a height of 40ft. The machinery, being of the most modern type, is thoroughly equal to the demands made up- — on it. Adjoining V‘| is the “specialwork” room, 55ft.

x 12ft., equipped with three voicing chests and a “run-

ning ’ ’ bench for preparing metal pipes. It is grati-

fying to discover

these imported that, excepting

metal pipes (which

come out in the

rough) the whole

of the instrument

is manufactured

locally. The sensitiveness of an or-

gan to climatic vagaries extends even to the ruin of

its voicing; eonsc-

quently, much care

has to be taken in

the choice of tim-

bers used. Unfortunately, our own woods are not reliable enough for the work. So we find that picked Californian pine and clear pine, for the pipes and sound boards, with Oregon and mahogany for the other parts, are the timbers most favoured. The necessity for this care becomes apparent when it is understood that a five years’ guarantee is given with every organ. A large reserve stock of picked timbers, thoroughly seasoned, is always at hand. This would enable the factory to cope at any time with an exceptional rush of orders.

The firm first conducted operations in Wellington twelve years ago, the organ in St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, Buckle Street, being the initial effort and we must record that not a penny has as yet been spent in repairs to this very fine instrument., From one end of New Zealand to the other the name of Hobday is synonymous with sterling work. Practically every vestry or church committee is familiar with the repairs, voicing and tuning carried on by Mr. Hobday and his skilled assistants. Above all,

it is to be noted that many of our leading organists recognise that the responsive “touch’ ’of the Hobday instrument, created by the firm’s pneumatic action, is as perfect as could be desired. Up to the present fifty Hobday organs have been delivered, ranging from the large, full-powered church type, down to the private instrument, generally regarded as an artistic adjunct to the equipment of a gentleman’s home.

Quite an important branch of the firm’s business lies in the repairing and tuning of American organs, the reeds being brought back to their original quality by means of a special process which, we understand, is exclusively controlled by Mr. Hobday. In summing up our review of this industry, it must be admitted that in workmanship, tone and durability the Hobday organ is equal to, if not better than the imported instrument. Our clergy and church officials are fully cognisant of the saving in duty (25 per cent.), freight, packing and insurance which applies when organs are locally built, and they are also aware that the cost of erection is all in favour of such instruments.