Royal Birmingham Conservatoire welcomes new baroque-style organ

The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, has announced the arrival of its new German baroque-style organ.

The organ was built to allow for authentic study of the composer-musician J.S. Bach. The Wolfson Foundation and the George Cadbury Fund funded the construction and installation of the £550,000 instrument which was overseen by Dutch firm Flentrop Orgelbouw.

Daniel Moult, the Conservatoire’s head of Organ, said, ‘The music of both J.S. Bach and the North German school is at the heart of organ culture. It is exciting that the Conservatoire now possesses the first Schnitger pastiche in the UK, on which we can authentically study and perform this music.’

The Wolfson Organ, as the new organ is known, is the only organ in England to be built with strict observance of the traditions of the eighteenth-century organ builders, Schnitger and Hinsz. It has 18 stops across two manuals and pedals as well as the option to raise the wind by hand.

Made possible by a recent multi-million-pound anonymous donation, the conservatoire is now in the early stages of procurement for three further new organs the Conservatoires will now hold a mobile early English Baroque-inspired instrument, a practice organ designed for Romantic repertoire as well and a large symphonic organ.

Interim principal at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Dr Shirley Thompson, said, ‘Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will bring to fruition its long-held dream of having a suite of the very finest instruments to benefit the next generation of professional organists.’

Recent graduates of the Conservatoire’s Organ Department have gone on to secure key posts in the profession, including many prominent UK cathedral roles, such as Westminster, St Paul’s and Salisbury Cathedrals.