Guidelines for Organ Conservation and Restoration[reviewed
May 2008] 1
Introduction BIOS includes amongst its activities efforts to preserve important historic organs in Great Britain. This document suggests which instruments may be worthy of such attention, and indicates ways in which their qualities may be preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come. BIOS believes that the musical success of a good organ is due to a happy combination of the builder's skill and a particular date of construction. Subsequent alterations to keep pace with changes in fashion, whether to pipes or mechanism, will weaken the builder's original concept and impair the artistic value of the instrument. Where an instrument is unaltered, any alteration should be avoided; where alterations have already been made, they should be reversed if reasonably possible. If restoration to the original state is impossible, the instrument may be restored to a chosen former state, usually decided as being that state when the organ last represented, in a coherent and recognisable way, the work of one builder or school of builders.
This document does not attempt to deal with all the questions that may arise, nor can it be used as a set of hard and fast rules for all circumstances. However, it reflects the kind of attitudes that will help anyone contemplating the maintenance or repair of an historic instrument. 2 Organs regarded as worthy of conservation or restoration The significance of an old organ increases with its age, rarity, and the extent to which it remains in its original state. Organs of any size from the seventeenth, eighteenth or first half of the nineteenth centuries in any state of preservation are now so rare and of such historic importance that their preservation, and, if necessary, faithful restoration, should be assumed as a matter of course. Organs of the period 1850-1920 survive in somewhat greater numbers, but again their preservation and restoration should normally be the rule. Organs from 1920 onwards may not be historic as such, but nevertheless major unaltered examples of the work of good builders should be preserved in their original state. Organs that have been so radically altered that they no longer represent the style of the original builder may be of lesser interest, though some such instruments may still contain extremely important historical material. Any organ case, pipework or mechanism more than a hundred years old should be considered for preservation. Organs, like other musical instruments, are works of art. The most significant examples rank alongside famous violins and paintings by great masters though, as they are fixtures and not often marketable, their monetary value may well not reflect this. Even the most humble examples represent great care and skill on the part of their makers, and the temptation to alter them to conform to tastes in playing that the maker did not envisage should be avoided. Nor should it be imagined that the non-sounding parts of the organ are just mechanism, and can be changed at will; each part has a vital role in affecting the way the instrument can be played, and therefore the way it will sound. Some historic organs now have their status confirmed by the award of a Historic Organ Certificate, although the listing programme is currently incomplete. 3 Conservation and Environment Conservation may be defined as work carried out to prevent decay. Even if an organ does not require restoration it may require careful attention to keep it in good order. An historic instrument should be maintained by a skilled professional. When choosing an organ builder to tune and maintain the instrument, it is advisable that the choice should be made bearing in mind his experience and reputation in work with historic organs. The recommendations of an organ builder should be taken seriously. However, there is the possibility that they may be motivated by the prospect of financial reward, and impartial expert advice should be sought where necessary. Organs should not be tuned more often than is required for acceptable performance. Responsibility for maintenance does not lie only with the organ tuner. Unlike modern instruments, historic organs were built at a time when the heating of public buildings was inefficient or nonexistent. Like furniture and other musical instruments, historic organs can be damaged by extremes of temperature and humidity. In particular, continuous winter heating leads to low humidity which causes dimensional changes in organ mechanisms as well as in other wooden furnishings. A relative humidity of 55% or above is acceptable but often not achievable if the building is continuously heated to over 16°C. Another problem is caused by heating systems that produce very rapid changes in temperature. Not only are they wasteful of fuel (much of the heat goes up into the roof) but rapid changes in temperature can upset the tuning of an organ. The organ and its surroundings should be kept free of dirt and rubbish and should be guarded against interference or vandalism. Actual leaks of water can cause expensive damage if drips from a faulty roof or drain fall on leather and timber components. Organs should be protected if decorators or other construction staff are working above them. Organ pipes are made of soft metal and can be easily damaged by inexpert handling. Moderate use of an organ will not usually do any harm and is better than disuse. 4 Restoration Restoration may be defined as the process of returning an organ to its original state, or to as near its original state as is possible, or to some other chosen earlier state. The word 'restoration' is often misused to cover various forms of rebuilding or alteration. In some cases a little-altered instrument may be restored to its original state by a simple programme of cleaning, repair and adjustment. Other instances may require the reproduction of missing or damaged parts. In severe cases the whole organ may be rebuilt in the style of the original builder round some surviving material. In this case the work is likely to be of a more speculative nature and should be termed reconstruction. All original components should be preserved and properly repaired. Components that have been severely damaged or altered beyond repair may be replaced by reproductions. All repairs and replacement parts should be made in a manner consistent with the original work, both in materials used and method of construction. Any repairs or changes necessary during the course of restoration should be reversible, in case it be found at a later date that the work needs to be done again. Certain organs that have been greatly altered may be incapable of restoration. If returning the instrument to a former state would involve considerable speculative reconstruction and/or considerable further alteration to original material, then restoration should not be carried out. 5 Appropriate technical procedures in restoration The following paragraphs deal with some of the technical problems to be found in restoration. While no document of this kind can hope to provide the right solutions to every problem, the examples illustrate the kinds of methods that will lead to a successful restoration. 5.1 Pipework
Damaged pipes should be carefully repaired, always by an expert pipemaker. Replacements for missing pipes should be made of similar materials and to similar details of construction as the original. The original means of tuning should be preserved where this survives. If it does not survive, it may be restored provided that this requires no further alteration to the pipes. Tuning slides should not be fitted if this involves the cutting of any pipe. Efforts should be made to discover the original pitch and temperament of the organ and to restore this when possible. A change to the pitch of an organ to suit a passing fashion is to be avoided. Voicing should be limited to the re-regulation of repaired pipes and the voicing of any replacement pipes in the style of the originals. Wholesale replacement of reed tongues should be avoided. 5.2 Console and fittings Keyboards, pedalboards, stop knobs and other controls and accessories should be maintained in, or restored to, their original state. Original key coverings, felts and bushings should be retained wherever possible and if they must be replaced, every effort should be made to use similar materials and techniques of construction. Ivory-surfaced keyboards can usually be repaired with second-hand ivory. Replacement of ivory key surfaces by plastics imitations is unacceptable. The replacement of original pedalboards by pedalboards of different design leads to serious difficulties as it is usually impossible to place them in the standard relationship to the manual keys without major changes both to mechanism and to visible cabinetwork. Mains-voltage wiring should not be fixed to the organ case. In particular, unsightly switches or light fittings should not be attached to the cabinetwork of the organ console but be located sensitively elsewhere. The console should be treated like any other piece of good furniture. 5.3 Mechanical key action Mechanical key action should be retained when it is present; its simplicity and reliability is often a factor in the survival of an historic organ, and the sensitivity of a good mechanical key action cannot be equalled. Some examples may seem heavy to those used to organs with other mechanisms. A good player will quickly become used to the touch of an organ and careful maintenance or restoration may make the touch lighter. The heaviness of the action of a Victorian organ when the manuals are coupled is often a consequence of poor adjustment of the coupling mechanism. During the course of restoration the key action and couplers should be repaired and adjusted to give the best operation possible consistent with the original design. Where an organ originally had mechanical action that has since been removed, the original action should ideally be restored, preferably in the style of the original maker. 5.4 Pneumatic key action (including both tubular and pneumatic lever actions) Pneumatic lever actions (combined with mechanical coupling action) were only made for a short period. They are correspondingly rare so their preservation is important. Restoration of the mechanical and leather components is relatively straightforward. Early Willis and Hill single-stage tubular actions (with large diameter tubing) are also now rare. They are however very robust and the leather components not difficult to repair.Again, their preservation is important. Existing two or three-stage tubular (with pneumatic coupling action) key actions should be retained and restored if at all possible. However, not all organbuilders are experienced at their adjustment and repair and some tubular pneumatic actions are susceptible to unreliability in the coupling action caused by low humidity following excessive winter heating in the building. If the lead tubes at the heart of the mechanism are in good order restoration will usually be cheaper than a new action of similar quality. 5.5 Electro-pneumatic and electric-actions At the present time, relatively few organs with electro-pneumatic or electric action are regarded as historic. However, the mechanism of some instruments may now have historic value as examples of early electrical engineering, and specialist advice should be sought before discarding magnets and switchgear made before 1925. 5.06 Stop and combination action Stop and combination action should be restored without change to its original mode of operation. The type of stop and combination action has a profound effect on the way an organ is played. A simple stop action, or the absence of any combination action, will prevent anachronistic quick changes from one registration to another, and the retention and restoration of an original stop action will help ensure that the instrument is used as the maker envisaged. 5.07 Slider soundboards Appropriate materials should be used in the repair of slider soundboards, especially as concerns pallet coverings and springs, pull-downs, pull-down seals and slide lubrication. Where upperboards are held down with old or unusual screws or even nails, these should be kept and matched to their holes. Where flooding is needed, the glue should be carefully matched to the original material; synthetic glue should not be used where natural glue was used originally. Slides running in leather should be restored. The repair of split or lifted tables and warped slides and upperboards should be carried out with care, using the minimum of additional material or screws, and the minimum of planing or grooving away of timber. A certain amount of minor running may be allowed where the alternative would involve the loss of considerable thickness in tables, slides or upperboards. Slide seals should not be fitted where not already present. 5.08 Sliderless windchests Sliderless windchests, where they survive as part of an organ being restored, should be restored to their original state using the same care over materials and techniques as would apply to a slider soundboard. 5.09 Wind supply system Original feeder bellows, reservoir bellows, regulators, wind trunks, concussion bellows and other components that determine the wind characteristics of the organ should be retained and restored where necessary. Reservoir bellows winding systems should not be replaced by other types of regulators because the sound of the instrument will be affected. Double-rise reservoirs should not be releathered in single rise form. Hand-blowing mechanisms, where these survive, should not be removed, even if they are not restored to working order. The retention or addition of a rotary fan blower does not detract from the value of an historic organ if it causes no alteration to the winding system or to the case or the structure of the organ. However there is some difference in sound between hand blowing and electric blowing. 5.10 Casework and Front Pipes If the original finish of an organ case or its front pipes has been altered, an effort should be made to discover the original finish and restore this where possible. This may involve french polishing, graining or gilding. The careful application of an original finish is always preferable to substitutes such as polyurethane varnish or gold paint. If the correct finish is too expensive, then no restoration is preferable to a cheap face-lift. 5.11 Storage of unwanted parts All original parts not used in the restoration should be carefully labelled, packed, and stored in safety in the organ or as near to it as possible. One of the safest places is often under the organ bellows. 5.12 Financial restrictions, partial restoration When financial limitations prevent all of a restoration project being carried out immediately, it is almost always advisable to wait until sufficient funds have accumulated to carry out the work in one go. If an organ is restored in stages, it will decay in stages, and work will be prolonged indefinitely. An unrestored organ, though disappointing, will usually be preferable to a half finished restoration. 5.13 Records When work is carried out on a historic organ, the restorer should make a report before he starts, covering the history of the organ and its present condition, as well as detailing the work proposed. He should also keep a record of the work as it is carried out, as well as taking photographs before and after, and taking measurements of those parts of the organ not normally accessible for inspection. A copy of this record should be given to the church or customer. The restorer should allow for the cost of this work in his estimate. Copies of such records sent to BIOS's British Organ Archive will preserve them for posterity and may provide valuable information for future restorers and researchers. 5.14 Restorers The restoration of historic organs should always be carried out by a professional specialising in work on the type of organ involved, and should never be entrusted to amateurs. For the sake of the their own investment as well as the preservation of the organ, the owners of organs and their advisers should investigate the reputation, previous work and references of any prospective restorer, including relevant accreditation by the Institute of British Organ Building (IBO). An historic organ may be irreparably damaged by incompetent or unqualified workers, but a well-restored historic organ can be a musical treasure and a legacy to future generations.
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