An organ formerly known as the "98-key Southsea Gavioli" made its reappearance on the Great Dorset Steam Fair in September 2001. It was rebuilt by the Verbeeck firm in Belgium to a 98/110 key concert organ on commission of Mr. G. Atkinson, the owner. This rebuilding work caused considerable debate in the UK about the question of how far one might go in the restoration and rebuilding of existing instruments. It was, for the rest, striking that nobody could point out what exactly had happened to the organ, so this article is meant to give the facts about this rebuilding process.
For years this Gavioli had been playing on a pier in Southsea near Portsmouth on the British South Coast (view HP of Oct. 1987, p. 117-118). The organ had suffered extensively from the salty sea breezes and water from below. Several repairs had been made to the instrument before, but the results were not what the new owner had in view. When the organ was brought to the Verbeeck firm the original idea was to keep it playing its 98-key Gevioli-Marenghi scale. During the work the plan suddenly arose to extend the organ and make it suitable to play the original 110-key scale, like the Jonas' Gavioli. The idea behind this that the organ probably was rebuilt from that scale to 98 key around 1925. Why not take the road back this time? Whether one agrees with this consideration or not, it was the owner's wish.
The organ entered Verbeeck's workshop with 496 pipes and left it with more than double: 1070 pipes. About half of the existing pipework was damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced. Most metal resonators, for instance, were affected by metal rot. Most reeds, however, still equipped with their original leathered shallots could be retained. Everything in a reasonable state was restored and cleaned. These were the violin pipes (moved from counter melody to melody), the melody clarinets and baritons, the brass trumpets, the saxophone piano and forte on counter melody, eight bass pipes with their octaves, and the brass bombardons. All these pipes are still in the organ, so it is not true that 'all the pipes' were replaced, although it might not be clear on first sight because all pipes were cleaned thoroughly.
Inevitably new pipes were added. These additions were necessary to play the 110-key scale. New piccolo pipes were made (19 instead of 11), and 13 new accompaniments were made to replace the old 9. All lacking chromatic notes were added to basses and trombones to fit the fully chromatic 110-key scale, the bass pipes were doubled and 16' bombardons were added to the brass 8' trombones.
A new organ chest was made. This one, however, replaced a non-original one. The richly-carved proscenium, already restored by Vicky Postlewaite, was retained, as were the drums. Only a second snare drum was added to play in forte. A copy of an original Gavioli metallophone was added as well.
A new key frame was made. By using an ingenious duplex system it is possible to play both the original 98 key and the new 110 key book music. Any rumours about the organ playing from a MIDI system rest on fabrications.
I don't want to make any statements about the ethical aspects of rebuilding existing organs. The discussion which is now going on in the United Kingdom -and which has been going on already much longer in the Netherlands- is an attempt, anyway, to more awareness in treating historical and cultural heritage. Claims that the Southsea Gavioli was completely historic before the last rebuilding seem, however, exaggerated to me.
12 basses (c - b)
12 trombones (C - B)
13 accompaniments (c1 - c2)
18 counter melody (c1 - f2) with registers: violin, cello, cello grave, saxophone, trumpets
23 melody (g1 - f3) with registers: violin, clarinet, trumpet forte, chant forte, mezzo forte
19 piccolo (f#3 - c5) with metallophone in forte
(all chromatical scales)
Drums: Bass drum + cymbal, snare drums, castanets
Legend to the photos:
1. The 98-key Gavioli on the Pickering rally, August 1999. (photo: J.G. Meijer)
2. The organ after its rebuilding, on the Great Dorset Steam Fair, September 2001. The blue pipes (reed resonators) in the front are still there, but the reeds are now hidden in a case (photo: J.G. Meijer)
3. Five of the original brass trombone resonators, mounted in case. To the left one of the newly added pipes is visible.
4. Details of the front pipes after the rebuilding.