Thursday Lunchtime Organ Recital

The St Michael’s lunchtime organ recital is the perfect opportunity to take a break and enjoy the magnificent sound of the Grand Pipe organ while taking in the beautiful surrounds of St Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne.

Make an organ recital part of your lunch plans and join us for the St Michael’s Lunchtime Organ Recital this Thursday.
The recital series features St Michael’s organist, Rhys Boak and guest artists.
For over the decade the free organ recitals have brought the joy and beauty of live music to many Melbournians and visitors.

Free event. Doors open at 12:30pm
Recital starts at 1:00pm

Share our flyer

__________________________________________________________________________________________

A History of the St Michael’s Organ 

• The first St Michael’s organ was built in 1866 by the famous London firm of Hill & Son (job number 1204).
  This two manual, mechanical action organ contained 18 speaking stops. The pipework and some of the wind chests were the basis for the subsequent instruments.

1920s Remodel

• In the 1920s the original Hill organ needed repair. The Melbourne company George Fincham & Sons built a new instrument using some of the parts from the original.
• The rebuild included a tubular-pneumatic action system, which was very popular at the time. This system allowed the organist to be seated away from the organ pipes and to have a lighter key touch.

1950s Rebuild

• In 1951, the organ was rebuilt and fitted with electro-pneumatic action.
• Prominent English organist and composer Eric Thiman opened the organ.

Current Organ

• As the needs of the church outgrew the 1951 instrument and it was time for another organ update.
• The organ you see in St Michael’s today was built in 1958 by George Fincham and Sons (who also built the 1923 organ). The builder was George Bowring Fincham, grandson of the original George Fincham who started the company in 1864!
• In 1978 the console was moved from its central location beneath the pulpit to the current position in the church.
• In 1979 the swell mixture stop was recast.
• The present organ has 3 manuals and pedals, 44 speaking stops and approximately 2225 speaking pipes.
• The keys and stop action are electro-pneumatic.