Richard Hills - The Dancing Years- Wolverhampton Civic Hall Organ

Organist Richard Hills performs a selection of music from Ivor Novello's "The Dancing Years" on the 4 manual 57 rank 1938 original installation Compton organ of the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, which was recently scrapped by Wolverhampton City Council (09/02/2019).

Richard was one of four organists playing for a fundraiser concert organised by Cannock Chase Organ Club in order to raise money for the COS's new Troxy Stepney installation. The organists were Cameron Lloyd, Paul Kirner, David Redfern, Damon Willets (on Piano) and Richard Hills.
The Compton at Wolverhampton Civic Hall was installed in 1938. It is suspended from the roof above the stage in two chambers and is entirely enclosed behind five sets of swell shutters. Compton claimed, "as a recital instrument, it is second to none in the Midlands.
In 2001 it went through a major refurbishment, however the entirety of the original voicing and ranks remained completely unaltered. It originally had a Compton Melotone unit to serve as the organs theatre devision. The melotone was removed in/around 1945. In the rebuild the chance was taken to add a brass Sax, Kinura and English Horn were added as well as a Moller tibia, to enable the organ to be better used for theatre organ concerts, as well as classical, and also for the organ to be used for dancing.
A full specification can be read below. The changes/additions to the specification made in 2001 are marked with an asterisk.

PEDAL
32ft Sub Bass
16ft Contra Bass
16ft Open Bass
16ft Salicional
16ft Violone
16ft Sub Bass
16ft Bourdon
10 2/3ft Quinte
8ft Octave
8ft Salicional
8ft Flute
5 1/3ft Twelfth
4ft Fifteenth
4ft Flute
IV Forniture*
32ft Harmonics of
16ft Harmonics of
16ft Bombarde
16ft Posaune
16ft Trumpet
8ft Posaune
8ft Bombarde
8ft English Horn*
4ft Bombarde
16ft Piano*
Cymbal Tap*
Triangle*
Crash Cymbal *
Bass Drum P *
Bass Drum F*
Swell to Pedal
Choir To Pedal
Great to Pedal
Solo to Pedal
Solo Octave to Pedal
Tremulant

CHOIR
16ft Contra Salicional
16ft Bourdon
8ft Violone Cello*
8ft Open Diapason
8ft Gemshorn
8ft Tibia Clausa*
8ft Salicional
8ft Vox Angelica
8ft Claribel Flute
8ft Lieblich Gedeckt
4ft Salicet
4ft Flauto Traverso
4ft Lieblich Flote
4ft Tibia Clausa*
2 2/3ft Twelfth
2 2/3ft Nazard
2ft Fifteenth
2ft Tibia Clausa*
1 3/5ft Tierce
II Acuta 19.22
8ft Horn
8ft Posaune
8ft English Horn*
8ft Tuba
8ft Sax*
8ft Kinura*
8ft Vibraphone*
Cymbal Tap*
Triangle*
Castanettes*
Tambourine*
8ft Piano*
4ft Piano*
Swell to Choir
Great to Choir
Solo to Choir
Tremulant

GREAT
16ft Double Open Diapason
8ft Violone Cello*
8ft Open Diapason
8ft Open Diapason
8ft Open Diapason
8ft Stopped Diapason
8ft Tibia Clausa*
4ft Octave
4ft Principal
4ft Tibia Clausa
2 2/3ft Twelfth
2 2/3ft Tibia Clausa*
2ft Super Octave
2ft Fifteenth
IV Forniture
16ft Contra Posaune
8ft Tromba
8ft Horn
8ft English Horn*
8ft Sax*
8ft Kinura*
4ft Clarion
4ft Glockenspiel*
4ft Xylophone*
16ft Piano*
8ft Piano*
4ft Piano*
Swell to Great
Choir to Great
Great Octave
Great Sub Octave


SWELL
16ft Violone
8ft Giegen
8ft Viola de Gamba
8ft Viole Celeste
8ft Rohr Flute
4ft Geigen Octave
4ft Viola
2ft Fifteenth
IV Mixture
16ft Double Trumpet
8ft Trumpet
8ft Hautboy
4ft Clarion
Swell Octave
Swell Sub Octave
Solo to Swell
Tremulant.

SOLO
8ft Violone Cello
8ft Viol Celeste
8ft Harmonic Flute
4ft Harmonic Flute
8ft Clarinet
8ft Orchestral Oboe
8ft Trumpet
8ft English Horn*
8ft Sax*
8ft Kinura*
8ft Tuba
4ft Tuba Clarion
8ft Tibia Clausa*
4ft Tibia Clausa*
2 2/3ft Tibia Clausa*
2ft Tibia Clausa*
4ft Glockenspiel*
4ft Xylophone*
4ft Vibraphone*
Chimes*
8ft Piano*
Solo Octave
Solo unison off
Solo Sub Octave
Great to Solo Octave
Great to Solo Sub
Great to Solo Unison
Great to Solo Quint
Great to Solo Tierce
Tremulant

Balanced Swell pedal with indicator for each chamber
Crescendo pedal with indicator
6 thumb pistons each to Great, Swell and Solo
8 thumb pistons to Choir
4 toe pistons to Pedal couplers
6 toe pistons each to Pedal, Great and Swell
6 general pistons
Reversible pistons for Sw-Gt, Gt-Pd
General Cancel
"Key Cheek" crash cymbal
Toe Pistons - sound effects Cymbal, Car, Horn, Birds, Snare Drum Roll
Siren, Fire, Gong;
Stop Effects - Surf, Sleigh Bells, Boat, Whistle, Fire Gong
Toe pistons - combinations

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