All about Hill, Norman and Beard
Wm. Hill & Son and Norman & Beard Ltd’ (also known as Hill, Norman and…
It’s been four years, since restoration work began on the mighty pipe organ in St George’s Cathedral, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Hundreds of parts have been dismantled, cleaned and painstakingly repaired. There are still a few steps to go before the instrument’s voice reverberates again throughout the cathedral, nevertheless it’s become clear that the result is…
Wm. Hill & Son and Norman & Beard Ltd’ (also known as Hill, Norman and Beard) was formed in 1916 from the amalgamation of the two large organ-building firms – Hill & Son of London and Norman & Beard of Norwich. The business traded on its heritage looking after many of the large cathedral organs…
Arnold Awoonor-Gordon Reprinted from: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 4 May 2017 St George’s Cathedral – one of Sierra Leone’s oldest churches, took eleven years to progress from the laying of the foundation stone on the 9th of January 1817, to the first service. Ever since then it has been a busy and important church – and…
Theo van Wyk, University of Pretoria Unlike most musical instruments, the pipe organ is commonly defined by the place where it’s often played: church. And people seem to think of organists as reclusive creatures in the lofts of basilicas and cathedrals. The pipe organ is a musical instrument that creates sound by pushing air under…
To donate to St George’s pipe organ restoration fund
Jonathan Lane is the master craftsman charged with the challenging task of restoring the historic pipe organ in St George’s Cathedral, Freetown, Sierrra Leone. Early years He was born in Surrey and lived in Surrey, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire in his childhood. From the age of two he was fascinated with the pipe organ, playing…
What drew you to training and conducting choirs? I have a great passion for singing, particularly classical choral music. it started when I was about four years old when my older brothers were inducted as choristers in the St. George’s Cathedral choir in the mid-1950s. They loved singing and I used to imitate them and…
Why is the church investing so much in renovating the pipe organ? Why is it so important to the church? The Cathedral is investing in restoring the Pipe Organ because it is the greatest asset after the edifice (the building) and an important part in the enhancement of music in praise and worship to God,…