The History of the 'Fr Willis' Pipe Organ

This very important organ was built in 1890 by one of the most highly regarded and successful firms of the period, Henry Willis & Sons of London. 'Father' Henry Willis established his business in the 1840s. Some highly publicised and adventurous projects in the 1850s brought his name into the public awareness but were perhaps over-ambitious, and it was only around 1870 that Willis rose dramatically to prominence with a series of of mammoth instruments that established beyond all doubt his capabilities and his daring.

The organ at St Martin-on-the- Hill, Scarborough is absolutely typical of Willis at his most opulent and successful. It matches its remarkable surroundings in exuding excellence. This organ crackles with splendid, fiery vigour; the open flutes are unusually fine and the 'trademark' Willis reeds scorch the air with a brilliance rarely found in instruments of the 1890s.

The casework of the organ is interesting and characteristic of its surroundings. Sixteen-foot pipes face the chancel, framed in a rather sparse but highly decorated wooden framework which rises to large expanses of gilded carving high in the sanctury roof. A less dramatic casefront incorporating 8- foot pipes masks a lower west-facing arch into the South aisle.

The surroundings are glorious! The stone-built church dates from around 1870 and was designed by the famous English architect Bodley. It stands high on the cliff-top at the 'smart' end of Scarborough, in gardens forming the centre of a grand square of tall and elegant Victorian terraced houses. Inside, the church is equally impressive, well kept and superbly decorated by some of the most renowned figures of the pre-Raphaelite movement including Burne-Jones and Rossetti. The stencilled and marble decoration of the sanctury glows in vibrant colours, setting off brilliantly coloured and gilded woodwork in the reredos, rood screen and other furnishings.

After more than a hundred years of service the organ was understandably not quite as unsullied as it appeared and it was necessary to undertake massive restoration work with the assistance of English Heritage and a most generous congregation. Happily, the organ has now been restored to its former glory and the missing pipes have been added.