Mark Williamson comments on the Decap restoration. This was a
conscious decision by co-owner Jim Harper and me. The organ was in
a seriously dilapidated condition, having been left to deteriorate in
the open air. We rebuilt the instrument from the ground up so that
it now plays well, is reliable and will not damage music books.
The unusual mirror-tiled facade, while not a thing of beauty, has its
own integrity and so was deserving of restoration and preservation.
The alternative would have been to build a new facade in Art Deco
style. We decided against this and have not regretted the decision.
There were very few compromises. (Jim has written of the restoration
in "The Key Frame" - the journal of the British Fair Organ Preservation
Society.)
We're proud of our restoration which brings a lot of pleasure to all
who see and hear it.
And I am still looking for a "project" street organ if anyone has one
to sell.
Michael Woolf
New Zealand
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