Great Organ (Paul Rosoman)

Concert organist Paul Rosoman is one of the busiest performing organists in New Zealand as both a recitalist and accompanist. He is currently organist at St Luke's Wellington and President of the Wellington Organists’ Association.

Great Organ is Paul's debut CD, recorded at St Peter's Willis Street, Wellington. The organ was built by William Hill and Son, and installed in 1887. Although minor changes were made through the years, a major change was introduced in 1931 with the replacement of mechanical action by electro-pneumatic. In the early 1970’s the organ was drastically altered in an attempt to follow the principles of the organ reform movement. However, forty years later the organ was beginning to show its age and the time for a restoration to the original tonal design was drawing near. The issue was brought to a head in 2008, when a fire in the church created much smoke and water damage to the organ. The South Island Organ Company of Timaru were engaged to undertake the restoration of the instrument, and this was completed in 2010. Much research has gone into recreating the organ in harmony with its original concept and enhancing it with some discreet additions. The organ has a dual mechanical – electric action; the manuals being mechanical, and the pedal, coupler and stop action being electric. The facade pipes have been redecorated by Mark Nobel of Melbourne and put the finishing touch of elegance to the organ that looks and sounds magnificent in the beautiful timbered neo-gothic Church.

Contents:
Postlude in D, op. 105/6 - C V Stanford
Elegy for 7th April 1913 - C H H Parry
Chorale Partita on O Gott, du Frommer Gott BWV767 - J S Bach
Prelude and Fugue in g minor - D Lilburn
Praeludium in C BuxWV137 - D Buxtehude
Adoratio et Vox Angelica - T Dubois
Een Vaste Burg is Onze God - J Zwart

Producer - Kyle Macdonald
Engineer and post-production - Richard Apperley