Pipe Organs in WA
 
 
 
 
 

Perth Concert Hall, Perth
The pipe organs of Western Australia



PCH1

PCH2

PCH3
Photos: Bruce Duncan

PCH
Photo: Trevor Bunning

Perth Concert Hall

PCH

PCH

Stops
Left and Right stop jamb

Console detail
Console detail
Photos Bruce Duncan

Annette Goerke
Organ Society of Western Australia Patron,
Annette Goerke Mus.B, L.Mus., A.Mus.A. at the console

PCH

PCH

Property
Name of institution   Perth Concert Hall
Type of institution0   Church
Street Address   5 St. George's Terrace
City   Perth
State   Western Australia
Postcode   6000
Country   Australia
Name of building   Perth Concert Hall
Name of room   Concert Hall
Dates of the building   1973
Register of Heritage Places   Permanent Entry 12/07/2002
Heritage Place number   04571
Architect   Jeffrey Howlett and Don Bailey
Builder   Sabemo (WA) Pty Ltd

Special architectural features and fittings   A freestanding off-form concrete building with parking area underneath. Large vertical windows between concrete columns are set back under strong horizontal concrete roof element.

The Concert Hall was awarded the Concrete Institute of Australia Excellence in Concrete Award for its use of off-form concrete. In addition the innovative use of white cement provides an interesting quality of light.

The Perth Concert Hall is an example of brutalist architecture, with its solid opaque interior, giant projecting roof, and use of white off-form concrete.

The stage is 20 metres wide at the front, tapering to 14 metres at the rear, extensions available. A spectacular 3000 pipe organ built by Ronald Sharp under special Commission. Spacious galleries surround the main auditorium of 1,729 seats divided into three main levels.

Other location information   The Perth Concert Hall was constructed between 1971 and 1973 on land that was originally part of the Government Domain.

Renowned as one of the finest music acoustics in the southern hemisphere, the Perth Concert Hall is located in the city centre and is within easy reach of major hotels and transport.

Name of contact  
Mailing Address  
Telephone  
Email  
Other contact information  

.
Previous organ(s)
Date of previous organ   None
Detail of previous organ  
Dates when key work has been undertaken  
Dates of any moves that have taken place  
Variations from original design of organ  
Information on previous organ  
Information about comparable instruments to previous organ  
.
Present organ
Type of installation   Freestanding on shelf

Case description   Broad modernistic design. 66 pipes visible in display.

Placement in room   Gallery above centre stage

Builder's name   Ronald William Sharp, Sydney.

Opus number  

Date of completion/installation   1976

Construction materials  

Number of manuals   Three (3)

Key compasses   CC - ccc

Number of keys   61

Key material  

Pedal compass   CC - g

Number of pedals   32

Pedalboard type   Radial, concave

Pedalboard material  

Type of chests   Slider

Type of key action   Mechanical

Type of stop action   Electric

Couplers   Swell - Great
Positiv - Great
Swell - Pedal
Positiv - Pedal
Great - Pedal
Great and Pedal combinations coupled

Tremulants   Great, Swell, Positiv

Accessories    Conventional Memory/Sequencer made by Classic Organ Works, Canada, and installed by Pipe Organs of WA, Sept 2008.
Control panel with LED display
99 levels of memory
8 Thumb pistons to each division (toe studs to pedal)
16 General pistons (8 duplicated on toe studs)
5 reversible couplers (duplicated on toe studs)
3 "Next" pistons
2 "Last" pistons
Tutti,
Set,
General Cancel

Console type   Remote drawstop

Stop label material  

Placement   Angled jambs

General design  

Playing aids  

Divisions   Great, Swell, Positiv, Pedal

Wind pressures  

Stop list  
GREAT
Prinzipal 16'
Oktav 8'
Spillflöte 8'
Oktav 4'
Nachthorn 4'
Oktav 2'
Mixtur IV-VI
Scharff III-IV
Zimbel III
Kornett VI
Trompete 8'
Tremulant
SW to GT
POS to GT
GT & PED comb coupled
.
SWELL
Quintadena 16'
Rohr Flöte 8'
Salizional 8'
Schwebung 8'
Spitz Flöte 4'
Nasat 2 2/3
Wald Flöte 2'
Terz 1 3/5'
Mixtur IV
Fagott 16'
Trompete 8'
Schalmei 4'
Tremulant
.
POSITIV
Prinzipal 8'
Gedackt 8'
Oktav 4'
Rohr Flöte 4'
Oktav 2'
Quint 1 1/3'
Oktav 1'
Sesquialtera II
Scharff IV
Dulzian 8'
Tremulant
.
PEDAL
Prinzipal 32' open to GGG: resultant bass A
Prinzipal 16' A
Subbass 16'
Oktav 8'
Oktav 4'
Mixtur VI
Posaune 16'
Trompete 8'
Trompete 4'
SW to PED
GT to PED
POS to PED
.
Total number of stops   42

Total number of ranks   65

Total number of pipes   over 3,000

Dates when key work has been undertaken on current organ   Overhaul by Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd in 2008 included clean up of the chamber and all chests, voicing of upper pipe work, lightning pallet spring pressure, adjusting coupler actions, harnessing wind trunks and new memory system.

Voicing work done on the largest pipes which are on the case. These pipes were very slow in speech and uneven in tone. The largest is GGGG, or G in the 32' range. The lower pitches CCCC - FFFF# are drawn from with Principal 16' with a dedicated open wood 'quint' rank to provide the resultant 32' pitch to this rank.

In addition, pneumatic motors which drive the coupler mechanism at the console were showing their 35yrs of constant work with many leaks from the perished leather. This was all renewed with very high quality kangaroo skins by Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd in 2011.

Dates of any moves that have taken place to current organ   None

Information on current organ   This instrument was built in 1976 by Ronald Sharp of Sydney and his second-largest concert organ after his magnum opus in the Sydney Opera House.

Comparable instruments to current organ   Sydney Opera House.

Assessment of organ and current status   In excellent condition

Other organs by this builder   There are no other organs by Ronald Sharp in Western Australia.

.
.
Document control Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999, 2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 15 January 2009.
Some details of the organ from OHTA Conference Book 1993.
Building information from History of the Perth Concert Hall
Maintenance details updated by Pipe Organs WA Pty Ltd 28 January 2011.
Corrections to stoplist, accessories, and new photographs by Bruce Duncan 27 October 2020.
Information from Heritage Council of Western Australia