Shires Organ Pipes
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NEWS FROM OUR WORKSHOP

Piping in the new US president? Sadly not, but perhaps another time...

19/1/2021

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The organ in St Peter's Capitol Hill, Washington
It was pleasing to read a story in the Yorkshire Post about our potential contribution to the Presidential Inauguration tomorrow in Washington DC.

Readers were told that 'the music that wafts above Washington on Wednesday as the new President takes the oath of office may have a distinctly Yorkshire ring to it.'

This was a reference to the reed pipes we made for a new organ installed by the Noak Organ Company in 2019 in St Peter's Church on Capitol Hill.
 
After the story appeared on Saturday, we were contacted by radio and TV stations anxious to follow-up on the idea that organ pipes made in Yorkshire would accompany an event on which the eyes of the world would be fixed.

Sadly, we understand that the organ will not be used in the ceremony tomorrow. However, an idea of the variety and richness of its sound may may gained from this recording of the Mass for Easter.


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Chris rounds pipe feet with tools that are 100 years old

27/9/2020

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Chris Shires demonstrates our method of rounding pipe feet using a block and wooden mandrils in the video, below. The tools he is using – a close up of a block is above – are over 100 years old. 
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Display organ pipes made from 80 per cent tin – the great cover-up

22/8/2020

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A group of organ pipes of 80 per cent tin
Organ pipes with a protective cover
There's a particular beauty to an organ facade displaying pipes of 80 per cent tin. A great deal of delicate work goes into manufacturing them so it is important they retain the brilliance of the factory finish when installed. The picture, right, shows the covering we apply to all front pipes. It protects the metal from marks, yet the pipes can be voiced and handled until they are placed in the instrument.

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Boss talks about embossing – and shows a pipe with more than one mouth

5/7/2020

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Nowhere are the pipe maker's many skills more richly expressed than in pipes made for decoration, display – or sheer fun.

In these videos, Terry Shires – celebrating 45 years as a pipemaker – talks about the processes involved in making an embossed, dimpled organ pipe, a 'jester' and  pipes with more than one mouth. 
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Template for an embossed organ pipe
An embossed organ pipe made by Terry Shires

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Fresh life for damaged pipes from 1880 Forster and Andrews

18/6/2020

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Some damaged organ pipes
Damaged flue pipes ready for repair
Damaged organ reed pipes to repair
The reed pipes in for repair
These pipes come from a two-manual Forster and Andrews organ built in 1893 for a church in Scotland and recently installed in a Roman Catholic church in Leeds. They had been damaged and badly repaired over the years and were brought to us for restoration by David Wood of Wood Organ Builders of Huddersfield. George Fowler, who has a remarkable history as a restorer, repaired the flue pipes and Terry Shires, also with wide experience in pipe restoration, gave fresh life to the reeds.
Damaged organ pipes after repair
The flues after repair
Reed organ pipes after repair
The reeds after repair

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How we create holes for brass wedges - by a chip off the block

22/4/2020

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How we create holes in a reed block to fit brass wedges? The American organist and organ builder Richard Maryman wondered if we had a video to demonstrate the process.

As we like to make all of our pipe-making techniques clear, Terry Shires shows how it is done. 
The bed of the machine is set to seven degrees to accommodate the angle of the wedges. 

​Elsewhere on our website, you can see how we cast reed blocks.

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A Skinner-style Vox Humana completed for a large organ in New York

2/4/2020

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Pipe maker Chris Shires makes a Vox Humana organ stop
A row of completed Vox Humana organ pipes
A detail of a Skinner-style Vox Humana reed organ pipe.
Here is Chris Shires at his workbench making a Vox Humana 8' in the style of the American organ builder Skinner for a large organ in New York.

The Vox Humana – a reed which mimics the human voice – is one of the oldest of the organ stops, dating from at least the late 16th century.

​Terry Shires says: "It has been made made to the scales and style of Skinner, with vented cans and the longest boots we have made in a long while!

"I will now fit shallots, take out wedge holes for our customer to fit brass wedges, and then solder blocks to pipes." 

Those with a keen eye will notice the interesting construction for tuning. The image, above, of an original Skinner stop, shows the tuning method.

A completed Vox Humana organ pipe.

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Mighty mitres for beautifully crafted eight-foot hautbois pipes

10/2/2020

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Mitres cut into an organ pipe.
An eight-foot Hautbois pipe mitred by Terry Shires.
Six organ pipes with mitres created in our workshop.
​This tricky sort of work would be enough to send most of us round the bend –  but it's just one of the skills in regular use in our Leeds workshop. The beautifully crafted eight-foot Hautbois pipes were made by Terry Shires from zinc with spotted metal bells. He says: 'Cutting and soldering mitres is one of my favourite jobs. Preparation and experience helps too!'

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Spotted metal facade pipes made by Terry Doyle for church in Washington

16/1/2020

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Pipe maker Terry Doyle with the spotted metal facade pipes for Washington.
Pipes ready for their zinc liners.
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Spotted metal facade organ pipe under construction
These are spotted metal facade pipes made in our workshops by Terry Doyle for the Ortloff Organ Company in Massachusetts, US.

The pipes are destined for their Opus 2 instrument to be delivered this spring to St Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Shoreline, Washington State.

The pictures also show how zinc liners are fitted in the feet and  tin toes soldered in place.
Part of the foot of an organ pipe.
Tin toe about to eb soldered on to pipe.

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Facade pipes shine in lovely case of new Rathke organ in Kentucky

31/10/2019

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Facade organ pipes by Shires on the new organ in First United Methodist Church, Henderson, Kentucky
The two-manual, 28-stop organ in the First United Methodist Church in Henderson, Kentucky, is nearing completion and Shires was pleased to supply the facade pipes.

The intricate gilded pipe shades, carved by Morgan Faulds Pike, add the crowning touch to this beautiful case.

The instrument has been designed by the American organ builder, Michael Rathke, who spent two years of his early career with Mander Organs in London.

​It is catalogued as Opus 10 in the Cincinnati company's expanding output.

​It is also pleasing to record that Michael is among our growing number of clients in the United States.

Picture by Nikolai Peek, music director and organist.



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A touch of heavy metal as Chris casts reed blocks

11/9/2019

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Pipe maker Chris Shires casting metal blocks
Metal blocks cast in our workshop
Chris Shires hand casting reed blocks from molten lead, a centuries-old skill still practised in our workshop.

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Positive feedback on reed pipes made for American organ builder, Ortloff

19/7/2019

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Trumpet organ stop made for an American customer
Zinc trumpet stop made by Shires for Ortloff Organ Company
Terry Shires with the new trumpet made for Ortloff Organ Builders of America
It was a great pleasure to receive positive feedback on our work from one of our customers in America.

Among the reed pipes we have made for the Ortloff Organ Company of Massachusetts is this 8' Trumpet stop of zinc with spotted metal bells.

It is to be installed in a new organ being built by Ortloff for St Dunstan's Episcopal Church, Shoreline in Washington State.

Jonathan Ortloff kindly wrote on Facebook: 'We are lucky to be able to work with some of the best suppliers in the pipe organ business, including Shires Organ Pipes of Leeds, England.

'They have completed the two reed stops for our Opus 2 in Shoreline WA. The next pipes will be shipped here for racking next week and then to Chris Broome for voicing.'

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'The touch of the Master's hand' in George's brilliant repair of damaged pipes

19/5/2019

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Damaged organ pipes sent for repair to our workshop in Leeds
Damaged pipes, seemingly beyond repair, arrive in our workshop in Leeds.
Badly damaged organ pipes brought for repair to our workshop.
Work begins on separating the sections.
George Fowler smooths out a part of a damaged organ pipe.
George Fowler's experienced hand smooths the once buckled metal.
The difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a little longer. Or so some may imagine when they see the state of these damaged organ pipes brought to our workshop.

They looked as though an army had marched over them.

​But bent, buckled or flattened metal is just another challenge for George Fowler who has been repairing seemingly ruined pipes for more than 50 years.

Within a few days, these sorry looking flutes had been lovingly restored using skill, care and special tools handed down from one craftsman to another.

It was gratifying to receive many kind comments about George's work on our Facebook page. They included these remarks:

'Wow, that's some amazing skill! Well done George.'

'Beautiful work! They look good as new!'

'Absolutely brilliant work!'

'Incredible craftsmanship! Bravo, George!'

'There is something spiritual in the feel for the job, the co-ordination between hand and eye. The touch of the Master’s Hand.'
Damaged pipes repaired by George Fowler.
Repaired and polished, the pipes look as good as new.

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'Thanks to the Shires team for making such exquisite pipes'

11/5/2019

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Organ pipes in a wooden box supplied by Shires
'The strings are made of spotted metal from 8’ G'
Zinc bass organ pipes opened by Bart at Ortloff
'Bart couldn’t be happier about unwrapping zinc basses'
The string organ pipes sent by Shires
'Many thanks to the Shires team for making such exquisite pipes'
We enjoy sending organ pipes across the Atlantic to our growing band of organ builder friends in the United States.

The latest batch was ordered by Jonathan Ortloff, founder of the Ortloff Organ Company based in Greater Boston, Massachusetts.

Jonathan is a musician with degrees in organ performance and engineering.

Our pipes are for a new two-manual, 16-stop instrument in St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, Shoreline, Washington.
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​The picture captions were supplied by Ortloff.
The unopened box of organ pipes arrives at the Ortloff Organ Company
'The first sets of pipes, the Swell 8’ Viola and Viola Celeste have arrived from Shires Organ Pipes'

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This Gamba for Nicholson's features a zinc body with spotted ends

8/5/2019

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A Gamba 8ft made by Chris Shires for organbuilder Nicholson and Co.
The Gamba organ pipes made for Nicholson's in Malvern.
Here's a Gamba 8ft made by Chris Shires for our organbuilder friends in Malvern, Nicholson and Co. Many thanks to James Atherton for asking us to make this stop which features a zinc body section with spotted ends. Scale: C= 96mm. We recently made a smaller scale Gamba in spotted metal for a private client in Yorkshire who wrote: "Thank you for making such a lovely stop. It blends beautifully with the flutes 8' and 4' and brings added colour to the instrument."
A detail of the Gamba organ pipes made in our Leeds workshop.

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Shires Organ Pipes Ltd
​
Unit 7a -7c, Spence Mills, Mill Lane,
Bramley, 
Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS13 3HE.
Phone: 0113 219 0221
​Registered No: 05601081.
TESTIMONIALS: Read what our customers have to say about us

NEWS: Keep up with the latest from our workshop
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We manufacture, repair and restore metal organ pipes to a high standard from our workshop in West Yorkshire, UK. Please contact us to see how our team can assist your organ building or restoration project, no matter how large or small.
Website by Castle Media, West Yorkshire.
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  • Home
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