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Matthew Copley of Organ Design was approached by the Kirk Session of St Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow to come up with a solution to their organ problems. After an extensive church restoration program, consideration was being given to the organ which had been partially dismantled during the restoration. There were various suggestions; to rebuild the existing the organ, to buy an electronic organ or to find a second hand instrument that could be rebuilt to suit the church. With the aid of organ builder Peter Wood, a magnificent instrument was found in Harrogate. This instrument was built by Vincent Willis in the early 1900's when he was experimenting with different styles of action, in this case a late form of pneumatic. The instrument possessed a stop list and style of casework that would complement St Michael's Church perfectly. The organ was completely restored and the following additions made; a Mixture to the Great, a separate 2ft to the Swell, a 32ft Acoustic Bass, a 16ft Trombone and an 8ft Octave to the Pedal. The re-regulation of all ranks was carefully carried out in order to make the organ suitable for a building that was nearly twice the size of the one it originally came from. As organ builders we wish for nothing more than to build brand new instruments but often a balance has to be found between that of aesthetic aspiration and financial consideration. The middle way on this occasion was to find and restore a finely built, second hand instrument. The organ installed at St Michael's is nearly 100 years old and will continue to be an exciting and inspiring musical instrument for decades to come.
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