Leeds Town Hall organ pipes restored to Queen Victoria glory

Artists have been working to recreate the original artistic vision of the designers

Decorative pipes on one of the largest organs in Europe have been restored to the original design seen by Queen Victoria during a visit to Leeds.

Artists have stripped away decades of paintwork on the Leeds Town Hall organ pipes, uncovering the original design.

Using stencil techniques employed by Victorian artists, they have recreated the external pipes' vintage look.

The organ was played at the opening of the town hall in 1858, which was attended by Queen Victoria.

The pipes have been restored as part of a £1.8m restoration of the 70-tonne organ, which itself is part of a wider scheme to refurbish the Grade 1 listed town hall.

They have applied gold leaf by hand

Engineers began the painstaking task of disassembling the 50ft-high (15m) instrument in November 2021 to enable its 6,000 pipes to be removed, cleaned and repaired.

Specialist artists Robert Woodland and Debra Miller have applied gold leaf by hand to recreate the original appearance of the pipes.

Mr Woodland, a master marble painter and wood grainer, has been studying the town hall's original decorative artwork and said it had been a "real privilege to recreate the original artistic vision".

Ms Miller added: "We've uncovered a field of gold ornament hidden for some 100 years under several period decorations and restored to the original scheme Queen Victoria herself viewed at the opening of Leeds Town Hall in later summer of 1858."

The organ is believed to be one of the biggest in Europe

Meanwhile, engineers from Nicholson and Co Ltd have been working on the organ's internal pipes replacing much of the ageing mechanism to give the organ an improved sound during future performances.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council's deputy leader and executive member for economy, culture and education, said: "Leeds Town Hall is one of the city's most beloved heritage assets and has been an iconic part of Leeds's urban landscape for more than 160 years.

"It's crucial that we protect and preserve such an important aspect of our city's identity and culture."