London, Duke's Hall (24/II/P, 1993-2011)

The Duke's Hall, named after the Duke of Connaught, was built in 1912 and is the concert hall of the Royal Academy. Between 1989 and 1992 this hall was restored, while improving the accousic conditions. Principal of the Royal Academy, Sir David Lumsden, was consultant for the building of this organ. He explanes why this organ was build: "The organ students of the Academy can use the Rieger organ in the Marylebone church for baroque- and modern music. But there was no organ for playing works in the French romantic style, as developed by Cavaillé-Coll. This type of organ was a great point of inspiration for a complete tradition in organ playing and composing from Franck and Widor to Messiaen. In 1989 the Academy signed a contract with Van den Heuvel to build an organ in the style of Cavaillé-Coll.  In my point of view Van den Heuvel is the leading specialist in the Cavaillé-Coll style as well in modern symphonic organ building.  Although the organ is not a large one, the voicing is very characteristic in the French romantic style: warm and powerfull. The stops sound like one unity, therefor the organ can also used to play together with a orcherstra."

The organ has two manual divisions of 61 notes and a Pedal of 32 notes. The Grand-Orgue has 12 stops, the Récit Expressif 8 stops and the Pédale 4 stops.

The key- and stopaction are mechanical. No Barker levers are used. The console is separated from the case and facing the hall. It features terraced stop jambs and combinations pedals. The case is a copy of the middle part of the case of the former Trocadéro organ of Cavaillé-Coll.

Pictures of the construction of the organ:

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Due to a large donation the organ was replaced by a larger one. The organ was taken back in 2011 by Van den Heuvel. It was purchased in 2014 by the board of the St. Aloysius College in Glasgow and installed in 2015.