JS Humidifiers helps to restore historic organ
JS Humidifiers has supplied a Condair CP3 steam humidifier for the school-hall organ at Christ’s Hospital School near Horsham to ensure it resonates correctly and remains in tune, whatever the weather. This organ is of huge historical importance and great artistic merit. About a quarter of its pipes date from the original instrument of 1830. It was renovated in 1902 and again in 2012, when a restoration specialist recommended installing humidification.
Large pipe organs need to have the humidity maintained in their organ chambers to preserve the wooden sound board and slides. If the air is too dry, moisture will be drawn from the surrounding wood, which can cause the slides to warp and stick. Maintaining 55% RH overcomes this problem.
Peter Dutton, the organist at the school, comments. ‘JS Humidifiers has experience working with such ancient and delicate organs and was quickly able to propose the most suitable model, as well as its positioning for installation. It has made a real difference in keeping the humidity in the organ chamber stable, and we are now able to play the organ whatever the weather is like outside — even during the cold-dry conditions of last winter.’
