Company Background

Who we are

(from left to right) Martin Goetze, Stuart Dobbs, Nicholas Hagen, Dominic Gwynn, Edward Bennett, Joseph Marsden and Emma Hagen

The firm was set up by Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn in September 1980, to start with in a small workshop in Northampton, and since March 1985 in a purpose built workshop at Welbeck near Worksop in North Nottinghamshire, on the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. The aim is to work with a small team of committed organbuilders, flexible and with a complete range of skills, built around the permanent input of the skills and experience of the three partners. We are committed to training the next generations of organbuilders. We have trained two English organbuilders, Stuart Dobbs and James Collier, one Australian, Timothy McEwen, and provided further experience for eight young German, Swiss, Latvian and Spanish organbuilders. Since September 2009 we have been training Joseph Marsden, son of Charles Marsden who has assisted us greatly over the years with his expertise and skill in colouring and finishing the casework of our organ projects, both new organs and historic restorations.

The workshop is part of a group of craft workshops at Welbeck, provided by the Harley Foundation, a charitable trust set up by a legacy from the 7th Duke of Portland to promote the crafts. We are fortunate to be able to work in beautiful rural surroundings, in a modern purpose-built workshop, surrounded by some of the finest craftsmen and women in the country. Between 1985 and 2003 we benefitted particularly from the experience and advice of our neighbours, Derek Adlam, doyen of early keyboard instrument makers, and Bernd Fischer, one of the finest makers of early keyboard instruments in the world.

What we do

We make all the parts of the organ, apart from the blower, in our own workshop. We use English oak and Scots pine, and cow-bone and ebony for the keys. The metal is usually 17 to 30% tin, according to the information from the pipes we are following as a model. The workshop environment is controlled for temperature and humidity, so that the organ can be made at the average temperature of its new home. The wood is air-dried, firstly outside for one to two years, and then in the workshop to the level of the building where the organ will eventually live.

We aim to follow museum standards of restoration. We are Business Members of the Institute of British Organbuilding, and are members of the United Kingdom Institute of Conservation. In 1999 we were shortlisted for the Jerwood Conservation Award for our work on the 1826 Elliot organ at Belton Hall and in 2004 we were runners-up for our work on the 1829 Bishop organ at St James Bermondsey. We have worked for the National Trust, the Royal Collection and for a number of other collections and museums.

We look towards the best continental practice as a benchmark against which to set our own standards of craftsmanship. The three partners became interested in the organ in the late 1960s, and were among those who looked to Holland, Germany and Scandinavia for inspiration. The connection was made easier thanks to family connections in Holland and Germany. The development of our organbuilding has been influenced throughout by visits to Holland and discussions with Dutch friends, later extended to Germany, Spain and Italy.

Many of our organs have been made for use by professional musicians in the field of the Early Music. We look to instrument makers of the Early Music world for inspiration, advice and encouragement. The constructive support of musicians in the Early Music world has been a vital influence on our attitude to our work.

We conduct research into old organs and make it available in photocopied reports. The Harley Monographs are technical reports on organs restored or researched by ourselves. A list with prices is available from us, or from the Organ Literature Foundation. Our research is also publicized widely as lectures and articles, especially through the conferences and Journal of the British Institute of Organ Studies, but also in the Organists' Review and the Organ Yearbook.

Our CVs

Edward Bennett studied organ at the Guildhall School of Music in London, started organbuilding with Grant, Degens and Bradbeer in Northampton in 1971, and gained further experience with Hradetsky in Austria and at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and with Peter Collins before joining the firm in 1985. He is now organist at St Anne's Worksop.

Martin Goetze started organbuilding with Grant, Degens and Bradbeer in Northampton in 1971, and further with Gabriel Kney in London, Ontario in Canada, before starting the firm with Dominic Gwynn in 1980.

Dominic Gwynn studied Modern History at St John's College, Oxford and started organbuilding with Hendrik ten Bruggencate in Northampton in 1976, before starting the firm in 1980. He has written articles on the history of British organbuilding, and had his book on 'Historic Organ Conservation' published by Church House Publishing in 2001.

Stuart Dobbs joined the firm as our first apprentice after leaving school in 1989. For three years part time he attended Basford Hall College in Nottingham, where he gained his Advanced City & Guilds qualification in cabinet making and furniture restoration. He has been trained throughout the firm undertaking all aspects of organ building. For the past 10 or so years has been the main metal hand making both reeds and flue pipes. His main interest is in fairground organs and other mechanical organs, including barrel organs and clockwork barrel organs.

Nicholas Hagen joined us in December 2008 after 18 years' experience as a cabinet maker, antique restorer and polisher, latterly in church restoration and conservation. His wife Emma has started work with us part-time running our office and accounts, following the retirement of Carol Bakewell.

Joseph Marsden joined us from school in September 2009 after a few weeks' work experience the previous year.