Vignette 103: Elder Hall pipe organ

Pipe organs are musical marvels, commonly thought to date back to the Ancient Greeks. And Elder Hall has one.

Elder Hall is the second oldest building on the University’s North Terrace campus, the primary performance space of the Elder Conservatorium of Music, yet for some, its pipe organ is its greatest treasure. The Elder Hall pipe organ was made by Casavant Freres of Quebec, after the French Classical tradition, and is regarded as one of the finest instruments in the country. 

It replaced the one built by JE Dodd a year after the hall opened in 1901. With three manuals, 32 speaking stops, and 10 couplers, this was the largest instrument so far to have been built by Dodd and was widely acclaimed for its progressive tonal qualities and console incorporating stop keys. 

The new organ was installed when the hall was refurbished. The old organ was sold to St Mark’s Catholic Cathedral in Port Pirie. It’s a cherished inclusion in a building that is accessed by the entire community throughout the year.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Providing a place. p.142