The organ world by nature is bound to be served by small companies. This applies equally to the pipe organ sector and the digital side of the industry.
Many of these suppliers may only be single worker entities earning a modest living from their specialist knowledge and skills. A few grow to be more significant entities and as is the nature of business, some last for a few decades and then fade away as we saw with Peter Collins and Kenneth Tickel, notable names in the pipe organ world.
Ongoing support through the years
One of my objectives in developing Viscount Classical Organs Limited was to build a business of lasting value that could assemble a team capable of serving a wide range of customers and could demonstrate an ability to trade on for many years into the future.
Not to be dependent upon any particular individual for its future success and thereby reassure the customer base that the warranties issued around the instruments would be properly supported.
From humble beginnings
When I started on this journey 18 years ago, the business had just two full time employees. The company was very successful providing excellent value home practice instruments and smaller church installations.
If you had a big church budget then, Viscount was not a natural first choice of supplier. I accepted that other brands commanded a respect that we had to earn which over time we most certainly did.
To trusted supplier of important organs
Today we have a staff of eight and have provided some of the most important temporary instruments ever required in UK cathedrals.
We have secured significant commissions for custom built instruments in America and New Zealand as well as the UK.
More recently we have secured orders to rebuild Copeman Hart instruments, undoubtedly regarded as the best quality option available in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Walking in Ernest’s footsteps is a significant honour.
Planning for the future
Sustaining the skills and experience we have established is now uppermost in my mind. So, the purpose of this blog, at least in part, is to share with you how this objective will be met.
With my 70th birthday moving relentlessly into view, future planning must take account of my own eventual retirement even if this, health permitting, may yet be a decade away!
With most of my senior experienced colleagues being over the 50 mark it is important also to recognise that they too may be wanting to wind down by the end of this decade.
Introducing a new member of team
With that in mind it was important that I bring into the team a much younger member of staff.
I am delighted to share with you today the appointment of a former organ scholar of Hereford Cathedral. Cassian Southwick joins us from Harrison & Harrison organ builders of Durham where he was responsible for much of the rebuilding work on the consoles of Norwich Cathedral, the Guards Chapel London and the Beacon (formerly the Colston Hall) Bristol.
With increasing demand for the rebuilding of quality digital instruments of the 1980’s and 90’s, bringing the unusual skill set of musician and technician into the company was an opportunity not to be missed.
Cassian is only 23 so has much to learn from us older hands. It has been invaluable for me to straddle the technical and musical challenges this business presents. Cassian too has feet in two distinct disciplines but he is a far better organist than me so I may have to watch my back sooner than I might think.
The growing Viscount team
The team (pictured below), with my son now no longer the youngest in the group. While he’s not a musician he has another 30 years hard labour ahead of him.
I very much hope that some of who you see below will see the business well into the second half of the century, when I most certainly with luck, may still be reading the blog output, but most likely no longer contributing to it.
Pictured left to right {inset} Richard Patt, {main photo} Peter Prestidge, Mark Bond, Richard Goodall, Cassian Southwick, David Mason & James Mason
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Viscount Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
Leave a Reply