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The Alumni Chapel organ |
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| Keith Merrill Organ during Phase II renovation |
For more than 50 years, the the original organ that John Meigs, former headmaster, gave to The Hill as a memorial to his mother adorned the Alumni Chapel.
Over time, the organ suffered wear and tear and, in 1965, a beautiful new organ was designed and crafted by the Austin Company at the suggestion of T. Edmund Wills ’65, a gifted organ student of Lloyd B. Tuttle, head of Hill’s music department. The new organ was presented to the School as a gift from the Merrill family in memory of Keith Merrill, Hill Class of 1906, former trustee and loyal supporter of The Hill, during a dedication recital in the fall of 1965.
In spring of 2009, The Hill School began the three-phase process of renovating the existing Keith Merrill Memorial Organ. The renovation is being completed by the Austin Organ Company, which built both the 1965 organ and the original instrument it replaced, to make repairs and tonal adjustments.
Phase I of the renovation began in spring 2009 and involved repairs inside the organ chamber. In July 2009, Austin employees began Phase II by refurbishing the "Great" division. In a dramatic finish, Austin's president and three of his staff worked through the weekend of May 15 in order to have Phase II completed in time for the School's 2010 Baccalaureate service. Phase III of the renovation began in the fall of 2010.
The renovation has been completed and the organ was rededicated at a service on Saturday, October 8, 2011.
This renovation project has progressed largely due to contributions from alumni, faculty and friends of the School.
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