Adelaide Festival Theatre
King William Street

B 1979 Rieger Orgelbau, Schwarzach, Austria
3 manuals, 50 speaking stops, 6 couplers, tracker & electro-magnetic stop action


Rieger-Orgelbau of Austria were commissioned in 1978 to build a striking concert hall organ for the new Festival Theatre. $400,000 had been raised to pay for the construction of a significant instrument to mark the 25th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the organ was named the "Silver Jubilee Organ".

Because the stage is used for opera, ballet and drama, the organ needed to be able to be removed and so a hovercraft system was designed so that the organ could be "floated" back into the world's largest cupboard.

The pipes are all open toe voiced on relatively high wind pressures with minimal nicking. The Hauptwerk Principal 8' has double pipes for most of its compass.

The organ was inaugurated by Dr Peter Hurford on 2nd April, 1979.


The specification (taken from "Pipe Organs of Adelaide Volume 6" AMCD 96126) is:

Hauptwerk (Man I)
Bordun
Principal
Spitzflöte
Rohrflöte
Octav
Hohlflöte
Quinte
Superoctav
Mixtur Major VI/VIII
Mixtur Minor IV
Cornett
Trompete
Clairon

Schwellwerk (Man II)
Gamba
Schwebung
Bleigedackt
Principal
Koppelflöte
Nassat
Blockflöte
Terz
Sifflet
Mixtur VI/VIII
Fagott
Trompete
Oboe
Schalmei
Tremulant

Positiv (Man III)
Salicional
Holzgedackt
Principal
Rohrflöte
Sesquialter II
Octav
Quintlein
Scharff IV
Rankett
Chamade
Krummhorn
Tremulant

Pedal
Untersatz
Principal
Subbass
Octav
Gedackt
Choralbass
Pommer
Rauschpfeife IV
Bombarde
Posaune
Posaune
Zinke

Couplers
I/P
II/P
III/P
II/I
III/I
III/II

16
8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
1-1/3
1/2
8
8
4


8
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
1-3/5
1
2
16
8
8
4



8
8
4
4
2-2/3
2
1-1/3
1
16
8
8



32
16
16
8
8
4
4
2-2/3
32
16
8
4






































Adjustable

Unenclosed











Adjustable























Combinations: 8 general and 8 per division, 12 stage crescendo pedal, tutti

Compass: 61/32

The two 32' ranks are located in the ceiling on electric action

Total number of pipes: 4,200

Wind pressure 100mm (32' ranks 120mm)





Photos TB & MQ