SPOTLIGHT ON... Abigail Balfour-Rowley, organ builder

Abi, how did you become an organ builder?

Funding for my PhD in Educational Research Methods was proving elusive. At the time, I was playing an interesting, but cobbled-together, organ, which had a few problems. Watching the guy fixing one fault, I thought, “I could do this, instead; and it would be an awful lot less writing than a PhD.” So I asked the organ builder David Wells if I could do work experience with him. Later David gave me a job as a note-holder. A few months later I moved to Harrison & Harrison as a trainee tuner, and subsequently I progressed to Goetze and Gwynn. Each post taught me many new skills.

Why does organ building attract so few women?

Organ building doesn’t really attract many people, full stop, and the trade is suffering. People tend to “fall into” organ building. A job will be available, and someone will say, “My mate Dave wants a job and would be good at that”, so Dave becomes an organ builder. Perhaps men don’t perceive their female friends and acquaintances as being potentially good at a job which requires thinking and muscles, so they don’t promote women when vacancies appear.

So I would say that a twofold perception issue is the problem - people don’t automatically think of women to do the job, and women don’t perceive organ building as a job for them - if, indeed, they realise that it is a job at all!

What qualifications do you need? STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects, for example?

You don’t need much of a STEM background for the work, although being practical and having good visuo-spatial awareness are essential. You must be able to work out how things go together and how to make things, often without any instructions, or with only generic instructions. If photographs have been taken and things have been labelled correctly, this can be quite fun.

What is the life like?

It can be extremely varied. Much time is spent in the workshop, but there may be much site work, too. We are currently on site in Geneva, working on a 1937 Wurlitzer which still has much of its original leather. Replacing leather which has given up (most often on the pneumatic motors; but one of the reservoirs was threatening to throw a rib the other day!) is our chief occupation while here.

In the workshop the job varies according to the project. Recent work has mostly been organ restoration. Soon we hope to start installing our restored/rebuilt project in Minchinhampton, which is exciting; and then I might make lots of pipes and action parts - maybe even a windchest - for St James’s, Piccadilly, which has commissioned a 1750-style organ.

On site, it’s often a long day. The work may involve heavy lifting, interspersed with fiddly bits of setting up or dismantling mechanisms. It can be a lot of fun, though. It is satisfying to know that you are doing a good job, and we often work in interesting and lovely places.

Tuners also enjoy visiting new places, while improving the lives of those who will play and listen to the organ. Listening to an organ that you have tuned well is immensely satisfying.

Do people express surprise, or even skepticism, about your ability or authority as a woman organ builder?

Sometimes, yes. Especially about my ability to lift heavy weights. And I am often treated as though the things I say are not worth listening to, with my suggestions frequently ignored. It is hard for me to tell if this is because I am a woman, or because I am me - or perhaps both. It can be extremely frustrating. But, when working in a good team, this doesn’t happen, which is delightful.

How does a woman get into organ building?

One route is to start holding notes and work your way up; another is to start an apprenticeship; the third is to enter the trade as a competent craftsperson.

What personality types are best suited to organ building?

Patient, persistent types, who enjoy working as part of a team, and who have a good, even robust, sense of humour. It often helps to have a bit of a perfectionist streak - if you can do your own quality control and fix your own problems (or seek guidance as soon as you know you can’t), you become a valuable member of the workshop - particularly if you also work quickly.

Being musical isn’t a prerequisite for organ building, even for tuning. Playing an instrument and tweaking it are two different skill sets, usually needing separate development; though a musical ear delivers greater satisfaction for a job well done.

Is there a career path in organ building?

There are many different career paths. This can vary from company to company - in a smaller company, you are more likely to have to do a bit of most tasks, whereas in a larger company it can be easier to specialise.

The things one might work towards in an organ building career include metalwork (pipes etc.), voicing, tuning, managing the workshop, design, and running projects. If you are persistent and brilliant (and don’t particularly enjoy free time), you can probably find a workshop to run.

If a reader wants to explore organ building, what do you advise?

You can contact the Institute for British Organbuilding’s Young Organ Builders branch yobs@ibo.co.uk. They can guide you to local firms. (Aimed at under-30s, and new organ builders.)

Seek work as a note-holder, or short-term experience in the workshop. This makes you a more attractive candidate for a job; indeed, you might find a job offered to you, particularly as there is a nationwide shortage of organ builders.

Do most organ builders also play the organ – do you? Tell us about your own organ playing.

An increasing number of organ builders do play the organ, but it is not essential. I have recently re-started lessons after a long hiatus. I have played in a small variety of churches at different levels and was organ scholar at Lancaster Priory. That was rewarding and also fun, because both of us scholars at the time were female, which felt novel. I am currently having lessons as part of Worksop’s organ training initiative.

Thank you for joining SWO! What prompted you to do so?

I decided to join SWO because of the gender imbalance within the organ world. I was also attracted by the Adjustable Benches Campaign, as I am in a better position than most to make changes here.

I look forward to a future where organists do not end up in their position due to their gender, but instead due to their desire, skill, and ability.

Abi, it has been so interesting to learn about an area of our world which can be a closed book to many organists. Good wishes for your work, and for recruiting more women into organ building!