Henry Willis & Sons is a firm of pipe organ builders
founded in 1845 in Liverpool, UK, examples of whose work can also be found
in other countries.
Five generations of the Willis family continued the family tradition of organ building until 1997.
The company is now under the ownership of David Wyld who is Manageing Director.
Five generations of the Willis family continued the family tradition of organ building until 1997.
The company is now under the ownership of David Wyld who is Manageing Director.
The charismatic founder of the company, Henry Willis, was nicknamed "Father Willis" because of his contribution to the art and science of organ building, and to distinguish him from his younger relatives working in the firm.
He was a friend of Samuel Sebastian Wesley whom he met at Cheltenham, and who was instrumental in gaining for Willis the contract for his first cathedral organ at Gloucester in 1847.
The most famous "Father" Willis organs are probably those in the Royal Albert Hall, St Paul's, Salisbury and Truro Cathedrals. Windsor Castle had a Willis until it was destroyed by a fire in November 1992.
Extracted from Wikipedia