After 12 weeks of intensive building activity at the Troxy, and hundreds of hours spent in the project workshop over the same period, Friday 7th October 2011 saw another significant, milestone reached on the Trocadero to Troxy project. With the organ chambers virtually complete, the time had arrived to remove the blankets shielding the chambers from the auditorium and replace them with the fully restored organ swell shutters. Timing was crucial, as the task the required the use of scaffolding towers used by the building contractor before their removal from site.

Work actually began on-site on Thursday 29th September to prepare the chamber openings for the shutters, see previous news item, which included removing 78 years of accumulated dust and dirt from the back of the ornamental grilles through which the organ will speak into the auditorium.

Above: Solo chamber shutters being
prepared for installation.

Above: The 24th and final Solo chamber shutter is secured in place.

Above: A lower Main chamber shutter is adjusted
to ensure correct operation

Above: The lower Main chamber shutters being installed.

For seven days a team of volunteers were on-site to prepare and install the frames, which carry the shutters, and finally on Friday 7th October the shutters were transported to the Troxy and installed.

On the 7th a team assembled at the Troxy to unload the van and move the 48 shutters, some of which are quite heavy, to the appropriate locations in the theatre. Here they underwent final preparation and then were installed. After a day of intensive and tiring activity at around 6.20pm the final shutter was locked in place.

Left:
The completed set of 12 lower Main chamber shutters.

In addition to the organ console, the first parts of the organ itself are now installed at the Troxy.