ALLEN ORGAN INSTALLATIONS

John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School
Western Australia, Australia

John Septimus

John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School, Western Australia's largest independent school, shares its chapel with the Anglican Parish of St. Paul's (Mirrabooka). Commissioned in May 1999, this landmark structure in Perth's northern suburbs combines clean, modern lines with warmth and resonance. Its reverberation has made it alluring to many of Western Australia's top musicians, who perform there with increasing regularity. Singers marvel at the resonant features. Each summer the school's Department of Music hosts a Sunday afternoon recital series, which is as much a showcase of the Chapel's acoustic properties as it is for the artists talent.

A three-manual Allen Organ (one of the largest organs installed in Western Australia) lends consistently wonderful support to the liturgical ceremonies and choral festivals presented by the school. Organ recitals are also presented on the instrument. The repertoire ranges from Couperin to the great masterworks of Messiaen and beyond. An upgrade featuring the Allen MDS Expander II™ allowed the addition of ranks such as an eight-foot Spanish Trumpet.

The presence of the organ in the chapel is not only a demonstration of the school's support for music as a major part of the school curriculum, it is also a reinforcement of the school's commitment to providing a valuable and much-loved service to the neighboring suburbs and community.