​ASSEMBLY AND RESTORATIONS

 

Owing to the lack of space in the Church of Santanyí and in part also to the lack of funds, it was not possible to fully assemble the instrument. The parts of the organ that were not installed were left lying around the church for many years. Some are even to this day kept on top of the vaults.

 

The façade was firstly assembled with its pipes, which permitted the organ to make its first sounds. Around thirty years later, during the time of the rector Llobera, the Trompeta Real was installed. In 1873, the organist Julià Munar added the Cadireta and in 1888 the famous Corneta was installed.

 

Various notable people who visited Santanyí in the early 19th century wrote features in publications of the time making it patently clear that the organ was in a deplorable state of abandonment. Some qualified voices demanded an urgent overhaul. Even so, the first major repair did not take place until 1957 by the company Organería Española S.A. from Azpeitia (Guipúzcoa) and its director, the Organbuilder Rafel Puignau. The restoration, at that time, was highly celebrated and during the 1957 Sant Jaume festivities the organist Msgr Bartomeu Ballester presented a successful inaugural concert, premièring a piece written specially for the occasion.

 

The above-mentioned restoration introduced pneumatic relay elements, a 12-note pedalboard and other accessories that were not present on the original instrument, with scant regard being paid to historical criteria as had been done in other interventions made during this period. As was only to be expected, several years later the non-original elements became obsolete and a new, in-depth restoration was necessary.

 

In the nineteen seventies, Gerhard Grenzing, a Master Organbuilder who was originally from Germany but had settled in El Papiol (Barcelona), had his first contact with our organ. He immediately began researching the instrument and also became interested in other works by its builder, Jordi Bosch. After an exhaustive study, the complete restoration of the Santanyí organ began, this time to restore it as far as possible with its original materials, technologies and sonority. The work was carried out in different phases owing to the limited budget available and the immense scale of the project. In 1978, all the extraneous elements of the organ were removed and the original deteriorated parts were restored, respecting the authentic materials and techniques.

 

In 1986, in the second phase, Gerhard Grenzing reconstructed the Ple (Mixture), consisting of 25 ranks and the largest in the world.

 

In 2000, the pedal register with the windchest and pipes were installed, thanks to a financial gift from Frau Irmgard Schörghuber, a German resident in Santanyí. This meant the original pedal was able to be restored, incorporating the marvellous Bombarda.

 

In 2003, the Consell Insular de Mallorca declared the Jordi Bosch Organ of Santanyí an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).

 

In 2005, the restoration workshop of the diocese carried out the restoration of the façade.

 

All these interventions have been possible thanks to the people of the town of Santanyí who, through the ages, have made efforts to drive restorations and also to help raise the money necessary. Many donations have been private, but there has also been assistance from various institutions. There have been gifts from people outside the town too, as well as organ enthusiasts and island residents in general.

 

Despite all the above interventions, there is still work to be done, as the instrument has never been fully completed to its original state. Still pending is the construction and assembly of the third division of the organ, the echo division (in keeping with the parts that are still stored on the vaults of the chapel located to the right of the organ), with registers that would permit better dialoguing with the Orgue Major. The Gerhard Grenzing Workshop has done a study for its construction and how it would be possible to situate it in the space the organ occupies in the Church of Santanyí.

 

Currently, the first improvement planned is the replacement of the keyboards, as they are not the originals nor correspond to the period of its construction. A subsidy has been granted by the Consell de Mallorca from Ecotax funds that are intended for heritage works. Covid-19 has delayed this undertaking, but it will be carried out as soon as possible.

 

 

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