The organ in the Queen's Hall is the third one the school has had. It was housed there in 1990. Previously, it had been in the Great Hall where it was installed in the summer of 1970. To celebrate the occasion, an inaugural recital by Peter Hurford, the internationally renowned organist was organised on 12 November that year (see the front cover of the programme). The reportoire included Sonata No. 19 by Reiche in which the school's Brass Group participated: those involved were Brian Hawthorn, Richard Deal, Terence Raveno, Nicholas Harvey and Malcolm Kinch. Sydney Lawton, the Head of Music, was the driving force behind the installation of the organ. He is shown to the left of the photo of the organ in the gallery in the Great Hall (see attached). 

Since 1952 there has been a smaller organ in the gallery (see the second photo of the hall with seats) with pews to its right. This meant assemblies and services were now held in the room rather than lessons. This explains why the hall which had been known as the School Room was thereafeter called the Great Hall. However, the improvement made to the central heating system in the Great Hall in 1960 dehydrated the soundboards which split. Occasional temporary repairs kept the organ going until it was clear it had to be replaced. 

The first organ was located to the right of the large window in the dining hall with pews to the left of the window (see the image attached). This was a two manual instrument by Vowles the bellows for which had to be operated by hand. The cartoon (see attachment) drawn by AC Durie, which appeared in the winter 1932 edition of the Wyvern, is a caricature of Gilbert Hawkins, a fellow pupil, as the organ blower. The organ was in use from early 1879 and formally opened in March that year. I wonder if a piano was used in the dining hall before that date to provide accompaniment for services held there?