An inlaid nameplate within the console of this organ bears the name of the builder (Vincenzo MASCIONI), the date of construction (1959), the Opus number (764) and the location of the Mascioni factory (Cuvio <Varese>).
Mascioni is one of the most renowned Italian organ building firms. It has built many organs outside of the Italian territory, twelve of which are in the Maltese Islands.
The organ at St.Mark’s church is a very fine example of Italian organ building of its time. The vast majority of the parts, even electrical coils for solenoids, were manufactured in-house. The craftsmanship is excellent in all the various parts of the organ, from the bellows, to the windchests, the console, electro-mechanical apparatus and pipework. It is a fine instrument throughout.
Throughout the years since its installation, this organ had been well maintained by Rev. Fr. Michael D’Amato, but by 2015 there were severe signs of wear-and-tear that needed to be addressed, and other issues. Since the latest intervention by Fr D’Amato had been in 1995, the time was ripe for a full restoration of all the organ components in order to bring the organ to its best possible condition and long-term reliability. The idea of performing ‘patch-work’ was not reasonable.
Restoration work started in August 2020 and was completed in July 2021. It was carried out by Robert Buhagiar B.Eng(Hons), an engineer and a warranted restorer in the field of pipe-organ restoration. He got his organbuilding training at the Mascioni firm, and was therefore the best choice for this organ’s restoration. He had already restored four other Mascioni organs with excellent results.
The restoration works were carried out in full respect of the original characteristics of the organ. No modifications were carried out to the transmission or tonal aspect. All the components of the organ were restored as necessary. The three bellows were completely re-leathered, all leather pouches were replaced, all pneumatic-motors were re-leathered, all electric contacts cleaned and regulated, all pipework cleaned and repaired, all electro-mechanical systems regulated, and finally all pipework revoiced and tuned. In addition to the above-mentioned ‘functional’ works, works of an aesthetic nature were also carried out, namely the repainting of all façade pipes, and the french-polishing (shellac-based) of the console cabinet including the bench and complete pedalboard.
This Mascioni organ, though not yet a historic organ, will see an increase in appreciation because of the evident intrinsic quality in all aspects of its construction. The restoration works just concluded have respected these aspects and helped in preserving the organ for future generations while allowing the current generation to enjoy its musical qualities.
Robert Buhagiar
Pipe Organ Builder and Restorer