Andrew Henderson on May 15th, 2023:
From *The Gazette* (Montreal, January 30, 1860): "The celebrated house of Elliott [sic] & Hill, of London, deserve high credit for the production of so fine an instrument -- the second magnificent organ from the same establishment whose solemn tones have swelled in attuning our souls to divine contemplation. It may not be generally known that the so much admired instrument destroyed in the old cathedral was constructed by the same firm, and that the Mr. Hill whose name occurs above, was personally engaged in its construction. A more particular description of the instrument is given below, with the number of the stops. We may mention, however, that the effect of the following stops for solos was striking and pleasing, and deserving of particular notice, as upon the delicate voicing of the those stops depends to a great degree the beauty of an instrument for sacred melody. The stops referred to are the following:
Great Organ - No. 10 [Posaune 8]
Swell Organ - Nos. 19 and 20 [Horn 8, Oboe 8]
Choir Organ - Nos. 22, 24 and 28 [Gamba 8, Flute Harmonic 4, Cor Anglaise 8]
Great credit is due to the intelligence and perseverance of Mr. Gisborne, the very pleasing and accomplished gentleman, whose ingenuity and skill has placed the organ in all its perfectness in its niche in the cathedral; and we congratulate the good citizens of Quebec upon having secured his services to examine and repair the instrument in the cathedral there.
To Dr. Bethune, the Dean of the Cathedral, the thanks of the English churchmen are due for his persevering and intelligent supervision of the whole, from the day when the ground was first moved for the foundation till now, when "the pealing anthem swells the notes of praise" through the "fretted aisles" of the cathedral.
As to Mr. Barnby, the organist, one word -- we do congratulate him sincerely upon having an instrument which, though not equal to those he has left, is still worthy of his hand; and may he long preside over the "vocal frame."