Derek Byrne - Biography   

Biography – Derek Byrne

Derek was born in Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 1962.  He grew up in the medieval town of Coventry, famous for it cathedral and home to a Tudor Organ 1526 in the Holy Trinity Church. 

Whilst studying engineering Derek was given the opportunity to serve an apprenticeship beginning under Charles Robert John Hosier (m.i.m.i.t) of Hill, Norman and Beard Organ Company from 1979 to 1983. 

Music played a great part in Derek’s life and from the age of 7 he studied music and played the 2^nd trombone for the Coventry City School of Music Orchestra and Jazz ensemble.  His interests in traveling, music and architecture, combined with interests in woodwork, taught to him by his father who was a carpenter and who was influential in driving him to such a unique profession.

Whilst working for Hill, Norman and Beard, Derek worked on organs and a variety of projects all over the country including Chester Cathedral, Litchfield Cathedral, universities and other historic organs by John Sneltzer, Samuel Green etc.

Derek emigrated to South Africa in 1984 where he managed the Eastern Cape for organ building co. Cooper, Gill and Tomkins under the direction of Alec Smith and later James Riadore.  He founded Byrne Organ Builders one year later in 1985, and over the past 19 years he is still responsible for the company’s direction, complete organ designs, tonal designs and voicing skills.  He has developed the company into what is South Africa’s largest organ building company and international supply company with headquarters in Hillcrest and a factory workshop in Pinetown, Kwa Zulu Natal. 

He traveled abroad to Australia, United States of America and Europe including Ireland, United Kingdom, France, and Germany necessary to research projects for his company.  This has led to associations with Manuel Rosales (President of Rosales Organ Builders inc. USA) and meetings with international renowned organ builders such as John Mander (Director of Mander Organs UK), Steve Dieck (President of C B Fisk Organ Co, USA) and Lyn Dobson (President of Dobson Organs USA), to name a few.

During his time in South Africa Derek has had the opportunity to analyze the construction of English, German and Dutch built organs.  Derek has provided the city of Durban with new organ construction designs, voicing tonal designs and pipe work for the City Hall Concert Organ (project still under completion).

Derek supports the preservation of historic organs, he served as a consultant for the 2003 re-erection and restoration of the Three Centuries Organ, Mindholt 1825 and later 1882 Bryson Organ from St. Andrews Church in Holt, Norfolk where Derek acted as a consultant and where Byrne Organ Builders carried out the reconstruction of a 180 year old 16 ‘ bourdon and restoration of major organ parts.

Derek recently restored a Canary Organ for a bird clock built around 1760 by Jaquet Droz, this organ is the smallest pipe organ ever made.

Derek is an active member of the ISO, AIO, and BIOS.  He has attended congress workshops and master classes. He attended the string-voicing seminar demonstrated by Manuel Rosales and Wolfgang Eisenbarth in Strasbourg, France. 

His knowledge and skill is frequently called upon from all corners of the globe and he is proud of his achievements to date.

                                                                                                                                              <<Back