Meet Norma, the beloved Dunedin pipe organ still making a big sound after almost a century

A Dunedin pipe organ is set for global recognition as one of the stars of a new documentary.

UK based film company Fugue State have travelled to Dunedin, booking out the town hall to play ‘Norma’, the 99-year-old organ.

“What we’ve discovered is that actually some of the best examples of English organs are actually not in England, but are in places where English companies exported to. And a lot of the finer organs were exported to Australia and New Zealand,” producer Will Fraser says.

The group's visit is thick and fast, booking the hall out for just 10 hours, before moving to their next destination. 

“Working with Norma’s been an absolute thrill. Some organs take a while to get used to because every instrument is different. Sometimes it’s five or six hours before you really make friends - but Norma and I made friends after half an hour,” organist Daniel Moult says.

The film company will visit and play 26 further organs worldwide, before making a film set to be released next year.