About Us
Broome & Co. LLC was established in 1998 by David Broome and Christopher Broome to satisfy a need in the pipe organ industry for high quality voicing and organ pipe reconditioning and repair services
We are specialists in the restoration of reed stops existing in pipe organs by major twentieth century North American organ builders. Our voicing and tonal finishing experience is extensive, and although we are regarded for our restorations of existing reed stops, we also partner with contemporary pipe organ builders, providing them with new reed stops for their instruments. Additionally, we provide new replica reed stops with authentic scaling and construction details for restorative work, or tonal additions to existing instruments.
Our History
Born in Leicester, England in 1932, David Broome started organ work at 16 for J.W. Walker, the London builder. As key-holder for a satellite tuning crew, David showed an early ability with pipes, and was invited to the London factory to train as flue and reed voicer, soon gravitating to the latter. Once married and seeking better opportunities, in 1957 David emigrated to the United States with his wife Caroline to join Austin Organs, Inc., working under Tonal Director Richard Piper and quickly being elevated to Head Reed Voicer in 1959. At Mr. Piper’s retirement in 1978, David became Tonal Director and, in 1981, Vice President.
In 1983, David installed a home voicing machine to work nights and weekends for non-Austin work. Leading New England organ restorers, such as the A. Thompson-Allen Co. in New Haven, Nelson Barden & Associates in Boston, and Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal in Northampton, came to rely upon David for sensitive restoration of all kinds of reeds. These early partnerships set the standard for tone and tuning stability in restored sets.
Christopher J. Broome (youngest child of David and Caroline, born 1969) began organ training in his teens, first in reed preparation, and then voicing with his father while working at the Austin shop. On his own, Chris learned pipe-making methods with Thomas Anderson (formerly of Aeolian-Skinner). The complimentary skillset of father and son soon evolved into a fully independent operation, formalized as a partnership Broome & Co. LLC in 1998. The company’s first major project was for Schantz Organ Company’s restoration of Skinner Op. 816 (1931) at Severance Hall in Cleveland — 19 reeds, including two 32fts. Foley-Baker’s rebuild of the Boston Symphony Hall Aeolian-Skinner soon followed, and the company has been busy ever since.
David Broome left Austin Organs, Inc., in 1999, and retired from all organ work in 2007. He passed away in 2013 at 81. Chris and his wife Catherine have continued the tradition, expanding beyond restoration services to new reed stops for old and new instruments. The past two decades have rewarded the firm with some of the country's most high-profile work, including:
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2019 Dobson
Saint Thomas Church — New York City, NY
Six reeds for new organ, including 25” Tuba Mirabilis -
1912 Austin
Portland Civic Auditorium — Portland, ME
Reconditioned all stops, provided a new 32ft Bombarde -
1929 Skinner
Woolsey Hall Yale University — New Haven, CT
2012 — present restoration A. Thompson-Allen Co., 30 reed stops -
1930 Aeolian
The Longwood Organ — Longwood Gardens, PA
Restoration 2012 Nelson Barden and Spencer Organ Co., 35 reed stops from 8” to 30” pressure -
1932 Aeolian
Duke University Chapel — Durham, NC
2007 restoration Foley-Baker, 21 reed stops -
1926 Skinner
Trinity Church — Boston, MA
2019 reconstruction, Foley-Baker & Jonathan Ambrosino, 17 reed stops, including three replica and two amalgamated ranks