Testimonials
Greg Harrold
"Greg Harrold's Op. 14 is one of the most beautiful modern organs I have encountered. The combination of action response, pipe voicing, specification matching the capabilities of the room, and visual design result in the rare experience of a perfect balance of elements. I have always played my best on this instrument and credit the inspiration received from the organ for this."
Concert Organist
"Greg Harrold's instruments are a joy to play. Beautifully voiced, elegantly winded, responsive to the touch. My concert venues include a wide range of organs. Each time I return to one of Greg's I get a new thrill. It's the thrill of being stretched, of finding I can *do* so much. It's the absence of struggle and a vibrant resting in beauty. Greg Harrold's instruments remind me how blessed I am to be an organist."
Concert Organist
"My own experiences playing some of his instruments, most notably the organ in Spanish Baroque style (Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, CA., and the two organs modeled after German organs of the time of J.S. Bach (University of California, Berkeley and the Kay MacBird residence organ, Los Angeles, CA.), were not only highly gratifying musically, but convinced me that the instruments were the work of an exceptionally talented artist/craftsman."
David Dahl
A.A.G.O., Professor of Music and University Organist Emeritus, Pacific Lutheran University;
Director of Music Ministries, Christ Church, Episcopal, Tacoma, WA
"I am very impressed by the meticulous care you take in planning and constructing each of your organs. You have built in a wide range of styles, always with great sensitivity to the acoustical environment and the needs of the person or institution commissioning the instrument. The result is a beautifully crafted organ with real character and panache."
Associate Director for Graduate Studies, School of Music, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
"Uncommonly beautiful Principal stops, among the most naturally singing I have ever heard and beautifully blended in treble ascendancy through the Mixtures"
"A natural winding system that gives the organ a nearly human breath of life"
"An ingratiating mechanical key-action that delights the organist with a tactile sense of initiating and terminating the pipe speech like the tonguing of a woodwind or brass instrument"
"Harrold's instruments are firmly grounded in the great historical traditions, willingly fusing ideas from the time-honored national styles, but never sacrificing musical integrity”
University Organist Emeritus, UCLA
"Greg Harrold belongs to an elite group of the finest craftsmen in the United States. His pipe organs, which are inspired by historical European instruments, are not simple copies - they are modern interpretations of the best classical designs. I could not have desired a better organ on which to record the music of Johann Sebastian Bach than the Brentwood instrument. Its sensitive action and sublime voicing made it a joy to play and to listen to. Greg Harrold is truly a master organ builder."
Concert Organist
"The Church in the Forest was very fortunate to acquire a Greg Harrold baroque organ, Opus 12. The awesome reputation that Harrold had achieved with the University of California was soon amply justified by the tonal purity and superb mechanics of Opus 12. It has performed for ten years without any fault and has enjoyed remarkable pitch stability. This organ was chosen by the world renowned John Butt of Glasgow for his recitals with the Carmel Bach Festival. The perfection of the action and the haunting beauty of the various registrations is matched by gorgeous casework. Mr. Harrold builds to an extraordinarily high standard and we are entirely satisfied with his work."
Chaplain, Robert Louis Stevenson School, Pebble Beach
"Among the fine organ builders in Europe and America I have known over a long period of years, Greg Harrold stands out as one of the most creative.
For each of the old organs he restored he has produced an instrument that is both credible in terms of its period and still has the most beautiful sound that can be produced.
When he builds a new instrument in period style, the finished organ is a product of both careful research and imagination, using the best elements of older mechanical actions and of older styles of voicing, but with a distinct personal touch. He is a genius."
Lawrence Moe
Professor of Music and University Organist Emeritus
The University of California, Berkeley