Organ Restoration Appeal

Organ Restoration Appeal

We have nearly raised all the funds to restore our beloved Norman and Beard organ at St Paul’s – only £1500 left to find!

Our final event is an evening of music and dance on Feb 3rd: Bookings via eventbrite.

HOW CAN I DONATE TO THE ORGAN REPAIR FUND?

By BANK TRANSFER / STANDING ORDER
Bank Sort Code: CAF Bank 40 52 40
Account number: 00024868
Account name: Parish of Herne Hill
Reference: “Organ Fund”

By CHEQUE / CASH
Cheques should be made payable to “Parish of Herne Hill Organ Fund”. Cheques and Cash can be handed in or posted to “The Parish Office, St Paul’s Church, Herne Hill, London SE24 9LY

By CARD at St Paul’s Church OR VIA THIS LINK

Using the Card Machine by the entrance and selecting the The Organ Fund Appeal

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR GIFT

SOME OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE

Q 1. WHY DO WE NEED TO REPAIR THE ORGAN?….IT SOUNDS OK TO ME.

  • Only one of three keyboards useable
  • Lots of leaks in the wooden casings etc
    *Leather stops and pads are old and brittle
  • High and increasing annual repair costs
  • It is only because we have skilled organists that the organ is still useable
  • It is very likely that the organ will become unuseable within a few years if major repair work is not undertaken

Q2. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO REPAIR?

  • The cost estimates we obtained ranged between £63,000 and £450,000
  • The one selected will cost £63,000 (ex VAT).ie £75,000. However, we will get the VAT back from a Government scheme.
  • The £70,000 project budget includes a 10% contingency

Q3. WHO WILL DO THE REPAIR WORK AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

  • Edward Dove of Organ Design. This company has looked after, and tuned the organ, for many decades.
  • The repair work will take several months.

Q4. WHY DON’T WE JUST HAVE A NEW MODERN ELECTRIC ORGAN AND “MOTHBALL” THE OLD PIPE ORGAN?

  • This option was considered but felt to be inconsistent with the parish’s stewardship responsibility for this historic church and its historic organ.
  • The organ was specifically designed and built for St Paul’s nearly 110 years ago. The PCC considers that having the organ a fully playable condition is an important part of our worship.

Q5. HOW OFTEN WILL THE ORGAN BE USED IN THE FUTURE?

  • In addition to using it at almost all services, we will be able to find innovative and inclusive ways of attracting people to visit St Paul’s to see, hear, play and learn about our historic organ and the vital role it holds in our worship.
  • Only with a fully playable organ will we be able to again use it for concerts and recitals.

Q6. WHAT IS THE APPEAL TARGET?

Over £60,000 of funds has already been raised. A final £1500 is needed to meet the total costs for the project.

Here are some examples of what a gift will pay for:

£5,000 will pay for one of the departments (wind-chests) to be repaired
£2,500 will pay for one of the manuals (keyboards) to be repaired and electrified
£1,000 will pay for one of the main stops (controls) to be restored
£500 will pay for one to the minor stops to be restored
£50 will pay for retuning a dozen pipes once the repair work has been undertaken

Organ Restoration Project and Fund-Raising

A project to repair the 100 years-old pipe organ in St Paul’s is already underway, but help is needed to achieve our aims of raising £70,000. Parts of the instrument have been taken away to begin work, with an estimated completion date of April 2024. The aim is to ensure that the organ is there for future musical worship and celebration in the parish and community. 

Who do I contact to get involved?

Please contact one of the following: