Organ Restoration Project Completed

We are delighted that our beautiful organ bas finished being renovated and is now back to its former glory! Here is a short clip of it being played at the end of our Service of Celebration on 6^th October 2024.

The project was established, and fund-raising began, in early 2020, the scope and specification of the work to be undertaken was finalised in September 2022, the PCC committed to a £70,000 project budget in November 2022, and the work was undertaken by Organ Design in the period October 2023 to September 2024. The final cost of the project was just over £63,000.

The project was necessary because the condition of the organ had deteriorated to such an extent over several decades that, despite frequent “patching-up” repairs, the organ had become so unreliable that it was getting close to becoming unusable. Further repairs were not feasible.

Built in 1914 the organ is of considerable historic interest because none of its original mechanical features had been adapted to include electrical features during its first 110 years.The cost of a full restoration of the original mechanical features was way beyond the financial means of the parish so the scope and specification of the project, whilst including a significant amount of repair work, has involved various degrees of electrification. The project has resulted in the organ’s most significant faults being repaired and greatly reduced the likelihood that any further major repair work will be required for several decades.

Completing the project was made possible by the hard work of a small project team, the financial support and prayers of the parish’s congregations and others, the support from those performing at, and attending, the 20-plus fund-raising Pipe-Up musical events, and the support and encouragement of the vicar, the PCC and others. In addition, grants received from The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Benefact Trust and the Herne Hill Society were greatly appreciated.

The opportunity to celebrate the role of music, and our pipe organ in particular, in our parish worship is greatly enhanced by having the organ back in full use after so many years of gradual decay. It enables us to envisage, and take advantage of, many new opportunities for community engagement and outreach through music.