Save Our Pipe Organ. Can You Help?
Our Church pipe organ is a well-made instrument built by Gray & Davison, London, one of the leading firms of late Victorian organ builders.
It was installed in St Mary’s Church in 1909 at a cost of £250.
It has two manual keyboards, fourteen stops and a pedal board with twenty-nine notes. The keys and knobs are made from ebony and ivory and the pipes, of which there are over nine hundred, from pipe metal. The organ case is made of oak and pine.
The organ is used for weekly services and any other service which may occur, e.g., weddings, funerals.
Visiting organists have commented on the quality of this instrument and a new pipe organ of this calibre would be extremely expensive.
In order to keep it in good condition it is maintained and tuned twice a year by a reputable organ company.
When it was last tuned, we were advised that `it was dirty, making tuning difficult’. Over the years dust collects in the pipes and when tuning the dust moves around but then settles back in the pipe again, making it liable to go out of tune more quickly.
The estimate to clean the pipes and to attend to any other problems found with them, plus to treat the swell box for woodworm, is £5,850.00 + VAT. We also have to provide scaffolding across the width of the nave butting up to the organ gallery.
We are appealing for help in raising this money so that we and future generations can enjoy the music from this wonderful instrument.
We realise that in this current climate money is tight, but if you were able to contribute to our organ fund, however big or small, it would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks.
St Mary’s Stapleford Abbotts PCC.
If you would like to make a contribution to our organ fund please use our contact page by clicking here.
Thank you.