Organ Restoration Appeal

Transcription

1 St Bride's Episcopal Church Kelvinside, Glasgow A priceless heritage built by William Hill in 1865 Organ Restoration Appeal

2 Foreword Music has a very special place in the life of St Bride's. Our services on Sundays and other Feast Days are in most part sung, and we host a range of concerts, recltals and community events. In all this, our wonderful and historic Hill organ plays a central part. But now over 150 years old. it needs some urgent help, to which this appeal is directed` I hope you will find the contents of this brochure inspiring in at least three respects: First. the craftsmanship of the organ builders and all those entrusted with the instrument's care; secondly, the dedication and commitment of our team to restoring the organ to its original glory; and thirdly, the desire of all concerned to continue to use the organ in our worship, to enrich the lives of the community, and bring joy to music lovers everywhere. please join us and contribute to this great project! Fr Kevin Francis, Rector of St Brido's I am delighted to suppon the restoratlon of the Hill organ at St Bride's (Scottish Episcopal) Church. Glasgow. I have had a long acquaintance with this instrument stretohing back to the 1940s, when my father was organist at Anderston-St Mariin's Church of Scotland. The organ was installed there in Sadly the church was demolished in 1969, but very happily the organ was re-installed in its present situation, where it now enhances the churoh`s liturgy and acts as a notable recital instrument. The years have taken their toll on the organ. however, and much work is urgently required. Fortunately it is in very good hands, as Hamson & Harrison Lid of Durham will carry out the work in 2017 under the very capable supervision of Matthew Hynes, This superb and historic instrument deserves to be lovingly restored and. as Honorary Patron of the Appeal. I heartily endorse the project so that future generations can enjoy the organ's unique qualities. Dr George Mcphee MBE, Director Of Music, Paisley Abbey and Honorary Patron of the Appeal

3 "...an organ of a superior description..." On Sunday 15 January 1865, the first pipe organ to be legally installed and authorised for use in Divine Worship in an.established' Church in Scotland (after the Reformation) was inaugurated at the new parish church of St Martin's, Anderston. It was built by the renowned London organ building firm of William Hill & Son, with the Glasgow Herald of the following day observing: "We may ac/d thaf an organ of a superior description has been fitted up in the building, and this instrument was yesterday played upon by Mr. Lambelh." Mr Lambeth had been the organist to the Glasgow Corporation since Minor alterations were undertaken by Harrison & Harrison of Durham in 1882, under the direction of organist Josiah lves (later the City Organist of Adelaide, Australia). ln 1968 the church (by then known as Anderston-St Peter's Parish Church) closed, and the organ was taken into storage. It was subsequently installed at St Bride's in 1972 by noted Glasgow organ builder James A. MacKenzie.

4 Who was William Hill? William Hill ( ) was the most progressive organ builder in 19th century England. Born into the genteel cultural world of Georgian England, the organs he grew up hearing were soft, delicate instruments of sophisticated refinement. playing the organ with one's feet, common in Germany since the 15th century, was almost unheard of in Britain. With his famous organs at Birmingham Town Hall, York Minster and elsewhere, Hill was a pioneer who dragged the English organ into the Victorian age. Together with Henry Gauntlett (composer of 'Once in Royal David's City'), and thanks to the furore created by Felix Mendelssohn's ground-breaking performances of Bach's organ works on Hill's Birmingham organ in the 1830s, he introduced the 'German System' of organ building lo Britain. The new organs had, in common with the organs of the Continent, full pedalboards and standardised keyboards, allowing the performance of much organ music - notably the works of J.S. Bach -for the first time in Britain. Most of William Hill's organs have been lost or substantially altered to suit the musical tastes of the times; the St Bride's organ is a rare surviving. and virtually unaltered, testament to his skill. It is an organ not only of considerable historical interest, but also a musical instrument of outstanding quality and of national importance in its own right. In recognition of this, it has been awarded a Historic Organ Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies.

5 What's wron with the or The interiorofthe organ is choked with dust. making it impossible to keep in tune (see photo below). Water from the leaking roof (now repaired) has badly damaged the bellows, the Swell box, the Swell soundboards, the mechanical linkages to the Pedal Open Diapason stop, and some wooden pipes (see photo below left). In addition, the important Swell Horn stop has been rendered completely unusable. The bass pipes of the swell oboe stop have mostly collapsed (see photo below right). The modem pedalboard fitted in 1972 is worn out and has become unreliable. The key and drawstop mechanisms throughout the organ are showing significant wear and tear. The Swell expression pedal does not stay fully closed.

6 What will the ect entail? The organ will be dismantled and moved to the workshop of Harrison & Harrison in Durham, for approximately 6 months. The pipework will be cleaned, and damaged pipes will be repaired. New pipes will be made to replace the collapsed bass pipes of the Oboe stop. The bellows (12 fhong by 3 ftwide)will be completely re-leathered. The soundboards (on which the pipes sit) will be overhauled. All mechanisms (for the keyboards, pedalboard and stop controls) will be restored. The two stopsadded to the swell in 1972 (Fifteenth and Mixture)will be re-voiced, and the Mixture re-composed in a manner befitting the Victorian aesthetic of the instrument. The modern, radiating/concave pedalboard fitted in 1972 will be replaced by a straight/flat pedalboard faithful to the style of the Original. The consolewill be cleaned and the stop knob engravings re-filled. The front casework will be stripped and refinished in its original natural wood colour. "As every pipe organ is completely different, it has been said that pipe organs are rather like people: some good, some bad, some indifferent. If the glorious Hill organ now in S[ Bride's was a person, it would be someone you'd want to be around, someone you'd want to spend a lot of quality time with. Apart from the invaluable cultural and rlistoric wonh of the instrument -there's even a 1 gth century Australian connection! -the major point is that it is such an incredibly beautiful and worthwhile "person". And that "person", surviving and celebrating their 150th binhday in 2015, deserves our praise and tangible suppon." Thomas Heywood lntemational Concert Organist (Ivlelboume, Australia)

7 How much will it cost? The total cost of this comprehensive restoration, the first such undertaking in the organ's lifetime, is 150,000 + VAT. Once restored, the organ should not require any significant work for up to 100 years. Through our own fundraising endeavours, more than half of the funding is already in place, and we anticipate that most of the VAT incurred can be reclaimed through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. However, this still leaves a significant financial shortfall.

8 How can I hel Your donation, large or small, will help to ensure that our wonderful organ is able to contribute to the life of St Bride's and the wider community for generations to come; the organ is used extensively for teaching and practice purposes by students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and other musicians, and for concerts and community events. Your support will also help to safeguard a priceless musical heritage and a unique piece of Scotland's social history. onsor a Pi Did you know that the oi.gan at St Bride's has no fewer than 1224 pipes ranging in size from under six inches to 16 feet long? This is your chance to adopt one or more! For each pipe you adopt, your name will be recorded in a special book of donors and you will receive a certificate. Alternatively, you can sponsor a pipe in memory of a friend or relative, or as a special gift. The cost of adopting a pipe from each stop is detailed below: Slop PFlch (In i eel) Price per pipe GREAT Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Dulciana 8 Pnnc,pal 4 Wald Flute 4 Twelf[h 2 2/3 Fifteenth 2 Mixture I I I ranks Trumpct 8 Hoe 200 caoo ee5 75 per note ((hree plpes) eeoo SWELL Bourdon 16 Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Pnnc,pal Fifteenth M'xture Hl ranks Ham Oboe per note (three prpe ) eeoo caoo PEDAL Open Diapason Bourdon

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10 To make a donation......please fill in the form below and send with a cheque made payable to `St Bride's Episcopal Church' to: Mr Max Hepbum, Organ Restoration Project Officer, c/a St Bride's Episcopal Church, 69 Hyndland Road, Glasgow G12 9UX Name: Address: Your details... Sponsor a Pipe I wish to sponsor a pipe/pipes in the name of: Daytime phone: Gift A]d d claratioii (UK taxpayers only) Please treat this donation as a Gift Aid Donation I confiltn that I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax or Gains Tax for each Tax Year?8#ife' April to 5th April) that is at leas.i equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Communfty Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I will donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualfty. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of every 1 that I have given. I wish to sponsor a pipe/pipes from the following stop(s): DIVISION: (please tick) Great ISwell IPedal I Name of stop(s)... I do not wish this donation lo be E]b".a/yrecorded SIGNED: St Bride's Ep]scopal Church is a cl`arity registered in Scotland No. SC012625

11 Brochures kindly supplied and donated by J. Norman