ORGAN RESTORATION APPEAL
There are problems with the organ which are immediately obvious, both to the organist and listener:
- An increasing number of silent or 'slow' sounding notes when any key is depressed.
- A variety of pipes in various ranks are likely to 'cipher' i.e. sound continuously even when the key is not depressed.
- Many pipes tend to go out of tune very readily.
Problems such as these are becoming increasingly common. The consequence is that a player cannot use the full potential of the organ to interpret and play a piece of music. At best, a problem may be temporarily accommodated by not using a particular stop; at worst, one section of the organ, such as the Swell or Positive, might be out of use. For the organist, having to be overly concerned with accommodating a range of technical problems, it leaves an inevitable impact upon the final musical outcome.
There are many technical reasons contributing to these problems, some of which are outlined below:
- There is widespread deterioration of a range of materials used in the construction of the organ such as leather, cork, textiles, wood etc.
- The humidity control system is not functioning adequately.
- The mechanisms for tuning many of the pipes are in a very poor state.
- The leathers on the motors have started to perish. Access is difficult and can be a day's work to repair one motor. (There are about 4,000 in the organ.)
Professor Roy Simons, the Organ Project Manager - who has over 50 years intimate knowledge of the instrument - says...
"Unless there is an obvious fault, such as a cipher, very few people recognise that anything needs to be done. This leads to each fault having to be repaired as it occurs. This has happened at St Thomas' before. The previous work was delayed for decades, until the instrument became unplayable, as no organ builder could be found who was prepared to try to keep it going. The argument that if we spend £1,000 a year on maintenance will keep us going for another 100 years is totally fallacious. We should do the work as soon as possible to keep the costs down."
In consideration of these problems, the Parochial Church Council has decided to restore, and where practicable, improve the present instrument so that it continues its role in the worship of the church, as well as its other contributions - both cultural and educational - for several generations to come.
The PCC acknowledges the help and advice given by Mr David Frostick, the Diocesan Organ Adviser.
Listed below is a selection of the necessary work, together with some agreed improvements to correct existing deficiencies:
- Great and Swell soundboards to be replaced with slider chests.
- Console drawstop solenoids replaced with magnetic toggle action.
- New key contacts, cleaning and adjusting of pistons, cleaning of keyboards and pedalboard.
- All cotton-covered wiring to be replaced with PVC.
- Stop selection system to be new solid state transmission.
- Pipes to be cleaned, maintained and repaired.
- Pitch lowered to enable the organ to be used with other instruments.
- Replace leatherwork as required.
- Improved humidification.
- Replace large manual reservoir with several new smaller versions.
- Provision of new general pistons.
- Microprocessor-controlled piston capture system.
The estimated cost of the work is £100,000
If you are interested in supporting our organ appeal, we invite you to send a donation. Please click here to display a donation form, then print and send it with your donation to:
The St Thomas’ Organ Restoration Appeal The Parish Office, St Thomas of Canterbury Church St Thomas Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4DF
Your help would be very much appreciated.
