£115,000 make-over set for 100 year old organ
St Nicholas Church in Kenilworth are raising money for a new organ. Pictured are fundraisers Pat Holder, Keith Grierson (Church Warden), Malcolm Trewick and Sheila Short. MHLC 01-02-13 Organ Feb17
A £115,000 makeover is on the way for St Nicholas’ church organ after months of hard work and £90,000 of donations towards the mammoth restoration project.
But help is still needed to raise the final £25,000 to press ahead with full restoration for the 15,000 piped instrument in what will take months of work.
With parts dating back to the Norma period, St Nicholas church is the oldest in Kenilworth and it is reputed that Queen Elizabeth I attended services there.
And the organ has been in place for over 100 years meaning it is in serious need of attention to keep it fit to play to serve the choir and congregation for the future.
Malcolm Trewick from the organ restoration committee which was set up to raise cash for the huge project last year, said thanks to the generous donations so far, work can start after Easter to breathe life back into the hugely important instrument.
He explained that the mammoth job will take months and include refreshment to the electrics, cleaning of the 1,500 individual pipes, replacing worn parts and fitting digital relays with the keyboard placed on a movable platform so it can be played from anywhere in the building.
Once complete, the organ will be reinstated as an asset to the church for years to come. Speaking about the project, Malcolm said: “The money raised so far is incredible and we hope people will continue to support us to help reach the target and get everything finished by Christmas.
“At the moment the organ player knows exactly which keys don’t work and which notes to avoid to get the best sound, but we really need to get repairs started as soon as possible because we cannot continue to use the organ as it is for much longer.
“It is so important for recitals and services, I can’t imagine the church without it.”
He said that with the bulk of the cash behind them, they can push on with work after Easter and already have more events lined up to help them over the final hurdle.
Upcoming events include a talk by John Burton, chairman of the George Elliot Foundation on April 13, and an Elizabethan night of music and readings on April 19.
To make a donation visit www.stnicholaskenilworth.org.uk or contact church warden, Keith Grierson on office@stnicholaskenilworth.org.uk or 01926 855616.
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Thursday 20 June 2013
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