At 3pm on Saturday 16 November,
in St Anne’s Church, Oakland Common Bristol,
ALISON HOWELL
will be giving an organ recital in support of the
St Anne’s Church Organ Restoration Fund
Her programme includes works by Bach, Price and Lefebure-Wely
Please download this poster and display it to encourage friends and family.
The St Anne’s organ : its history and plans
There has been an organ at St Anne’s for nearly two centuries and its music and sounds have been enjoyed by many generations at Sunday services and for weddings, funerals and special occasions.
The organ is now over 180 years old. Originally built in 1842 by G M Holditch of London, major additions and alterations were made by Bristol and Clevedon based organ makers in 1895 and 1926. In 1938 an electric blower, still in service today, was fitted. In the 1990s our organist, Brian Bishop, regularly serviced the organ and, with the help of some members of the congregation, even added more pipes. Many of the original parts are, incredibly, still in good working order but much of the electrics and the leather bellows are nearing the end of their life. The symptoms at present are largely limited to unreliable operation of some organ stops and rogue sticky notes creating ‘unusual’ sounds as the organists play. These are largely caused by the poor condition of the electrical controls. Moreover, the electrical insulation on much of the wiring is made of cotton thread and needs replacing. Maintenance of this fine machine has been intermittent with the result that the whole organ and all the pipes need a major clean!
An extensive survey of the instrument has been undertaken and we have consulted the Organ Advisor for the Bristol Diocesan Committee. It is recognised by both the PCC and the advisor that extensive work to allow the organ to continue to be usable for the foreseeable future is required over the next 10+ years. This would give the organ another 100+ years of life. Full details and costing of the restoration work and how it will be phased are still being worked out but it is likely to be progressed in 3 or more phases over a 10+ year timeframe. Initial estimates indicate that the first phase will cost approximately £25,000 and should be started as soon as possible.
You’ll find the church’s website at https://www.stanneschurcholdland.org.uk/