St Mary Redcliffe Organ Appeal
£800,000 needed to restore our pipe organ and preserve our tradition of
choral and organ music
Click here to view and print the Appeal Brochure
Home Page
Return to Organ page
>
|
St Mary Redcliffe Organ Appeal £800,000 needed to restore our pipe organ and preserve our tradition of Click here to view and print the Appeal Brochure Home Page
|
> |
The Organ The organ, built in 1912 by the famous firm of Harrison & Harrison, is widely regarded as one of the most important instruments built in the early 20th century and is of international standing. As the inheritors of this musical treasure, we hope to restore it in time for its centenary. A complete refurbishment now should enable us to sustain and further develop our musical tradition for several more generations.
The Restoration During the organ’s lifetime there has been a piecemeal approach to restoration. Our aim is to restore the organ, with the highest standard of integrity and to ‘as new’ condition, so that it will sound as beautiful, and grace our worship for another 100 years. We will maintain the present (original), widely admired, tonal design, and will be helped in achieving this by the advice of our organ consultant, Dr William McVicker, organ curator at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Although the Redcliffe organ can sound wonderful, there is significant leakage of air and some ranks of pipes and working parts do not operate. We need new blowers to power the organ. The internal mechanisms, including the delicate leather ‘motors’ inside the organ, need extensive restoration or replacement. If this work is not undertaken in the next few years, the organ will become unplayable. All the pipework will be cleaned thoroughly but there are no plans to add more pipes to the instrument. The restoration of the organ is expected to take between 15 and 18 months.
Worship and the Community The church has a reputation for choral and sacred music of very high quality; our famous organ plays an essential part in this. For services, weddings and special events, when the church is full at Christmas, Easter, or for concerts, the organ has the power and presence to lead the singing of a full church. It can be equally effective when producing quiet and ethereal sounds. Many thousands of people hear the organ every year played by music staff, students and pupils, and by visiting recitalists. St Mary Redcliffe provides a powerhouse for the training of young organists. Organ scholarships are awarded to students at local universities and secondary schools. The organ also plays an important part in the musical education of our boy and girl choristers who come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Some Quotes
“This magnificent church can claim a choir of the utmost distinction and an organ of a unique and highly distinguished character. It is undoubtedly one of the finest romantic organs in the world.” Malcolm Archer Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College; formally Organist of St Paul’s Cathedral, Wells Cathedral & Bristol Cathedral.
‘It is no exaggeration to describe the Redcliffe organ as the finest high-Romantic organ ever constructed” William McVicker Organ Curator, Royal Festival Hall.
“This magnificent building has long had a fine tradition of music, with an exceptionally gifted choir and world-famous organ. Now, more than ever, both need your financial support. Please help by making a suitable donation.” Dr Barry Rose OBE formerly Organist of Guildford Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and St Alban’s Cathedral.
St Mary Redcliffe Organ and Music Trust is a registered charity number 1119008 How can I help?
1. Regular donations Many may wish to spread payments over a number of years. Payments can be made monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or in yearly instalments on the standing order form. The maximum period for standing orders is five years.
2. A One-off Donation We welcome one-off donations of any amount. These would normally be by way of a cheque, including CAF vouchers.
3. Sponsor a Set of Pipes We invite the sponsorship of the restoration of a set of pipes (i.e. the organ pipes controlled by one stop).
4. A Legacy Promise The promise of a gift in your Will enables us to generate funds now. If this method of giving might appeal to you.
Being Tax Efficient
We can reclaim tax on all donations under the Gift Aid Scheme, providing the donor is a UK taxpayer. With a Gift Aid Declaration we can recover over 28% of extra tax. If you are a higher rate taxpayer you can reclaim the difference between the basic rate of tax and the higher rate of tax which you pay. We welcome CAF cheques. Companies can make gross donations to charity and get relief at their corporate tax rate. A legacy left by way of your Will could be free of Inheritance Tax, which would otherwise be payable on any assets in your estate (including your home) over a threshold, presently of £280,000. These example are illustrative. Note that tax rates may change and donors should take advice on their own tax position.
|
Forms available as pdf documents. Click to view and/or download |