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St. Matthew's Organ Restoration

St. Matthew's Church is fortunate in having a particularly rare and important, four manual organ built by Walker in 1895. It is thought to be one of only three comparable Walker instruments surviving from its period, the others being at Bristol Cathedral and St Mary's Portsea, Portsmouth. Recently the organ has required a complete restoration which was carried out between 2005 and 2006 by Harrison & Harrison of Durham.

The total cost of this programme was £320,000 and finding this huge sum is a long and difficult project for a parish church. We are pleased to say that, of this amount, some £220,000 has now been raised. In this respect we are very grateful to our previous incumbent Canon Walter Hussey, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Williams School of Church Music and the large number of individuals who have made personal donations.

How you can help

The balance of the restoration bill was paid with a loan gratefully received from The Charity Bank, and we now invite you to help us make a 'heroic effort' to pay off the remaining £100,000 by becoming an "ORGAN HERO." To qualify to join this exclusive club, you will be asked to commit to setting up a standing order to pay £10 monthly to St. Matthew's Trust for a minimum of one year. You will receive a signed certificate from our Patron, Lady Juliet Townsend, as well as invitations to exclusive "ORGAN HERO" events and mailings about all our musical and other activities. Please contact the Appeal Secretary, Rosamund Catlin, if you wish to join or donate (rosamund.catlin @ tesco.net).

CD of the Walker Organ available shortly
Sebastian Thomson will be recording on the 1895 Walker Organ at St. Matthew's in April 2008. CD's will be available to the public during the summer term. If you would like further details or a CD pre-order form, please contact the Director of Music.

The Restoration of the Historic 1895 Walker Organ
"There can be no question about the organ's superlative quality and historic value. Its impressive tonal structure and physical layout remain unchanged, and command respect. It has a monumental integrity, and is ideally suited to the church." (From the report by Mark Venning, Managing Director, Harrison & Harrison, Durham).

Bristol Cathedral Pipe Organ
Bristol Cathedral Pipe Organ
The organ is one of the church's many artefacts donated by the Phipps family. Pickering Phipps had given the land but had died before the church could be built and his son, Pickering (junior) paid for the church building as a memorial to his father. Various members of the family also gave generously, including the original benefactor's widow, Mary, who provided the organ. Contemporary accounts referred to the instrument as one of the twelve best to be built in the country around that time. Today, St Matthew's organ is one of only a few remaining and comparable organs to have survived in their original form, and may be favourably compared with such instruments as those at Bristol Cathedral and St Mary, Portsea, Portsmouth.

The four-manual organ was built for the new church by J W Walker & Sons in 1895. No significant changes were made to the instrument between then and 1971. At that date the actions and console were replaced. It is a cause for satisfaction that no other changes were made, so that the structure and pipework survive in their entirety.

In 1978 the present forced-air heating system was installed, and the organ was fitted with a humidifier shortly afterwards. In 1980 a new blowing plant was installed, replacing the previous equipment dating from the 1920s; and tuning slides were fitted to the pipework in 1982, to protect it from damage. In 1990 the Solo Organ actions, reservoirs and tremulant were fully overhauled and releathered.

During the 1990's and early part of this century the organ became increasingly unreliable and difficult to maintain. The decline of the instrument has been accelerated by the damaging effects of the force-air heating system. (This is currently being replaced following a catastrophic failure in November 2005). The new system is designed to greatly minimize these effects benefiting the organ and fabric of the church generally.

It gradually became apparent that the instrument was in fundamental need of complete restoration. To this end, in January 2004, Harrison & Harrison, Durham were invited to inspect and report of the organs condition and draw up costed proposals for its restoration. After due consideration of the many aspects of such an undertaking the Parochial Church Council commissioned this work to be carried out from May 2005. The work which is currently nearing completion may be summarized as follows:

  • To rebuild and restore the four-manual 1895 Walker organ, as detailed in the report and proposals of Harrison & Harrison, Durham.
  • All pipework work to be repaired, cleaned and set to correct speech, the action to be fully overhauled and a design defect modified, the soundboards to be fully overhauled, grouted and re-palleted.
  • The wind system to be releathered and overhauled and "breakdown" reservoirs reinstated in the crypt.
  • The 1971 console to be remade in the style of the original with new manual keyboards and drawstops, the electrical systems will be renewed.
  • The Pedal Trombone to be extended to 32ft pitch.
  • The entire organ would be cleaned, all parts adjusted, and any minor repairs carried out so as to leave everything in first-class condition.

The proposals are extremely comprehensive & will be carried out to the highest standards with utmost regard the original builder's intentions. No tonal alterations will be made, and all original components will be retained and repaired. The organ is acknowledged as an outstanding example of the organbuilder's art and will respond well to sympathetic restoration. The 1971 console will be remade in the style of the original and other work of this date rectified. The instrument will be restored to first rate performance and equipped with contemporary playing aids greatly increasing its versatility.

About The Organ Builders
Harrison & Harrison is a long established and highly regarded firm who have the care of many of this countries cathedral organs. St Matthew's organ has been in their care since 1975, and they have an intimate knowledge & understanding of the instruments character and quality. Harrison's are perhaps pre-eminent in this country in the field of historic restorations such at ours, and enjoy a reputation for the integrity and artistic excellence of their craftsmanship. Their attention to detail and respect throughout for the 'old' Walker style has been most impressive.

The Cost
With the associated expenditure such as scaffolding, mains electrical work and VAT etc, the total cost of the restoration project is £320,000. We are currently engaged in a fund-raising appeal to raise £150,000. If you would like to support us in this endeavour and donate a sum of money to this project, then please contact us, and we will assist you in helping us in the most advantageous way. Thank you.

Towards The Future
Since its installation in 1895, the instrument has given pleasure to many people and has attracted a number of eminent organists, notably Dr George Thalben-Ball, Dr G Cunningham, Dr Harold Darke, Flor Peeters, Simon Preston, Fernando Germani, Noel Rawsthorne, Carlo Curley, Andrew Reid and Stephen Cleobury. The organ restoration is foundational to our aspirations, and there is now every reason to suppose that, once renewed, the organ will continue to give sterling service and pleasure for many more years to come.

A Sought-after Venue For The Arts
St Matthew's is a large sought-after venue for music making and the performing arts, with a distinguished heritage of artistic excellence & patronage which we now wish to advance. St Matthew's has been a significant cultural influence within this country and further afield, renowned for its music making & commissioning of new compositions, literature & art. Through these media it continues to draw large numbers of diverse people to it. The church is home to the Northampton Bach Choir, and other regular users include The Finzi Society, the Northamptonshire Choral Festival, University College, schools and County Music Service ensembles.

Remaking Our Musical Heritage
We are currently taking steps to generate positive publicity which will exploit our reputation. The press, radio and television have already expressed their interest in the undertaking. In addition to interviews and articles, an illustrated talk/concert using live pictures from within the organ chamber is planned for September 2006 to demonstrate the work undertaken and its long-term benefits. A booklet about the restored organ, its history, design & restoration is planned. There will be illustrated displays of the work in progress.