£50K needed to turn pipe organ at Holy Trinity 'from a Morris Minor to a Jaguar'
THE fundraising to restore the pipe organ at Holy Trinity Church started its journey on Thursday (30th March) with the aim of turning the instrument from a Morris Minor into a Jaguar or Bentley.
The £50,000 appeal was launched at Stratford Town Hall, where the first £2,000 was raised through an auction of items donated by businesses and supporters.
Holy Trinity vicar Patrick Taylor welcomed guests to the launch event, saying: “I often say to people that Holy Trinity Church isn’t just there for the people who are part of the congregation, it is our parish church, which means it belongs to the town and it is there for everybody. As a building it exists to serve our community, and the wonderful organ lies very much at the heart of the church – both physically but also metaphorically as it is so important to our worship and the supporting of the choir.
“The organ is also important to many concerts and music beyond worship.”
He explained there would be a year of fundraising, with events planned.
Director of music Douglas Keilitz, who is also a pipe organ builder and restorer, told the audience: “Pipe organs are very much like automobiles. When an automobile is brand new everything works, everything is shiny and everything does what it’s supposed to do. As it ages, it will keep going but some things start to go wrong.”
He added: “Another aspect of a pipe organ is its tone, the sound you hear. When you use a lot of stops all the time, it’s very easy to cover up all the deficiencies. Right now, the Holy Trinity organ is very much like a Morris Minor, it has four wheels, an engine, it has a body, it has windows and it has a heater – it will get you from point A to point B. But you’re going to feel every bump.”
The aim, he said, was to go “from Morris Minor to Bentley or Jaguar, where the ride is smooth”.
Further fundraising events, including the opportunity to sponsor one of the organ’s pipes, will be announced soon.
