Over the years, we have supported many families with funeral services at St Michael & All Angels Church in Jarvis Brook and have heard the beautiful organ fill the church with music. The organ was built by Hopkins & Son of York and installed in 1905, soon after the church was opened.
Last year David Bailey, the organist and choir leader at the church, launched a £10,000 appeal to clean and overhaul the organ, which was last overhauled in 1980. Tester & Jones was pleased to make a donation towards that fund.
The five weeks of work took place in January and February this year under the leadership of Alistair Curtis, with assistance from Timothy Guntrip. On the second Sunday in February, the organ was played again at a church service.
In an interview last week on Ashdown Radio, David said it now ‘feels and plays like a brand new organ’.
To let the community hear the organ for themselves, there is a recital in St Michael & All Angels this Saturday, 13 May, at 3pm. It’s free (with a retiring collection in aid of church funds) and will last an hour, followed by tea and cakes in the church hall.
Everyone is very welcome to attend and will hear three organists – Timothy Guntrip, Alistair Curtis and Adrian Gunning – play pieces which David says will be ‘varied, joyful and uplifting’, while showing the organ ‘at its very best’.
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