The Organ Restoration Appeal Fund

The organ in St John's Episcopal Church, Dumfries, is in need of significant repair and renovation. The present instrument has been in service for almost 70 years. Some of the pipework and sound boards are much older, having been reused from the original 1871 organ. In the 70 years, the organ has had regular maintenance and one major overhaul (in 1969). The time has now arrived when, if it is to be maintained as a fully functioning instrument for future generations, it must be refurbished. If this work is not undertaken, then, whilst the organ will continue to be usable for a number of years, it will become increasingly unreliable and even more costly to repair. If the repair and renovation is carried out within the next two to three years, there will be no need for further major expenditure of this nature for another 150 years.

The Harrison and Harrison organ was a gift to St John's from the Misses MacRae of Stenhouse. It is a memorial to their mother, who was a loyal and committed member of St John's. When major repair was needed in 1969 and the addition of the Positive Organ suggested, so that the sound in the Nave would be improved, the Misses MacRae again provided the funds, for both the repair and the building of the Positive Organ.

St John's was indeed fortunate to be the beneficiary of such generosity. For its part, it has sought to maintain the organ in good working order through regular maintenance. However, like all things mechanical, parts and systems (like the electrics) in the organ do wear out and, in 1995, the Vestry was advised by Harrison and Harrison that a major overhaul would be required within the next 10 to 15 years (between 2005 and 2010). In addition, a fire in the church, in the autumn of 2001, caused smoke damage to the organ. In the light of the advice on the need for the forthcoming major overhaul, and since the organ was still usable, it was decided to put the smoke damage repair work on hold until the need for future work, along with the financial implications, could be properly assessed.

At a Special General Meeting of the congregation on 28th March 2006, having considered the options and likely costs involved, it was agreed that major overhaul and renovation of the organ should go ahead and that a fundraising appeal would be mounted to raise the necessary funds. It was also agreed that the fundraising brief should include a proposal for transforming and relocating the existing Positive Organ, but that this would only be done if sufficient funds were forthcoming and after further consideration of exactly what is needed and proposed. The work would be scheduled for 2008.

The congregation also recognised its stewardship role in respect of the organ and agreed that an annual sum should be set aside for future general maintenance and repair.

The overall cost of refurbishing the existing organ and creating the Nave organ will be approximately £190,000, including VAT. A special organ fund has been set up and a fundraising group has been working to raise the required sum. The money for the Nave organ has been donated by a member of St John's and we are extremely grateful for this generosity. However, at the time of writing (early April 2008) we still need to raise the final £25,000 for the main organ. The organ was dismantled in the week beginning 31 March 2008 and it has been taken to Harrison & Harrison's workshop in Durham. Refurbishment and rebuilding is expected to be complete by mid-November 2008 and we are already planning the rededication and an opening recital for
February 2009.

Harrison and Harrison organs are regarded as being of the highest quality and the Rolls Royce of organs. The organ at St John's is a fine and valuable instrument, part of its history, heritage and architecture. We have a duty to conserve and preserve it.

Whilst it is important to St John's, the organ is also a significant asset for the wider community of Dumfries and South West Scotland. Part of the fundraising appeal is to raise awareness of this and to encourage more use of the organ as a musical instrument, not just for church services but also for recitals and as part of other musical and arts events.

Having a high quality pipe organ in Dumfries has attracted good organists and, importantly, contributed to the teaching of young organists, who have the opportunity to learn and practise on the St John's organ. The encouragement of young musical talent has been something of which St John's and its Director of Music, Tom Carrick, have been proud over the years. A refurbished instrument will help to ensure that this can continue.
Tom completed 50 years as organist at St John's as this appeal was launched in September 2006. A donation to the appeal would be a fitting tribute to the contribution that he and the organ have made to the life and worship at St John's for half a century.

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There are many ways in which you can contribute to the appeal and help us to raise the final £25,000. For example:

• you can make a donation
• you can organise or host a fundraising event in co-ordination with the Fundraising Group
• you can choose to sponsor an organ pipe
• you can choose to make an in memoriam donation

To make a donation, or for more information on ways to help, please contact:
Organ Appeal Fundraising Group Convenor: The Revd Andrew MacKenzie email Andrew