A campaign to restore an 1870s church organ in West Cumbria has been launched.
St Paul’s Church in Irton has a unique John Nicholson organ. After over a century of service, it needs vital restoration, and experts say it will cost over £50,000 to mend.
A campaign to raise funds for its restoration is being led by former local primary school headteacher John Corran. He said: “With so many other issues in the world to worry about, what makes one church organ important? The Nicholson organ at St Paul’s Church in Irton is the very heart of the church in a large rural community. And that heart is failing.
“The truth is that, while there may be more important things to worry about, every time we lose a little heart, we lose everything it supports and, bit by bit, we lose everything we have come to value.”
The organ at St Paul’s was built in 1876 under the leadership of Nicholson, one of the finest and most highly respected provincial organ builders of the Victorian era.
John added: “The organ is a listed instrument and well deserved with its beautifully decorated and gilded facade pipes and luxurious large-scaled wood bass on the pedal. Little altered since new, the organ is now of strong historical interest as a rare example of Nicholson’s work and musical significance. Aside from a few running repairs, the organ has never been altered. The instrument after 147 years of reliable service is now in need of significant restoration.
“Nicholson’s Organ Builders recently undertook an in-depth report, detailing some of the key pieces that need to be fixed and an estimate of how those repairs would stack up in terms of cost.
“The campaign has gathered great support thus far, and it just shows the special place it holds in the community’s hearts.”
Parochial Church Council treasurer David Batten said: “It would be wonderful if we were able to afford to restore our splendid, listed organ and continue to fill our church with the glorious and inspiring sound for which it was originally designed. Such an undertaking is expensive, and we are grateful to John for going to such tremendous effort to help us in our fundraising task.”
Janet Jennings a church warden with long-standing family ties, added: “St Paul’s is there for you. For friends and families, for those who are no longer with us and for those who are yet to arrive. To be there in times of great and/or sadness. A central place for all those life events. A haven for all the community. The Nicholson organ plays an important role in supporting these occasions.”
John hopes to undertake different fundraising activities this year in aid of the project.
To support the campaign visit https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/john-corran-irton-organ
