A New Organ

In the 1760s a new organ was made for St George’s by the renowned Swiss organ builder Snetzler. This was rebuilt and expanded in the nineteenth century by fine English builders. Then, in the early 1970s, a new organ was commissioned, though unfortunately this was at a time when there was much experimentation, and sadly it never proved to be an instrument that matched St George’s fine musical traditions. Indeed, it would be fair to say that is was undistinguished, creaky and unreliable. To repair it, and then maintain it in the years to come, would have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and it would have remained a flawed instrument.


It was clearly time to start again so that St George’s could once more have a classically built organ that will serve the church and the community well into the twenty-second century! So in 2011, after an extensive review of organ builders in England, Europe and the USA, we commissioned Richards, Fowkes and Co of Ooltewah, Tennessee to design and build our new organ because:

• »   They enjoy a reputation as builders of exceptional quality
• »   They build in the classic eighteenth/early nineteenth century style
• »   They would expand the tonal palette to include the colours we require for later repertoire
• »   They combine traditional craftsmanship with twenty-first century technology to give us the sound world we require

Completed towards the end of 2012, Opus 18 is now the first American-built organ in London, a musical jewel worthy of the setting in which it finds itself. Our new instrument provides the church & community with the organ that we require, and had hoped for, and has proven to be:

• »   Perfect for liturgical and concert use
• »   Full of character and flexibility
• »   Moderately sized but comprehensive
• »   Unique in London!

You can join with us and have your bit of history by sponsoring a pipe, or rank of pipes. Just click here and follow the link!
ORGAN DONATION

Visit the organ builder's, Richards, Fowkes and Co, website for a technical description of Opus 18, our wonderful organ.