Portfolio Category: Resources

Our organ

St Andrew’s has a fine pipe organ which is used during most of our services, especially for accompanying the more traditional hymns.

Built in 1968, St Andrew’s organ derived most of its pipes from an organ at Gresham’s School in Norfolk which was being dismantled. Some changes were made in 1981. The full specification is recorded below.

The organ was built by J W Walker & Sons, and comprises great, swell and positive manuals and a full pedal board. The instrument and its associated blower and humidifer are regularly maintained and are normally in full working order.

The organ may be made available for practice or teaching at the discretion of the church; for further details please leave your contact details with the Church Office.

Benjamin Britten was a pupil when the organ was at Gresham’s, so it may well be that he played ‘our’ organ. Also, Walter Greatorex was Director of Music there when he composed the tune Woodlands to which we sing Tell out my soul. And a further connection with Gresham’s is that the architect of its chapel was Maxwell Ayrton, who also designed St Andrew’s.

The organ is available for practice or teaching at the discretion of the organist.

Also in the church we have a Petrof grand piano, acquired in 2016 as a memorial to the late Mr Findlay Picken.

Specification

J.W. Walker & Sons, Ltd.

Specification of a reconstructed three manual organ, incorporating the best of the soundboards, pipework, and wind system of an original “Walker” organ, built 1910, for Gresham School, Holt, Norfolk.

Compass of Manuals, CC to C, 61 notes
Compass of Pedals, CCC to G, 32 notes

1981 Alterations

Hill, Norman & Beard, 1981.

No 7 became FIFTEENTH (12th removed)
No 8 became MIXTURE III (22-26-29) (new)
Nos 16 and 31 became CRUMHORN 16 ft. (Old Positive Crumhorn with new bottom octave added)
No 23 became TRUMPET 8 ft. (Old Great Trumpet)

The altered ranks are shown with red numbers in the specification.

Songs database

A list of hymns and songs with which the congregation is familiar is here.

The church choir

Our choir has become rather depleted in recent years, and we would welcome new singers in all voice parts. We lead the singing at the Sunday service, especially after the band leaves us. We meet to rehearse on Friday evenings. Contact Rosemairi Evison for details.

The worship band

Our worship band leads us in contemporary praise at the start of our Sunday service. We use whatever instrumental players God sends us, young or old, and ask that they are at least around grade 5 standard. We also seek lead singers to sing with the band from age 12 upwards. The band rehearses from 9:00 – 10:00am on Sundays. Contact Heather Saint for details.