The pipe organ was built by Hele
& Co in 1911 and opened Hubert
Hunt, organist of Bristol Cathedral, Hubert Hunt. In 2003, following
years of very little maintenance, the end of the pipe organ’s life was evident,
and got to the point of needing many thousands of pounds of repairs. It would
have been a burden on the congregation to try and find this amount of money.
A plea was placed in the Swindon Evening Advertiser. The plea
was seen by Ann Coventry, wife of the late Macdonald Coventry, a former local
organist. Ann, kindly donated his practice instrument from home to the church.
The new organ is far superior to the old pipe organ and is extremely versatile -
and is capable accommodating most musical styles.
It is fitting, that as with the pipe organ, the new organ was
officially opened by a cathedral organist! The opening recital given by
Professor Dr Ian Tracey of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral was a very worthy
addition to the musical history of this church.
You can download a PDF of the
organ history and specifications below.
Organ Specification &
History
