Nicola Lisle makes a date in her diary for a come-and-sing event for a new church organ

St Peter’s Church in Wolvercote has set its heart on a new organ — and committee members hope that people will dig deep into their pockets to help raise the money.

Of the £199,000 needed for the project, more than 75 per cent has already been raised over the past year through donations, pledges, Gift Aid, contributions from the St Peter’s Memorial Fund and fundraising events in the village. All this has been sufficient to secure the services of Dorset-based organ builder Robin Jennings.

Now an exciting programme of events has been drawn up to help raise the remaining £45,000.

The first of these is a come-and-sing on March 14 at St Michael and All Angels in Summertown, where anyone who fancies it can have the chance to sing Fauré’s sublime Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine and Stanford’s epic For lo, I raise up, under the baton of Summerfields School music director Gareth Price.

“People will pay £10 to come and sing, then in the evening we’ll perform what we’ve done, and family and friends can come along for £5,” explains Jackie Eatock Taylor, chair of the organ committee. “It should be great fun.”

A week later there will be a recital by mezzo-soprano Eleanor Harries, a founder member of early music ensemble Stile Antico, and Alastair Thompson, one of the original King’s Singers, in a programme celebrating the arrival of spring with music by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Schubert, Britten, Finzi, Gurney, Butterworth and Warlock.

Other concerts this year include a chamber recital by Wendlebury Winds in May, and a family-friendly performance of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals in June.

So why the need for a new organ? “One of the problems with the previous organ was that it was from another church and it was too big,” Jackie explains. “The console was separated from the pipes, and it was never satisfactory. And it was too loud!

“They did a lot of work on the old organ in the 1950s, but by 2010 it was really on its last legs.

“So we decided we wanted something better that would be part of beautifying the church. It’s going to stand at the east end of the north aisle in front of a very large window which has no stained glass in it. All the metal pipes will shine so it will make that end of the church light up.”

“There are fewer than 20 organs built in the country every year, so this is a very rare and special event,” adds Val Tate, fundraising committee chair.

“A lot of very well-known organists throughout the country have offered to come and play concerts for us once it’s installed, and it’s wonderful to know that the organ is going to have a life. It’s not just for services. It will be a fantastic asset for the church because it’s using it for the whole community.”

Come and Sing Fauré’s Requiem
St Michael and All Angels Church, Summertown
Saturday March 14, 3.30-6pm rehearsal, 7.30pm performance
Tickets: stpeterswolvercote.org