St. Andrew's Wiveliscombe Organ Appeal

The organ at St. Andrew's Church in Wiveliscombe has long been in need of essential upkeep and maintenance. In the 24 years since its last major renovation, the organ sound has lost much of its volume and depth. We are inviting you to contribute to our appeal to keep the organ ringing out for the multitude of community events, worship, and celebrations held at St. Andrew's.

Why we are asking for donations:

Organs are large, complicated and expensive instruments, which need a lot of maintenance. Although we have recently spent around £8,000 on upgrading the "stop action" of our organ, there are thousands of other components which won't last forever (mechanical, pneumatic, electric, electronic, acoustic, accessible, and inaccessible). We need to build up a contingency fund to keep everything working in the years to come.

Also it's good fun to make music and St. Andrew's is a good place to hear it. This is a great opportunity for people from the whole community to get involved in an enjoyable project. The organ isn't just for church-goers, St. Andrew's is host to many concerts and events as well as weddings, christenings and funerals. It's open every day for anyone to come in, and you can often hear the organ being played.

History of the organ

Earliest records of the organ at St. Andrew's date back to 1829 when the Church in its current form was first built. The parish paid £229 - a large sum at that time - to purchase an organ from C. Collard of Abbotsfield Wiveliscombe. The organ, reputed to be a Gray (a renowned organ builders based in London), was installed on the West gallery.

Public fundraising allowed for J. E. Minns of Taunton to improve the organ, which was then moved to the South-East end of the South aisle.

In 1929 the organ's characteristics were changed significantly by Osmonds of Taunton, who added pneumatic action and two new stops - a Violin Diapason on the Great and a Quintadena on the Swell - bringing the total to 22. Popular in their time, these stops create a variety of tone colours, many of which are particularly rare in an organ today.

In 1935 the electric blower was installed - which, following a repair in 1968, continues to be in use. The organ was cleaned 17 years later in 1952, and rebuilt again by Osmonds in 1975 with electric action.

By the mid 1990s the organ needed a comprehensive refurbishment. This was carried out by Deane Organ Builders of Taunton along with tonal improvements and additional stops. Despite this, the pedals lacked depth and clarity.

2000 saw the last major renovation, once again completed by Deane Organ Builders, with the installation of a digitally controlled electric action and more stops. This was made possible by the generosity of Dennis and Ann Scotter.

The organ today is a complex combination of mechanisms and sounds, shaped by many avenues of support through its history. It forms an integral part of not only St. Andrew's, but Wiveliscombe and its ever-evolving community, and should be kept playing with a full and colourful sound for as long as possible.

Wiveliscombe's Day of Music

Following the success of last year's Day of Music we are thrilled to announce Saturday the 28th of June will see St. Andrew's host another Day of Music.

To raise awareness for the appeal and bring the community together in a way that showcases local musical talent, we have organised a full day of non-stop live music to be held at St. Andrew's Church. Taking place on Saturday 28th June from 9am-9pm, the day will be an opportunity for everyone to come together and listen to (or take part in!) a huge variety of musical genres and instruments.

To participate: Everyone is welcome to play or sing in any style. Please bring along your friends and relations to support you by listening and donating. Please book a free half-hour slot by clicking here.

To come along and listen: Just turn up whenever you like! There is no seating plan and no charge, though of course we welcome donations. For more information, please see Our other pages

For help with any of the links, for more information, or to discuss any of this- please feel free to contact Tom Morrell on 01984 624496 or you can send us a message on our Facebook page.

Donations are gracefully accepted and many thanks given to all who consider.