Colchester Moot Hall organ sounds out again

Once loud and proud, the organ was part of the celebrations in Colchester Town Hall for a century, entertaining mayors and dignitaries and providing musical accompaniment to civic ceremonies.

But time took its toll and the organ fell into disrepair.

For the past 12 years, the instrument has sat forlonely silent in the Moot Hall.

Step forward, Nigel Chapman, veteran councillor and former Colchester mayor, who lead the slow but dogged campaign to bring the organ back into use.

Mr Chapman, who is the chairman of the Friends of the Moot Hall Organ group, said: "I have always had a great affection for the town hall.

"My grandmother remembered its construction and I attended concerts, in which my father sang, from an early age.

"So when I discovered, while celebrating the town hall’s centenary in my mayoral year, 2002-3, the organ was deteriorating I decided to ensure it was fully repaired.

"I am rather stubborn and the protracted campaign to achieve its restoration only strengthened my determination to succeed.

"Talking with various experts over those 13 years, they convinced me that it was, as Dr McVicker described it soon after he saw it, a little gem. It became my Mount Everest."

The organ dates back to 1902 when Colchester Town Hall was built and, in today's parlance,is an instrument with attitude.

Dr William McVicker, an independent organ adviser and organ curator at London’s Royal Festival Hall, who helped put together the Heritage Lottery Fund bid, said: "It is a relatively small instrument but it packs a mighty punch."

An application by to the Heritage Lottery Fund by Colchester Council followed and, to cut a long story short, a grant for £416,000 was agreed.

Work could begin.

The contract to restore the organ was won by one of the country's leading organ builders Harrison and Harrison, who are based in Durham.

Slowly and carefully, they dismantled the organ bit by bit.

Dr McVicker said: "It comes into thousands and thousands pieces including 3,000 pipes, and all needed to be lovingly restored."

Some of the organ pipes, made of a mixture of tin and lead, measured 16 feet in length while others were the size of a tiny pencil.

"They were gently bathed like a baby," said Dr McVicker.

"They were soaked in a warm bath with the water tested to make sure it was not too hot.

"They were genuinely given gentle loving care."

And there was the restoration of the leather, which is used to make the bellows and the keys function, but had become brittle and split.

Restoration was carried out from the summer through to Christmas before the organ, still in bits, was brought home to the Moot Hall where it was reassembled.

Dr McVicker is pleased. He said: "It has a commanding voice. It has an orchestral character and quality to it.

"It is a fine organ and Colchester should be proud of it.

"It has taken quite some time but it was worthwhile."

COLCHESTER borough organist Ian Ray remembers the first time he saw Colchester Town Hall and its impressive Moot Hall.

He was a ten-year-old schoolboy at Dedham Primary School and was helping to carry a maypole into the town hall, trying not to know the head off the statue of Queen Victoria.

"I went into the Moot Hall and was overwhelmed by it," he said.

"It was so beautiful and there was the magnificent organ with golden pipes."

That is now 58 years ago but Mr Ray is still in awe of the organ and its stunning setting.

"It is a beautiful instrument in an Edwardian hall with amazing acoustics.

"Very few towns in the country have such a magnificent organ."

Mr Ray was appointed as the borough organist in 1988.

He said: "Straight away I knew there were going to be problems with it.

"I started to write to John Cobley, the town clerk, and the powers that be and they all made polite noises."

However, finally, in 2003, the organ became so unreliable it could not be played for the public.

"It fell silent then. It could still make noises but you could not be sure what it would do.

"It would run out of wind."

The Friends of the Moot Hall Organ group was established to try to raise funds for repairs. Mr Ray was one of the trustees.

And thanks to their endeavours and the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the organ has been restored.

"I am still pinching myself," said Mr Ray. "I really did not think I would live to see it."

Mr Ray has played the organ since its restoration.

He said: "I am thrilled with it. I play it every other day as I have to play every single note to find out if any need adjusting or tuning."

But he is clear - the organ is a gift to the people of Colchester in the same way as Colchester Castle and Castle Park.

"I love Colchester. The organ is an integral part of the town hall, part of the fabric of the building, which was given to the people of Colchester."

He hopes there will be lunchtime organ recitals for people to enjoy and take a moment away from the stresses of every day life.

And, of course, he will be playing it at the mayor making ceremony on May 27 and at the Oyster Feast in October.

A SERIES of events will be held to celebrate the restoration of the Moot Hall organ.

The Moot Hall Inaugural Recital on Thursday May 21 will see Colchester-born concert organist David Drinkell, director of music at St John’s Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist Newfoundland in Canada, return to the town.

The concert, hosted by the mayor, is by invitation only but it will be repeated free for the public on Sunday May 24 at 4pm.

Other activities are also being run. This spring and summer, the Colchester Moot Hall organ restoration project is working with primary schools, Colchester Sixth Form College and Colchester Institute on a range of composition and field recording projects.

Schools are also encouraged to get in touch to take part in organ workshops integrating music, art, science and history.

Enthusiasts young and old can also hear borough organist Ian Ray play the organ on Saturday May 23 at 10.30am and 12.30pm and can have a go themselves, Mr Chapman said: "Having achieved its restoration, I am now equally determined to ensure it has a purpose.

"As well as being used on the two prime civic occasions, the Oyster Feast and the mayor making ceremony, we must ensure the success of regular recitals and guest concerts.

"I’m sure it will be exceedingly popular for many of the private events that now occur there -weddings, college graduation ceremonies.

"When I first heard it played properly a few days ago I confess I had a tear or two in my eye; it was an amazing experience."

For more information, go to www.moothallorgan.co.uk.