Bavarians come to inspect our organs

July 1987

In Wexford early last Thursday morning was an unusual group of visitors - ‘ The Church Musicians of Bavaria’.

This group of 25 organists, led by eminent church musician Dr Krugman, have chosen to visit Ireland this year, and started their tour with an enthusiastic inspection and sampling of the Telford pipe organs in the twin churches at Bride Street and Rowe Street.

The members of the group have visited church organs in many parts of Europe and America in the past, but were very taken to see and hear Wexford’s fine instruments played by Cyril Murphy, director of church music in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Rowe Street.

As the sun shone brilliantly through the church windows, these very cultured visitors were interested in everything – the architecture, the stone used in the buildings, the cobble stones, the Harry Clarke window, and even the trees in Bride Street churchyard, but above all, they were extremely impressed by the two organs, which many of them played. They were also very surprised that local artists had been able to repaint the beautiful intricate display pipes.

As they left to continue their specialised tour of Irish churches and monasteries, they made last-minute notes and sketches. One of the group, Helga Knect, said: ‘We will come back. We had no idea you had such culture, such atmosphere, such sense of history. You know, Wexford really is a secret!’