A chance to hear church’s ‘remarkable survivor’
A PIECE of church history described as a “remarkable survivor” will be showcased at Hinckley United Reformed Church next month.
The borough church’s organ was built by London organ builder George Holdich, to the design of the influential Dr Henry J Gauntlett, in 1867.
Originally built for Union Chapel, Islington, it was bought by the then Borough Congregational Church, Hinckley, in 1878 and installed by Holdich himself in the gallery.
In 1903 Nicholson & Lord, of Walsall moved the organ to the front of the church and some minor tonal modifications were made at the same time.
In 1998 the organ was awarded a Historic Organ Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies.
Most of the original Holdich pipework survives, as does much of the original mechanism, and it is thought to be the largest surviving example of Holdich’s work in the country.
One of only two large Gauntlett-inspired organs to survive, the organ was fully restored in 2007 and the inaugural recital on the restored instrument was given by Dame Gillian Weir in June of that year.
On Saturday May 18, at 3pm there will be a recital on the organ given by David Saint, who is director of music at St Chad’s RC Cathedral, Birmingham.
David grew up in Jarrow, in the North
East and held his first organist post when he was 13.
By the time he went to university, he had the Associated Board Grade 8 gold medal and was an associate of the Royal College of Organists.
David’s tertiary musical training was at Hull University where he read music and was organ scholar, and Liverpool University, where he gained a postgraduate degree. He was the first ever organ scholar at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral and while at university, he studied the instrument with Alan Spedding and Dame Gillian Weir.
Appointed organist and director of music at St Chad’s in 1978, he was behind the decision to commission a new organ there from JW Walker and directs the cathedral’s professional choir.
David was also a member of staff at Birmingham Conservatoire for more than 30 years, towards the end of which he was awarded a professorship, appointed vice principal (2008), acting principal (2010) and principal (2012). He retired from the last role in 2015.
He remains busy as an organ recitalist and has played in venues in the UK, Europe and the USA, including Symphony Hall and Town Hall Birmingham, Notre-Dame Paris and Frankfurt Cathedral.
He has also performed with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, appearing at the BBC Proms and the Aldeburgh Festival.