St John’s organ ready to be heard anew
Invercargill’s largest and finest pipe organ will be heard in its renewed glory today after its first major workshop overhaul since the 1960s.
Care of the formidable organ, which has been housed in St John’s Anglican Church since 1904, was passed on to the Southern Institute of Technology (now part of Te Pu¯kenga) when it bought the church building.
The SIT strengthened and repaired the building and incorporated it into its new Centre of Creative Industries, Te Rau o te Huia.
The highly specialised work on the instrument was undertaken by the South Island Organ Company – a project that had special significance for its managing director, John Hargraves. The Norman & Beard organ’s previous full factory restoration was completed in 1969 and was the first major project for the Timaru-based company.
It was also Hargraves’ first project there, having joined it after finishing his apprenticeship in the North Island.
The company has in the meantime manufactured and restored more than 300 pipe organs throughout New Zealand, Australia and Oceania.
Now, 80-year-old Hargraves has made a special trip for the Saturday concert.
It will be the first time the organ has been heard since the final church service in 2018 and his first chance to hear it restored.
‘‘I so look forward to hearing it – and, particularly, played by (Dunedin city organist) David Burchell, one of the foremost organists in the country.’’ Organs of this quality were made to be restored, and added to from time to time, Hargraves said.
The company had undertaken regular checks and maintenance, so even after more than half a century it had not needed major restoration.
The overhaul included cleaning and taking some parts back to the Timaru headquarters – there had been some water damage from a leaky roof, he said.
Faculty head Hamish Small said the organ project had involved ‘‘significant’’ costs and had presented challenges amid the $1 million strengthening work, and further refurbishment of the building.
There had been a ‘‘sorry, boys’’ discussion with the engineers who had planned a bar across the top of the organ, where pipes had temporarily been removed and would need to be refitted. The instrument and bar now cohabit, albeit by the finest of margins.
Small acknowledged the organ would need ongoing maintenance, including for the effects of building maintenance. For starters, it would need to be retuned after carpet was laid this summer.
Organists had made clear they would love to train up some of the students. Even a staff member, already an organ player, was among those keen to learn. ‘‘I’m really looking forward to hearing it in its full splendour,’’ Small said.
The hour-long concert starts 2.30pm and features work by Elgar, Bach, Vaughan Williams, Frank, Johnson, Wells, Tchaikovsky and Walton. It’s free, though donations are invited.