Church says farewell to 123-year-old organ

Jan 10 2013 by Patricia Lewis, Galloway News

The sound of music in Gatehouse Parish Church is getting a 21st century makeover.

Next Wednesday, the congregation will bid a fond farewell to their 123-year-old organ, which has filled the kirk with sound for more than 60 years.

Though the congregation are retiring it with heavy hearts, parishioners decided it was time to get something a little more reliable.

Sub-organist Geoff Keating said: “It is very old now and we are continually needing to have it repaired.

“We recently had a tuner have a look at it for £300 and three weeks later it was not sounding correct again.

“It is costing more and more and we’ve been struggling with it. It is sad but we think it was the time to get a new one.”

But the old organ, which dates back to 1890, will not be lost entirely.

The facade will be kept and the speakers of the new, digital organ, will be transplanted behind it.

And, considering the old organ was described as being in “poor condition” when it first arrived at the church in 1948, parishioners feel that it has had a very good run.

Geoff added: “It was never supposed to be a church organ. It was built for a local country house, so it has done well.”

But the digital organ will not come cheap and the congregation are hoping to raise more cash towards it with a concert on Wednesday night.

The Gatehouse Kirk Session has invited Viscount Organs to bring one of their digital organs for the congregation to hear and to decide whether or not they should buy one.

Anyone interested in hearing it is invited to a free concert on Wednesday, January 16, at 7.30pm in the church.

The church organists and the minister Val Ott will demonstrate the new instrument with help from the Solway Sinfonia.

Donations towards the new organ are welcome.