St Albans church in talks to replace 107-year-old organ

The decision to remove a ‘magnificent’ 107-year-old pipe organ from a church and replace it with ‘evangelical happy clappy music’ has been met with outrage.

The Chancellor for the Diocese of St Albans has ruled the 16ft wide instrument that has serenaded the congregation of St Paul’s Church in the Hertfordshire city for a century be ripped out and disposed of.

It will be replaced with a digital organ and speakers at a cost of nearly £18,000 and will compliment the ‘bongos and guitars’ now favoured over traditional church music.

The Diocese said the reason for the change was because the organ had become unreliable and unpredictable and needed £55,000 of repairs.

The ‘magnificent’ 107-year-old pipe organ at St Paul’s Church in St Albands will be stripped out and replaced with a digital model 

The Diocese of St Pauls said the organ had become unreliable and unpredictable and needed £55,000 of repairs

The Diocese of St Pauls said the organ had become unreliable and unpredictable and needed £55,000 of repairs

But those opposed to the instrument's disposal say that the organ is actually in fine working order and

But those opposed to the instrument’s disposal say that the organ is actually in fine working order and

But objectors – including trained organists – say the instrument is in fine working order and have accused the church officials of wasting money and doing away with tradition.

They also accused the Parochial Church Council of misleading the public over the repair costs which would have been spread over a 20 year period, equating to £2,750 a year.

Organist Jonathan Humbert, who learnt to play on the instrument at St Pauls, said the organ sounded ‘sublime’ when he last played it two months ago.

He said: ‘It is a myth that it has become unreliable. Absolute nonsense.

‘I gave it a damn good thrashing for one hour and it took everything I gave it; Jerusalem, Widor’s 5th Symphony and Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

‘It sounded magnificent.

‘The Diocese says it is not at concert pitch but neither is the organ at Salisbury Cathedral and you don’t see them ripping theirs out.

‘It plays on its own in congregation, not with guitars and bongos.’

Geraint Jones, who was the organist at St Pauls for 10 years until 1989 and the former director of music at St Albans Girls School, said: ‘I am disappointed with this decision but not surprised.

Organist Jonathan Humbert, who learnt to play on the instrument at St Pauls, said the organ sounded 'sublime' when he last played it two months ago 

Organist Jonathan Humbert, who learnt to play on the instrument at St Pauls, said the organ sounded ‘sublime’ when he last played it two months ago 

Vicar Tony Hurle, pictured on the church's website, said 'the organ has served us well for over 100 years but unfortunately the time has come for us to modernise'

Vicar Tony Hurle, pictured on the church’s website, said ‘the organ has served us well for over 100 years but unfortunately the time has come for us to modernise’

The proposal caused a stir among locals because St Albans plays host to the biennial International Organ Festival

The proposal caused a stir among locals because St Albans plays host to the biennial International Organ Festival

‘I left the church because the services were becoming more evangelical in tone.

‘I gather these days the services tend to favour a workshop band with guitars and drum kits and the pipe organ represents to them a type of worship they want to disassociate themselves from.

‘But it is ridiculous and churlish to replace a working pipe organ with an electronic one.’

The local Parochial Church Council made an application to dispose of the organ and replace it with an electronic one earlier this year.

The proposal caused a particular stir among locals because the city of St Albans plays host to the biennial International Organ Festival.

The local Parochial Church Council made an application to dispose of the organ and replace it with an electronic one earlier this year

The local Parochial Church Council made an application to dispose of the organ and replace it with an electronic one earlier this year

The original notice put up by church officials warning of the organs removal

The original notice put up by church officials warning of the organs removal

A section of a letter of objection sent to the Diocese of St Albans by Organist Jonathan Humbert

A section of a letter of objection sent to the Diocese of St Albans by Organist Jonathan Humbert

More than 30 people penned letters of objection to the diocese and a Facebook group set up to save the organ also attracted nearly 100 members.

In making his decision His Honour Roger Kaye QC, chancellor of the Diocese of St Albans, said: ‘It appears the existing organ has become unreliable and unpredictable and may cost…as much as £55,000 to repair.

‘The organ advisor has reported the existing organ is not bad, is well-maintained but is rarely used and is a second rate instrument of little historic, musical or artistic merit.

‘The gist of his reports is that the existing organ is not worth further repair having regard to the church membership’s aspirations regarding worship..’

Despite local outrage at the church's plans, the decision to get rid of the 107-year-old organ was approved by the chancellor 

Despite local outrage at the church’s plans, the decision to get rid of the 107-year-old organ was approved by the chancellor 

Mr Humbert, a 46-year-old auctioneer, said: ‘Much to the dismay of traditional worshippers the organ will now be unceremoniously ripped out, carved up and disposed of based on flaky evidence.

‘If it needs work doing to it at great expense then fine, but that isn’t the case.

‘But the church authorities say it needs £50,000 spent on it which has put the frighteners of everyone.

‘In fact a report they commissioned by an organ builders and tuners stated the £50,000 needed to be spent on it over a 20 year period, which amounts to maintenance.

‘We are incredulous. The modern wing of the church don’t care for anything that’s traditional, they couldn’t care less if the organ goes.’

Tony Hurle, the vicar at St Pauls, said: ‘The organ has served us well for over 100 years but unfortunately the time has come for us to modernise.

‘Electronic organs are very good and certainly better than the one we have at the moment.

‘As well as that it’d cost up to £50,000 to repair it and we have other uses for the space.

‘We still want to play organ music at the church.’ 

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