The Bevington history
Our new organ started life as part of the luxurious furnishings of Hatley Hall, Gamlingay, near Cambridge, where its unusual flamboyant fantasy of a case must have looked very splendid in the music room.
It was built in 1883 by the Soho firm of Henry Bevington & Sons* for the owner, John Carbery Evans Esq. who was a justice of thePeace and Deputy Lieutenant of theCounty. After his death in 1896, the organ was sold to George Edward Wright who had it installed at his home, Olton Hall, Solihull Warwickshire. When he decided to move to Pudleston Court in Herefordshire in 1912 he took the organ with him, and it was almost certainly at this time that the instrument was enlarged by the addition of a third manual.
In 1934 it was given to St Bartholomew's church, Holmer, Hereford where it gave faithful and reliable service until 2007 when it was generously presented to St Mary's, Hay-on-Wye by the Hereford Parishioners.
The St. Mary's Parochial Church Council commissioned Trevor Tipple the well-known Worcester organ builder to install the instrument, and in order to accommodate the organ in its new gallery position it has been necessary to install an electro-pneumatic action in place of the old tracker and pneumatic mechanism. This has made possible the provision of a new detached moveable console complete with every modern playing aid. The old console remains as a significant element in the case ensemble though no longer operative.
Also, in collaboration with Fr. Richard as Consultant, the opportunity has been taken to make a few small but significant additions to the tonal scheme so that the instrument, now in its fifth home, is fully capable of coping with any liturgical or concert demands made upon it in the years to come.
2007: St Mary's given the gift of a rare Victorian pipe organ by Holmer Church in Herefordshire. This magnificient Bevington organ has been installed and completely rebuilt throughout 2009/2010 at St. Mary's by the renowned organ builder Trevor Tipple.
2010: On 5th June Trevor Tipple gave a talk to the congregation about the involved process of rebuilding the Bevington organ.
2010: The first recital was given by Father Richard on 18th November 2010 entitled "A Musical Gift to the Town".
2010: Dr Roy Massey, Organist Emeritus, Hereford Cathedral, gave the Inaugural Recital on the acclaimed Bevington Pipe Organ at St Mary's Church on 5th December at 5.30 pm.
* Henry Bevington & Sons, Organ Builders, based in Rose Yard, Rose Court (but later moved to Greek Street), Soho, was started in 1794 by Henry Bevington, who had been apprenticed to Ohrmann and Nutt, successors to the famous Snetzler*.
In 1851 the firm employed 8 men, 3 boys & 1 apprentice.
The firm was severely damaged during the 'blitz' of 1941.
Bevington & Sons was bought by the organ firm of Hill, Norman & Beard in 1950.
*John Snetzler was an organ builder of Swiss origin who worked mostly in England. He was born in Schaffhausen, in 1710 and died in Schaffhausen on 28 September 1785. He trained with the firm of Egedacher in Passau a German family of organ builders. Their instruments include organs for Salzburg Cathedral (1704-5 and 1718), Salem Abbey (1714 and 1719) and Passau Cathedral (1733; the case survives). They built the first detached console in Austria and specified many more stops than was usual, including tierce-sounding ranks, the Cornet, the Italian Piffaro and the reeds Bombarde, Fagotto, Hautboy and Voix humaine.