“Please help us turn our Jewel Box into a Music Box”.
by
Rita Tait
LATEST NEWS
Diapason Diary
The project to bring the fabulous Bevington Organ to St Mary's is now well advanced and although we have raised just one third of the necessary sum we are upbeat about the outcome. We feel that, until the case is installed at St Mary's, the town in general will not feel the buzz that those of us who have seen it already are experiencing.
The Diocese were able to point us in the direction of a VAT Consultant who specialises in Charities and has amongst his clients Gloucester Cathedral. His job, as he explained, is to guide us safely through the minefield that is VAT law and keep us from any pitfalls. After discussing the advantages of having the PCC register for VAT he decided that, in our case, an Exemption Certificate was probably the way forward. Needless to say it was not quite that simple (is it ever?) but he is currently "on the job" and keeping in touch by email.
A fortnight ago we heard that the instrument had been awarded a Grade 11* Listing under the Historic Organ Scheme (British Institute of Organ Studies). They cite "a unique case of flamboyant Classical design" and flag it as important part of our Nation's Heritage. In great excitement I contacted their top person to claim association and ask what further information he could give to us. I should probably have been flattered not dismayed when, after hearing what I knew, he told me that I clearly knew more about it than they did and would I please keep them up to date with my findings. So much for hoping to pick his brains!
I shall be well into our Heritage Lottery Application by next month having received the green light from them to proceed, a few days ago. There is a lot of work to be done for them but I am confident that God is with us on this project.
Rita Tait
The importance of this organ to the cultural life of the broader parish and town of Hay-on-Wye can hardly be exaggerated. The church benefits from the fact that our Priest, Fr Richard Williams, trained in Organ Studies at Trinity College, London and has been developing a musical tradition since his arrival; we also benefit from having a fine choir.
During the world famous Hay Festival, St Mary’s is the venue of choice for all BBC concerts that are recorded for transmission. Concerts are also held at the church throughout the year and are well supported by the community and surrounding area including those across the border in England. The Rochford Ensemble, for example, plays annually under their conductor Jeffrey Babb, who is a local resident and our present organist. Mr Babb is well known in the relevant academic circles for his tireless work in promoting and training youth orchestras in Europe.
When the Organ is restored it is planned that it will be used in the setting up of an Organ Scholarship, which Fr Richard will give annually as his gift, to train exponents specifically in the art of extemporisation; this being his personal area of expertise. Such a scholarship will be named in honour of Fr Richard’s late mother Marcia who was a respected and much loved teacher of piano in S Wales.
The organ was built in 1883 by the leading Soho firm of Bevington & Sons and is distinguished by an unusual Italianate case of gilded light oak with two life size female figures in classical drapes either side of the console and the most beautifully painted organ pipes. It was built for John Carbery Evans Esq. of Hatley Park, Cambridgeshire and from him passed to several country houses ending up at Puddleston Court, Herefordshire. Finally the organ was acquired by nearby Holmer church who have recently so generously offered it to us. The instrument is a three manual instrument incorporating some excellent pipe work by Hill. The specification will undergo some tonal alteration so that the instrument will be capable of authentic rendition of all schools of organ music. Fr Richard and our organ builder consider this an essential element of the work, as the organ will be for professional performance not merely an accompaniment to church services.
We are privileged to live in a small country town which is famous the world over, firstly as the second - hand book capital of the world and, since 1988, the venue for arguably the largest Literary Festival in the world. Because of this the town benefits from a year round influx of international tourists who enjoy the walking, canoeing, pony trekking etc on offer in the National Park as well as the unique cultural life of Hay where many artists, writers, playwrights and film directors have chosen to settle.
We feel strongly that this mid Wales country town is ideally suited now to hosting a Music Festival, albeit modest, to take advantage of the infrastructure that is in place for the Literary Festival. The goodwill which exists toward Hay-on-Wye is impossible to evaluate were one to start from scratch with such an enterprise. The money, which it would bring into the community, would be welcome in an area where there is no industry and the many aspects of tourism in all its facets are so important to the wellbeing of the community. Already several business people have expressed an interest in the musical future of Hay, as have professional musicians living locally. We see the installation of the Bevington Pipe Organ at St Mary’s as symbolic; the first step toward this goal. The very nature of the Appeal itself will be structured to involve the non-church going residents of Hay and to fire their enthusiasm for what they will see as their organ, not merely an adjunct to the spiritual life of the faithful.
Based on information from our Organ builder we estimate that the total cost of the project will be £97,500 * of which we have already raised approximately a third. We would be grateful for all contributions to our Appeal, however small. As the PCC enjoys Charity Status we benefit from Gift Aid legislation.
* this sum is exclusive of VAT but we are currently in negotiations with Customs & Excise to explore ways of dealing with this problem!
We are delighted to have as Patron of our Appeal the popular cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber whose Organist father was Director of the London College of Music.
The committee includes Dr Terry Watson, for 15 years the Chairman of the Wyeside Arts Centre at Builth; also a Trustee & Treasurer of Opera School Wales. I am Appeal Coordinator and I started and ran for many years an internationally acclaimed Literary Society and drew support from the national press, BBC, publishers and many household names in the arts and media world. I am also trained as a solicitor so am reasonably at home with Trusts, form filling etc. My husband who is a retired Head of Schools of Photography and Graphic Design is prepared to help with promotional and marketing aspects of the Appeal. Fr Richard is Organ Advisor to the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon whilst Mr Jeffrey Babb is a respected music teacher and long-time promoter of Youth Orchestras in Europe.
Recently the Appeal Committee has benefited from several hours with our organ builder Trevor Tipple.
We now know that the case of this particular Bevington Organ is in his opinion “one of the finest in the country”. “ It is almost impossible to put a value on it, being unique in design”. Its condition is excellent. Trevor Tipple, when pressed for a valuation for insurance purposes said that, when in his care, it would be covered for £500,000. It is interesting that Trevor Tipple will rebuild the organ in his Worcester workshop and from some research that I have done online in the early census returns I have learnt that Henry Bevington, founder of the firm was a Worcester man.
I have now seen online that the Holmer Organ has already featured in a calendar series showing the world’s most beautiful organs. I have also found an entire range of merchandising on an American website featuring a close-up of “our”organ pipes.
I have made contact with a New Zealand website devoted to organs of excellence. The website is managed by Jenny Setchell, whose husband Martin is a distinguished international Concert Organist and Music Professor there (Fellow of the Royal college of Organists). He knows the Bevington Organ very well as he is in fact British, with a close friend living in Ludlow which is how he has got to see the organ in situ at Holmer church. He and his wife wish to support us in our Appeal work and will do everything that they can to help us find the designer of the case itself. I have also received several leads from the Victorian Society, which might result in a breakthrough with regard to the history of the case. Martin Setchell is also prepared to perform on the organ when it is finally ready and after Fr Richard has launched it with a debut concert.
Rita Tait
Photographs by Jack Tait
An unusual web site from the USA which involves this Bevington Organ.
If you are interested in pipe organs this web site will keep you occupied for ages.