News

Jun 02

Celebrating the St John’s Organ with Archbishop Freier

A group of people stand smiling below the newly rebuilt chancel organ of St John's Camberwell. From left to right are Hans Ferdinand, Rev David Powys, Marc Nobel, Philip Henderson, Kate Buttery, Fiona Hugdson, Christopher Teed, David Byrne, Andrew Porter, Archbishop Philip Freier

What a wonderful celebration of our newly finished rebuild project at St John's Camberwell.  Archbishop of Melbourne, Rev Dr Philip Freier dedicated the organ at Choral Eucharist on Sunday 2 June 2024 in a service celebrating all things church music!

Our 'Second Home'

Major organ projects include a hidden, but very important aspect to them. We get to enjoy being welcomed into a 'second home' for months (and sometimes years) while we complete a project. The parish of St John's Cambewell is no exception, and warmly welcomed us with open arms. It was such an honour to celebrate the organ's dedication with the whole Parish on Sunday. It was quite something for Phil, Chris and I to be seated in the pews, singing with the organ, rather than hidden away up in the chamber creating it! It will take a bit of time for us to get used to that, and the dedication service was a perfect way for us to wash off the organ dust, scrub up, and join the congregation to enjoy the music!

Most merciful Father, who so created us that in music we might voice that which is beyond speech: we praise you for church music makers and for the instruments of music fashioned for their use...

The highlight for us was the Jehan Alain Litanies played as the postlude played by organist David Byrne.  This organ is particularly well suited to the repertoire of the early 20th Century French school, and hearing the Alain was a very special moment for us. Watch David play 'Litanies' at the video link below.

The hymns and psalm for the dedication service gave the organ a chance to show off its capabilities with English repertoire. The choir led us in the Old Hundredth (All people that on earth do dwell) arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of our favourite hymns, where organist David Byrne showed off the Tuba on the choir division to great effect! They also sang Psalm 150 set by Charles Villiers Stanford, the perfect choice to celebrate music and musicians in the act of worship. The organ builders (that's us!) were asked to choose a hymn, so we couldn't go past Angel voices ever singing (music by E. G. Monk).

For we know that thou rejoices o'er each work of thine;
Thou didst ears and hands and voices for thy praise design;
Craftsman's art and music's measure
for thy pleasure all combine.

The final hymn by Charles Hubert Hastings ParrySing praise to the lord was also a wonderfully fitting way to celebrate the organ.

Thanks to the whole team!

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all involved in this project.  To Ken Falconer and John Mallinson for your expert guidance and consultancy; to John Hargraves and Moritz Fassbender of South Island Organ Company for your beautiful console, your patience as we shipped bit and pieces across the ditch, and your ability to juggle all the moving parts of our collaboration! To Marc Nobel for your incredible casework design, mentorship, and friendship. To Tim Gilley for the hand crafted pipework and your assistance onsite. To Ian Wakeley for the extraordinary tonal design and voicing and to the staff of Wakeley Pipe Organs for the your wonderful work at the beginning of the project.

We have enjoyed being part of this amazing team and hope to work with you all again very soon.

Special Thanks

It takes more than just an organ builder to build an organ, and the members of St John's parish are an integral part of the success of this instrument. The friendships we have made, and people who have been behind us every step of the way have been what makes our work so special.

We would like to make special mention of Fiona Hugdson and Fr John Baldock for their unswerving support, compassionate problem solving skills, and all-round awesome human-ness! We are so glad to have brought the project to fruition with both of you, and look forward to the music you will both bring to the parish on the instrument.

Donations

The congregation and friends of St John's have donated beneficently to enable the organ project. The Harrison Bequest, along with many anonymous donations made through the Melbourne Anglican Cultural Organisation (MACO) have made the project possible.  If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation towards the remaining costs, please visit The Melbourne Anglican Foundation (or scan the QR code below), enter your details, choose 'Melbourne Anglican Cultural Organisation (MACO) Inc from the dropdown list and choose 'St John's Camberwell - Music Fund'.

A view of the keys, thumb pistons, and rows of stop tabs on the St John's Camberwell pipe organ. A rose window is reflected in the glass of the music desk.
Organist David Byrne seated at the console of the St John's organ and smiling.
Rev Dr Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne and Rev David Powys, acting Vicar of St John's Camberwell processing down the church aisle with the Gospel.
Rev Dr Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne and Kate Buttery, Director of Pipe Organs Victoria, sharing a laugh and looking up at the pipe organ.
The choir of St John's Camberwell processing down the aisle.
A plaque on the wall in the St John's sanctuary reading "This organ, which includes pipework from the 1957 organ, significantly extended and fully rebuilt, was dedicated by The Archbishop of Melbourne, the most Rev'd Dr Philip Freier on Sunday 2 June 2024. The project was enabled by many generous donations from the St John's community, including from Norman Harrison".
A group of people stand smiling below the newly rebuilt chancel organ of St John's Camberwell. From left to right are Hans Ferdinand, Rev David Powys, Marc Nobel, Philip Henderson, Kate Buttery, Fiona Hugdson, Christopher Teed, David Byrne, Andrew Porter, Archbishop Philip Freier
Archbishop Philip Frier standing in the chancel at St John's Camberwell. He is looking at the camera and happily smiling.
Church Wardens Fiona Hugdson and Andrew Porter with acting Vicar, Fr David Powys in the sanctuary of the church.

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