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On 11 May 2009
the organ started being cleaned and serviced by
David Wells Organ Builders Ltd, the first time since
1976.
It is a four manual instrument, originally built in 1894
and in use ever since. ... |
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Week 1 |
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| Inside the organ are
thousands of pipes, all of which need removing and cleaning |
The pipes
inside the casing at the top of the North Aisle - the decorative
casing can be seen over the top of these pipes and the frames that
the pipes are tied into. |
Over time the pipes get
dusty, which makes the tone duller.
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We acknowledge with thanks the generosity
of many individuals who have contributed towards the restoration,
which will cost about £80,000. These include donations in
memory of Peter Goodwin, John Griffiths and Paul Wootton. We
also thank the many people who have supported fund-raising events.
The following have contributed
The Estate of the late Fiona McLeod
Epping Forest District Council
The Charles French Trust
Essex Heritage Trust
Garfield Weston Foundation
Allchurches Trust
Coopersale Hall School
Epping Forest Band
Epping Church Choirs Association
Felicitas
ON Organ Fund
Treetops Care Home |
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| The pipes are normally
fixed into blocks like this, which are all being removed and cleaned
too |
The pipes and other parts
of the organ are removed and stacked in the North Aisle |
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Week 2 |
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Cleaning inside the organ loft
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Most of the work is being carried out on
site, although some parts have been taken up to Liverpool for
additional work. |
Pipes waiting to be taken down from the
loft for cleaning. |
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Organ blocks with the pipe conveyancers in
place |
Organ block after cleaning - it's the same
one shown above, from a different angle! |
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North aisle as workshop with the wooden
pipes being cleaned and lined up for replacing in the organ. |
Pipes packed up and ready to go to
Liverpool
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Week 3 |
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Wooden pipes all stacked up waiting to be
replaced in the organ. At the end of this week, all the wooden
pipes have been cleaned and put back in sets ... |
Now it is the turn of the metal pipes.
Several parts have been taken up to Liverpool for additional work to
be carried out, the pedals being taken up this week to join the
console. |
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Week 4 |
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The components that operate the blowing of
the pipes when the organ is being played, cleaned and neatly lined
up at the foot of the pulpit. |
External pipes lined up after being
cleaned, inside and out. They were so dirty they looked as if
they were painted dark green to match the wooden casing before
cleaning. |
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Where the external pipes on the organ case
have been removed from for cleaning. |
Showing quite how dirty the external pipes
are before cleaning (the hole is full of dust) |
Close up showing the state of the pipe.
These pipes are decorative only. |
Pedal pipes cleaned, restored and back in
place.
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Week 5 |
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Cleaned and returned pipes in the Chapel
of Transfiguration showing colours on St Cecilia |
Some of the motorised pumping components
installed back in place in the organ loft after cleaning. This
is just one row of them back ready for the pipes to be returned. |
looking down the north aisle, with the
west window showing through the pipes back in place. |
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Pipes back in place with the connector
pipes linking in to them. |
Showing how complicated the pipe work is
inside the organ to connect all the pipes up. |
Some of the larger pipes are bent over to
fit inside the arch that the organ fits within. |
Detail of St Cecilia cleaned up on the
organ case in the Chapel of Transfiguration. |
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Week 6 |
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The front of the case being cleaned as the
scaffolding goes up to reach it safely |
The scaffolding is installed rapidly -
three sections high when completely in place. |
The access from the top of the scaffolding
allowed the top of the organ to be cleaned ... |
... and the statue of King David to be
revealed - the top of his harp can be seen under the top. |
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King David from head to foot, just -
getting a long enough view to see him meant leaning back on the
scaffolding! |
The trumpet showing how dirty it was
before cleaning. The trumpet was also removed to reposition it in
the angel's hands, as it had dropped out of alignment and was being
held up a nose. |
The angel on the side of the case, cleaned
up , but without their trumpet, which has been removed for cleaning. |
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Week 7 |
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The stops and other parts beginning to be
fitted back into the organ |
The organ case in the middle of being
cleaned. The section on the right hand side has not been
cleaned, and the contrast shows quite how dirty the case had been. |
close up showing the right hand panel
compared to the left hand panel - before and after. |
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Week 8 |
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The cleaned up front of the organ with the
scaffolding removed ... |
... detail of the angel on the case, with
the cleaned up trumpet (the one shown above) |
One of the organ manuals on the chancel
floor waiting to be reinstalled into the organ. The work this
week has mostly been quiet concentrated replacement of parts. |
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Two of the four manuals back in place,
with the pedal pipes and newly installed stops also showing |
The pedals being installed - the wiring
was what was taking the time this week. |
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One set of wooden pipes laid out across
the nave floor waiting to be reinstalled |
and another set in the north aisle
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Week 9 |
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The wooden pipes back in place on the east
end of the organ, showing the tops of a few rows of pipes ... |
Showing the tops of the pipes from a
different angle ... |
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Not all the pipes can fit on the sound
boards, so they are on conveyancers - the pipes below. |
The solenoids are now wired in.
These are operated by the stops opening and closing the air supply
to sections of the pipes on the sound boards. |
The wiring behind the stops on the organ
console, showing how complicated this is. |
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Week 10, 11 and 12 |
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These weeks saw the gradual replacement
of pipes into the organ case, with tuning and checking of the pipes.
Lots of interesting positive sounds, and discussion between the
manuals/pedals and loft about the note being off or too slow, not so
much in the way of visuals |
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The last set of pipes
waiting to be installed - this was taken at 8am Thursday 30 July -
they'd all disappeared by 1pm |
The north aisle, from being packed with
pipes and work implements, is now empty |
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Pipes back in place, with mixed wooden and
metal pipes in ranks ... |
Metal pipes placed inside
the organ and the new pipe chest in the background |
The same ranks from a lower viewpoint,
showing the bigger pipes as well |
more pipes in place, showing the furled
metal tops to some wooden pipes. |
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Week
13
The work was completed during the week
commencing 3 August 2009, although additional tuning will be
happening over the next few months. It was played for the
service on 2 August and was brilliant to hear back in action.
There was an
organ recital
held on 19 September by David and Simon Winters and the organ was
rededicated at the 9:20am service on 20 September 2009.
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