The organ in Shankill Parish, Lurgan, is in need of restoration and those promoting the work have set out the cause extremely well on the parish web site.
Taking part in a short video clip is the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the musical director Carl McCamley, and the choir – singing the Hallelujah Chorus.
The web site states: “A fundamental part of the worship of any church is music, and an essential part of the music of Shankill Parish Church is the Organ.
“Sadly, the current condition of the instrument is poor on two fronts. Firstly, the wiring is over 50 years old and in urgent need of being replaced, and secondly, the original sound boards are warped and can no longer render the magnificent strains that they once produced. Without immediate action we will no longer hear its music, and future generations will know nothing of the musical legacy that congregations have enjoyed for over a century.
“The anticipated cost of restoration is in the order of £300,000. As part of the Organ restoration we also intend to place a Commemorative Memorial Plaque, in church. The point has often been made that with no graveyard adjacent to Shankill Parish Church, there is no tangible way of remembering loved ones who have in the past given loyal service to this Parish.”
You may listen to the choir and organ, download the specification, and donate online at:
http://www.shankillparish.com/organ-project/