Plans have been submitted to remove the historic organ from the former St David’s Church at Glanadda, Bangor, for restoration and relocation.
St David’s Church closed in 2013 due to a falling congregation and increased running costs.
The listed building is currently for sale on the open market for offers in the region of £150,000. Covenants are in place that prohibit the building’s use for certain commercial ventures, or for any activity that is not sympathetic with the moral ethos which the building represented when it was a working church.
The church building also has a covenant in place stating that the building cannot be sold without due care and diligence being undertaken to re-site the organ in another place of worship.
The organ has a lot of historical and cultural value, having been built by distinguished firm William Hill & Son in 1906. Under current plans the organ would be restored and relocated to the Mary Harris Memorial Chapel based on the campus of the University of Exeter.
The organ is the last piece of the interior furnishing to remain in situ at St David’s Church, as the church has been without heating for some years, and, although the organ will not suffer any structural damage, a combination of damp conditions and a lack of its use will conspire to render it unplayable.
A heritage impact statement from Exeter University said: “One of the many disheartening corollaries of the growing number of churches that are closing in the UK is the number of pipe organs that no longer have a home. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras especially, the boom in the erection of Christian places of worship meant that the art and science of organ building enjoyed a considerable patronage, and thousands of organs were built in factories and workshops across the country. Employment was gainful, and, before the onset of the secularisation of society, meant a job for life. As we stand not far into a new millennium, we can see how this is a situation that will never be seen again.
“Organs such as the 1906 example by William Hill & Sons are perfect exemplars of a past way of life. They tell a story – of industry, of religion, of musical culture and of song. They were constructed by craftsmen and women whose skills were honed over decades, and whose knowledge was passed down to them, often in secret! Losing an organ such as this means another loss of learning.
“But, being made of durable materials, organs such as this can live on – for centuries given the right care and attention.
“At the University of Exeter we are relishing the prospect of giving new life to the William Hill & Sons organ because it will give new life to us. It will be a glorious part of our thriving worshipping community (made up of students, staff and members of the Exeter community), a superb teaching instrument (to instil the beauty of a dying art in young minds), a resource for young people to discover the organ, and a resource for the whole region. It would also bring a little piece of North Wales to Devon, and will become part of the intricate web of trans-national connections.
“The University of Exeter is committed to a net zero carbon goal by 2030. The acquisition of an existing piece of technological and artistic heritage, such as the 1906 organ at St David’s in Bangor, fulfils a ‘green’ commitment by ensuring that the materials within it all remain in use. Recycling the many various elements of an organ (including metals that have a negative environmental impact) is a less justifiable action when there is an opportunity to keep all those elements intact fulfilling the functions for which they were designed.”
