Debut concert for new Sidmouth church organ

Sidmouth curate’s stepson to ‘christen’ digital organ at All Saint’s Church

LOVERS of organ music are in for a special treat in Sidmouth next week.

A new, imported digital organ, bought to replace the 150-year-old organ at the newly re-ordered All Saints Church, will be played in public for the first time, by organist George Parsons, at a free lunchtime concert on Thursday, February 24 at 12.30pm.

Sid Vale Association’s Keith Owen Fund has contributed around two-thirds of the cost as the organ, from world-renowned Allen Organs, will be available for local choral and musical concerts as well as church services.

The fund contributed �10,000 to its overall cost of �15,200.

The organ has a 32-note concave radiating pedal-board, two manuals and pedals with 33 speaking stops.

It can accurately reproduce the tone and volume of the 32 and 16 foot pipes of a traditional pipe organ.

George, stepson of All Saints’ curate, the Reverend Dave Brown, began learning to play the organ as a chorister in King’s College, Cambridge, and his musical education continued through Oundle School, Wells Cathedral School and the Conservatorium of Amsterdam, leading to Queen’s College, Oxford, where he read for a degree in Music while holding the post of Organ Scholar.

He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and a PhD student at Sheffield University.

His programme will favourites such as Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Nimrod by Edward Elgar and Widor’s Toccata.

While the concert is free, there will be a retiring collection towards completing the organ purchase.