Magnificent Holbeach church organ back to its best

For many years an organ languished in part of a church in need of repair but now a dream has come true for a musician who can now fully play this magnificent instrument.

Holbeach All Saints Church is one of few in South Holland and West Norfolk that can boast an organ of cathedral proportions with three sections.

But when Musical Director Barry Lancaster arrived almost a decade ago, the Choir Organ provided a beautiful adornment to the Chancel but was sadly tuneless.

Now thanks to the generosity of Clifford Godfrey, it has been fully restored following a £30,000 project and the organ is once again complete.

Holbeach born Mr Lancaster, who later went onto study at Oxford University after gaining a scholarship before working in Yorkshire, has thanked Mr Godfrey.

He said: “I have been here since 2009 and the Choir Organ never worked and I am pretty sure that it was a long time before that since it was used properly.

“The first time I was able to play all three manuals was wonderful. To have the Choir Organ working again was a dream come true.

“I was born in Holbeach and I went to Spalding Grammar School. I started to play the organ in Long Sutton where I was an assistant organist.

“When I was about 11, I had my first experience of the Holbeach organ and it was quite incredible to pull out all of the stops. It was rather like a Wurlitzer and to a young land of 11 it was rather fabulous. I have always remembered that.”

Music has played an important part of worship at All Saints Church, which dates back to the 14th century.

Minstrels played music from the rafters of the church but it is not until the 16th century that there is evidence of All Saints getting an organ thanks to the bequest of Thomas Calowe of Holbeach.

Unfortunately this organ did not last long as it was taken down in 1598, possibly due to the Puritan movement.

All Saints became quite a quiet place with a single instrument providing the musical accompaniment in the 18th century.

Things began to change in the 19th century when organs were brought back into churches.

An organ with a specially constructed gallery was built for All Saints in 1835 by Joseph Walker.

Around 50 years later, the church made the decision to replace the organ with a newer model and many parishioners rose to the challenge of fundraising.

London based builder Alfred Kirkland was chosen to build the instrument, which was built on the east end of the south aisle.

Using the railway to transport parts, it was soon constructed and completed in 1886.

Two years later it was covered in the carved case by Jones and Withers.

This organ served the church well over the years but in the 1950s John Compton was called upon to reconstruct the organ.

Much of the Kirkland instrument was retained but Compton increased the power of the organ and added notes to both the manuals and the pedals.

Mr Compton would have worked closely on the construction of the organ with well-known organist Russell Missin, who had come over from Ely Cathedral. He went onto receive the Archbishop’s Diploma in Church Music. Mr Lancaster said: “This is quite a large organ for Holbeach which had a low population comparatively.

“The only churches in the area to have three manuals are Lynn Minster, Spalding’s St Mary and St Nicolas and Holbeach.”

Organist Daniel Moult will be performing a concert at the church on October 9 at 4pm. Tickets cost £10.