Our Appeal to Refurbish the Organ and its resultant reinstallation

The Organ

The original organ was built by Robert Postill of York in the late 19th century. It was a one manual Tracker Action instrument, without pedals, and was sited in the south aisle.   In the early 1900s fashions changed and it was decided to rotate the organ through 90 degrees to project the sound into the chancel.  Nelson's of Durham were engaged to enlarge the organ by adding a swell and pedal department and rotate it.  Nelson's used the latest technology of the day which was a pneumatic action.  Basically they built a new organ inside the old one, adding to the Postill work and enlarging the case.

The instrument has been like this for a hundred years probably being overhauled every 20 years or so.  The last clean and overhaul took place in the 1980s.  Unfortunately, since then, the action of the swell organ has become very unreliable with notes not sounding or speaking very slowly and the fact that two different actions had been used makes it quite difficult to play.  The tracker action of the Great Organ is far more reliable but the soundboards of this department have deteriorated badly causing " runnings" ( the pipes make a noise even if no stops are selected)

We have engaged Mr Geoffrey Coffin of York to rebuild the organ and turn it back through 90 degrees to its original position.  The action will be restored to all tracker which is far more reliable.  A new "mixture" stop will be added to the Great Organ to complete it, this being originally planned by Postill but never completed.  The soundboards will be repaired using the latest technology to combat the runnings.

This work will bring back the organ's original tone and will ensure it will give us another hundred years of reliable service.

The Appeal has now raised £49 749 and together with £50 000 taken from the reserve fund has a grand total of £97 549

The organ was removed from church on 14th July, 2008 for its three month rebuild and overhaul at Principal Pipe Organs at York.

          Looking into the organ as sections are removed

      Sections of the internal parts of the organ being carefully passed out for removal to Principal Pipe Organs of York.

One of the skilled craftsmen dismantling the organ

The rotting, wooden floor under the organ will be removed, the floor excavated and a new stone floor laid including a damp course and repairs to the wall behind the organ case. The church will also be rewired and a new lighting system installed before being redecorated for the installation of the organ once it has been restored.

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During the restoration of the south chapel the following message was found in a bottle which had been placed there during a previous restoration in 1866. The message was copied and replaced as requested.

March 1866
Saint Helens Auck Church restoration 1866
Total Cost £400 done by public subscription

Church Wardens
David Little - West Auckland
John Oats - Manor House SHA

Comitte
W. B. Kilburn - Surgon West Auck
Joseph Booth - Joiner     ..
   Thomas Locky - Butcher   .. 
Robert Thompson - Mason  ..
Edward Davison - National School
George Maughan - Grocer
George Walker - Railway Porter
Incumbant - Rev'd Matthew Chester
Curate - Rev'd L Butcher  
Clerk - Edward Davison - Schoolmaster
Organist - Mrs Oats - SHA
Sexton - Thomas Clark - SHA 
Joiner - Mr Nelson - Bp Auckland
Mason- Robert Thompson

No date of the church has been found during the restoration but on the old bell taken down some years ago the date on it was 1336 and a Latin inscription "Good Saint Helen pray for us"  

During the restoration the gallery has been taken down which was put up in 1733 by a committee of gentlemen whose names are now hanging up in the nave of the church

The west end of the church was repaired in 1854. Thom Storey Esq. churchwarden did it out of church rate

The organ was built in 1862 by Postil Organ builder, York. Cost £90

Who ever finds this paper please place it back again.

John Oats Boot and Shoe Maker S. Helen Auckland

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The Refurbished Organ
On the 11th May, 2009, work began on the installation of the refurbished organ after its rebuild and overhaul at Principal Pipe Organs of York.

Installing the pipe work on 20th May 2009

Some of the pipe work

The organ completed

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Our New Organist

Dr. Ian Brunt

Dr Ian Brunt read medicine at University and continues in full-time medical practice. His musical education began before starting school, with pianoforte lessons from the late Miss Winifred Sewell of Jarrow. Musical studies during school years were with Adrian Officer, covering a breadth of general musicianship, which culminated in a place with The National Youth Orchestra, as flautist, composer and general musician. At school, flute studies were undertaken with John Campbell and George Hastings, as part of the excellent school music services offered at that time. Music has remained a lifelong interest, with numerous recitals and performances through University days of symphonic and chamber orchestral playing, organ and harpsichord recitals and playing the organ for choirs and orchestras. The playing and performance of chamber music is a particular pleasure, through subsequent years spent around the country in hospital medicine, making many musical friends along the way.
The cultivation of historically informed performance practice has been a preoccupation for many years, with Baroque flutes, harpsichords, early pianofortes and other instruments as diverse as the Northumberland small pipes, the viola da gamba and the carillon being added to assorted instrumental techniques acquired. In recent years public performances have been given in partnership with Tyneside Baroque Players, Hexham Collegium Musicum, The Hallgate Ensemble, Anglia Concertante, Durham Baroque and Lanchester Collegium Musicum, together with other numerous other recitals and concerto performances on flute, organ, harpsichord and pianoforte. Six solo commercial classical albums have been recorded and issued, on organ, harpsichord and carillon, being well-received as far away as Japan.
Since 1991, upon returning to work in the North East at the RVI in Newcastle, regular weekly recitals have been given on The Edith Adamson Memorial Carillon at Newcastle Civic Centre, as City Carillonneur, with additional invitations as guest carillonneur at Birmingham Eurocarillon Festival, Bournville in 2006, and St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh, Republic of Ireland, in July 2007, for their 80th Anniversary celebrations, in the company of many distinguished international recitalists.
Over the years radio broadcasts and television appearances on BBC and Independent channels have included the organ, Northumberland pipes and the carillon, the latter producing some unexpected fan mail from around the globe, following a BBC World Service broadcast of a recital. Local television appearances have also featured this instrument, which provides some startling images for the cameraman to enjoy. The New Year's Eve Millennium carillon recitals at Newcastle Civic Centre attracted an assembled audience estimated at 50,000.
In 2007 the carillon and carillonneur were photographed by Jonathan Bradley of Ovingham, for the North East Passion Archive, a digital and photographic record, stored at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle and accessible on the Internet, which features people of the North East creative in the Arts. Early Music concert series' as founding Musical and Artistic Director have included Music at Bede’'s World, Music at Alloa Tower, Music at Culross (The National Trust for Scotland concerts) and The Lanchester Early Music Festival, now entering its seventh Season.
A steady stream of new music continues to be composed, some by commission, with recent work including settings of verse by Layton Ring, Two Notturni for classical guitar (for David Malkin), Northumberland pipe tunes and a second Notturno for violoncello, based on the tune Roslin Castle.
Over thirty-five years as a Parish Church organist continues each Sunday, playing the Harrison & Harrison instrument at All Saints Parish Church, Lanchester, since 2003.
Two house organs were personally designed, then commissioned and built by the late Mr H E Prested of Durham, with work on the second of the two instruments being completed by Mr David Tindale, who also built the handsome oak casework in Gothic and Mannerist styles for each instrument. Details of these seventeenth century, Dutch style instruments are available on the National Pipe Organ Register, The British Institute of Organ Studies website, under entries for Lanchester, County Durham.
He is currently President of The British Carillon Society and The Darlington & District Organists' and Choirmasters Association. Recitals elsewhere this year are scheduled for Loughborough Carillon Week, Manchester and York Minster.

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