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ALL HALLOWS ORGAN
All Hallows is home to the town’s largest musical instrument: the organ. This splendid instrument is played every Sunday and at regular choral evensong to accompany our choir, made up of men, women, boys and girls of all ages – who are often joined, vocally, by the jackdaws who like to make their presence heard from the churchyard.
The organ, made by Messrs Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool, was given to All Hallows in 1935 by a generous donor who also paid for the building to be extended to accommodate it. We are fortunate in having such an unusually large and impressive organ for a parish church of this size. It is a three manual instrument (Great, Swell and Choir), with 64 stops (41 speaking and 23 coupling), and 2,186 pipes, the largest of which, the Sub Bass, is 32 feet long. In 1992 it was modernised by the provision of solid state electronic controls, and completely overhauled; since that time it has needed only occasional repair – the unfortunate result of rain damage.
Some of the organ pipes are visible at the eastern end of the north aisle, beyond a wooden screen. The screen was first used as a rood screen at the entrance to the chancel, and installed in 1901 to honour Queen Victoria; in those days it was topped with a cross. The screen was moved to its present position in the 1960s.
Listen to our organ
Listen to Robin Smallwood playing at All Hallows:
the first movement (Allegro) from Vierne’s Symphonie No.2 and Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE
from Whitchurch History Society
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BASINGSTOKE GAZETTE
3rd October 2010
Thank you for the music...
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A CONGREGATION pulled out all the stops to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its church organ at a special service.
The community in Whitchurch is proud of the organ at All Hallows Church, the music of which has accompanied thousands of important moments.
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So in celebration of the 75th year since it was installed, the vicar, The Reverend Kelvin Inglis, led a special choral evensong.
The service began with a talk by Robert Simpson, who has been organist at the church since 1989.
He said afterwards: “It was donated by Charles Carey Druce, an entrepreneurial paint manufacturer. He was a modest man and never revealed how much it cost. He was deliberately absent for its first service.”
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During last Sunday’s special service Mr Simpson, from Andover, played several fanfares to show off the magnificent instrument.
The organ has three keyboards, known as manuals, two sets of pedals, a series of pistons, including foot and thumb pistons, and a multitude of stops.
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Rev Inglis, who has been the vicar at All Hallows Church, in Church Street, for six years, said: “Its pipes are huge and visitors have often commented on it.
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“It has been played at funerals and weddings and been there for a lot of people’s significant moments.”
Whitchurch resident Bob Broad added: “I remember it being installed, I was four or five at the time. My choir master Mr Archard, who was headmaster at Testbourne, was the organist for a good many years.”
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17 January 2021
