What a wonderful change (Since Jesus came into my heart) - New Road Methodist Church, Stourbridge

#organ #churchorgan #pipeorgan

Me playing the organ at New Road Methodist Church in Stourbridge, West Midlands.

This organ and church will forever remain special to me. Not only was this the church I was christened at and attended Sunday school but the organ was also the very first instrument I ever saw and played for the first time at the age of 11 on Sunday 29th July 1990.

How did it all happen? Well, I was asked if I would help take the offering and as I walked up the communion rail with the collection bag, I glanced at the organ console and noticed all the multiple keyboards and the names engraved on the stops. I became curious and asked the organist - Michael Carless - after the service what they all meant. He invited me to sit at the console and just experiment. The rest, as they say, is history!

The organ was first built as a 2 manual instrument by Norman and Beard in about 1897 for the original Wesleyan Methodist Church. In 1928 the present church was built and so the organ was installed here and the third manual (choir) added. The organ was rebuilt by Nicholson and Co in the 1950s and then by J W Walker and Sons Ltd in 1966. The action is tracker throughout and the specification reads:

PEDAL
Open Diapason 16'
Bourdon 16'
Violoncello 8'
Bass Flute 8'
Choir to Pedal
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal

CHOIR
Open Diapason 8'
Hohl Flute 8'
Bell Gamba 8'
Dulciana 8'
Gemshorn 4'
Flute A Cheminee 4'
Clarinet 8'
Swell to Choir

GREAT
Open Diapason 8'
Violin Diapason 8'
Clarabella 8'
Principal 4'
Harmonic Flute 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Mixture III
Choir to Great
Swell to Great

SWELL
Bourdon 16'
Open Diapason 8'
Stopped Diapason 8'
Keraulophon 8'
Voix Celeste 8'
Principal 4'
Suabe Flute 4'
Twelfth 2.2/3'
Fifteenth 2'
Mixture III
Horn 8'
Hautboy 8'
Clarion 4'
Tremulant

ACCESSORIES
2 composition pedals to choir
3 composition pedals to great
3 composition pedals to swell

The day I first played this instrument was the day that changed my life forever so I could not think of a more appropriate hymn than 'What a wonderful change' which I am playing from the book 'Mission Praise'.

Many thanks to the church officials for allowing me access to this wonderful instrument. It was wonderful to be back at the first instrument I ever played after 21 years!

Since my passion for the organ started at the age of 11, I have played several hundred organs from Scotland to Cornwall, developed a huge interest in cinema organs, a love for the John Compton Organ Company Ltd (even to the point of having a 1950s Compton 'electrone' organ at home) but have never forget this wonderful instrument at New Road - the very first organ I ever saw, heard and played!