|
Pictured at a new organ which
was dedicated during morning worship in Drumbeg
Parish Church on Sunday 9th September are L to
R: Ross Morrow - Organist, Rev Raymond Devenney
- Rector and The Bishop of Down & Dromore, the
Rt. Revd Harold Miller. (back row) Roddy Oliver
- Rector's Church Warden and Mrs Helen Smyth -
People's Church Warden.
At a dedication and thanksgiving service on Sunday 9th
September, the historic Parish Church of St Patrick, Drumbeg
resounded with the sound of a new digital organ, played by the
organist, Ross Morrow. The Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Rt.
Revd Harold Miller, dedicated the new organ, which replaced one
dedicated in December 1967.
The new organ, which was installed last June, was made by
Stephen Hamill, Phoenix Organs NI, Mallusk. It is a digital
organ consisting of 64 stops divided across three manuals and
pedals with two smaller divisions, east swell and east great,
with a speaker for either department situated high up in either
transept to help lead the singing with larger congregations. The
variety of stops ranges in pitch from as low 32ft all the way up
to a quarter of an inch. The organ console, which is totally
new, is made from solid English oak and finished to match in
with the existing furniture of the church.
The rector, the Rev Raymond Devenney led the service and
welcomed the congregation, visitors and special guests. The
Choir of St Patrick's, Drumbeg with Ross Morrow on the new organ
led the worship. The hymns included 'Christ is our
corner-stone', 'O for a thousand tongues to sing', 'Bright the
vision' and 'Now thank we then our God'. Ross showed the
capabilities of the new organ with organ solos including, 'Noel
No X' by Daquin, 'Folk Tune' by Percy Whitlock, also 'No II and
III from 8 pieces for Musical Clocks' by Haydn and the outgoing
voluntary was 'Toccata' by Dubois.
Bishop Harold, who used to play an organ, spoke of his joy to be
at Drumbeg for the dedication of the new organ. 'It sounds
terrific' he said and added 'and the choir sounds terrific as
well'. He continued, 'The dedication of a new organ is a parable
in the life of a parish. It requires work, skill and
craftsmanship; an element of faith and vision; an element of
planning and costing; and also a degree of opposition, which he
said was all in the background in comparison to the joy of
worshipping here today on Hard Gospel Sunday.
In his address, the Bishop said that the story of 'The potter's
house' as recorded in Jeremiah 18, was the image of how God
works with His people. Emphasising the need to know what God is
calling you to do, he said that the Lord has his way of
transforming our lives so that He can mould us into something
fresh, wonderful and meaningful in accordance with His will.
Pictured at the Dedication
Service in Drumbeg Parish Church on Sunday 9th
September are L to R: (front row) Roddy Oliver -
Rector's Church Warden, Helen Smyth - People's
Church Warden, Kathy Devenney, Rev Raymond
Devenney - Rector, The Rt Revd Harold Miller -
Bishop of Down & Dromore, Ross Morrow - Organist
and Elizabeth Morrow. (second row) Nicola
Wadsworth, Margaret Jordan, Suzanne Brown, Linda
Gregory, Banny Banford, Moira McKelvey, Emily
Twaddell and Eileen Lewis. (back row) Neville
Latham, George Heron, David Bloomer and Robert
Jordan.
Music at Drumbeg Parish
In his book entitled, 'Recollections of the Parish of
Drumbeg' Matthew Neill records that the first mention of music
in Drumbeg occurs in the Select Vestry minutes of 27th November
1872. Miss Payne, the Rector's daughter, played the harmonium
until a new organ was installed in 1881-2. At the Vestry meeting
held on 26th March 1883, it was agreed to pay M/S Conacher and
Sons '100 for the new instrument. For a number of years after
the building of the church in 1870, the question of an organ
chamber had exercised the minds of the Select Vestry and again
in 1893, the then organist, Mr Robert Gurd (Principal of Charley
Memorial Primary School), raised the question of turning the
back porch into a chamber to house the organ, which was being
improved and cleaned. The organ chamber never was built but,
years later, when the old Conacher had finally failed and a new
organ was installed, it was possible to have the console in the
south transept and the organ above the nave at the west end of
the church. The old Conacher organ was then situated in the
south transept, just beside the back door of the church. The
next organ, dedicated in December 1967, was largely the
brainchild of Tom Boreland. Some of the existing pipe work was
used for the front case pipes but much of the internal pipe work
was new.
10/09/2007
 |
