Spitalfields organ contract signed
2 November 2009
William Drake has signed an agreement with Christ Church Spitalfields, London, to restore its 1735 Richard Bridge organ.
This signing marks a significant stage in rehabilitation of the church, which fell into disrepair during the 20th century but which has been undergoing a major restoration programme since the 1960s and which finally reopened in 2004. The organ, well known for its sound and its magnificent case, is the only large English organ to survive from the age of Handel, but it has not been heard for over half a century: during the building works it was dismantled and kept in store.
Consultant Dr William McVicker commented, 'The organ’s value is immense. It is a remarkable survival of the period and represents a jewel in the crown of Hawksmoor’s masterpiece of Christ Church. But it also represents a missing piece in the jigsaw of 18th-century musical culture.'
William Drake already has an impressive portfolio of historic organ restorations, including Lulworth Castle Chapel, Dorset (1780-5) St Paul, Deptford (c.1745), St Anne, Limehouse (1851) and the Ball Room organ in Buckingham Palace (1818,1855).
The work is estimated to take four years and to cost over £1 million. Support has been pledged from around the world and the Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields, who are managing the project, are raising the remaining funds.
For more information and to support the project please contact +44 (0)20 7859 3035, friends@christchurchspitalfields.org
www.christchurchspitalfields.org
