The story of its manufacture and travels provides interesting insights into the social and musical history of parts of the north of England over the last few centuries. It spent the first 47 years of its life as a house organ in a small country house in Cumberland, a house built and extended on the profits of the coal and railway industries. Having fallen out of use in the 1940s, the organ found a home in 1953 in the parish church of Ladybarn, to replace an organ destroyed by fire.

The publication of this book in 2019 marks a new era in the life of the organ. An award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund means that the organ will undergo a substantial restoration, bringing back into use parts of the organ that do not currently work, building in future resilience, improving sound quality and easing maintenance in the future.

This book is published in collaboration with the Withington Civic Society. The Civic Society has supported the application for the award and the restoration project. Other financial support has come from the Pilling Trust, the Allchurches Trust and the many individuals who have made smaller donations, supported events or contributed in other ways.

A legacy of love celebrates the fact that the organ was originally a gift from a man to his musical wife as an expression of his love. It is currently used to provide music inspiring people to express their love of God through worship. This restoration scheme will allow such a legacy to continue to benefit future generations.

The fire

We begin the story at mid-day on 29th October, 1952, when a serious fire broke out in St. Chad's Church, Ladybarn. The fire was most likely caused by an electrical fault in the organ blower. Fortunately, the alarm was quickly raised when the fire was spotted by Mrs Booth, a member of the congregation. It took the combined efforts of thirty firemen to save the building. They prevented the fire spreading to the nave by hacking through the roof above the chancel. The chancel roof, rear choir stalls, rood screen and east window were all damaged. The biggest casualty of the day was the church organ, which was totally destroyed.

Some scars from that event remain in the building today - superficial damage can be seen in the woodwork of the rear south side choir stalls, and staining to the brickwork above the front pipework of the present organ. Before considering the 'legacy of love' that the current Harrison organ represents, we first pay homage to the previous organ, and the Christian community in which both organs played such an essential role.

'Fit for 505'

The Anglican community in Ladybarn had twice outgrown their building – from its origins as a wooden mission church located from 1890 on a site a few hundred yards to the east on Mauldeth Road, through a 'tin church' on the site of the present-day church hall, and finally the substantial brick construction we see today.

St. Chad's was built and consecrated in 1907. Constructed of Accrington brick, the church building is decorated with bands of Alderney stone, and had an original declared capacity of '505 sitting'. It is one of the last churches in the Greater Manchester area to be built with aristocratic benefaction, in this case from Lord Egerton of Tatton.

The new church was designed by Manchester architect, Cecil W. Hardisty, who had been the architect of Christ Church, Moss Side, and would go on to design St Philip's Church, Gorton. Hardisty also designed the Delamere Sanatorium for Sir William Crossley, which was subsequently given to Manchester Corporation. At the time of Hardisty's death in 1921, he had been a chorister for 50 years, 35 of them at St Benedict's Church, Ardwick.

Mind your head!

The new church was provided with a two-manual organ by the renowned organ builders, Hill and Co. of London. The specification of the organ had been drawn up by Samuel Wilkinson Pilling (1856-1939) of Welton Hall, Yorkshire. Pilling, originally from Bolton, was a prominent Liberal supporter who had a number of business interests, including a printing firm near Mirfield, the location of the Community of the Resurrection (where he no doubt became acquainted with Ernest Barnes Ward, St. Chad's first incumbent). He was also a director of the Beyer Peacock locomotive-building company in east Manchester. At Welton Hall he had a four-manual, 40 stop, house organ installed, an instrument moved from an earlier residence in Mirfield and subsequently extended.

The Hill organ was fitted into a chamber on the south side of the chancel at St. Chad's. The front of the organ jutted out into the chancel over the head of the organist. As the rear choir stalls were tiered and at an increased height over the chancel floor, there was some last minute concern over whether this allowed sufficient headroom. Hardisty wrote to Hills about this at the end of August 1907.

At the front of the projecting structure were three carved wooden archways containing the front non-operating decorative pipes of the organ. The organ was first played at the new church's Consecration Service, held on 18th October, 1907, with Mr Pilling officiating.

Access to the 'organ bench' was via a small 'tip-up' seat opening in the rear choir stalls.....

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE PRESENT PIPE ORGAN, including its role as a wedding gift, its installation in a country house in Cumbria, and its eventual journey to St. Chad's church in Ladybarn.

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