Refurbishment of the Organ

On Friday 13th February 2015, we were delighted to be able to announce that we had been awarded £32,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the full restoration of our nationally recognised historic church organ which was built in 1924. This award represented 68% of the projected funding requirements of £48,250 for the re-build.Local primary school children from years 4 and 5 at Millbank Primary School in Nairn learned from community memories of the organ and seeing what the restoration work involved - from the initial dismantling to the full re-build. They helped to produce the information boards and visitor leaflets that are part of a permanent display within the church.Two year groups from Nairn Academy's Music Department were also engaged in this project with pupils playing the organ and they will be contributing to public recitals and events. Pupils also be engaged with the specialist restoration team to learn how the organ works, understand its component parts and just how it has been rejuvenated.

Through a tendering process the contract was awarded to P.M Pipe Organ Maintenance Ltd of Bonnybridge, Stirling who undertook this specialist work. Restoration started on Monday 13th April 2015 and was completed on Saturday 1st August 2015 at 6.40 p.m. - just twenty minutes before the re-opening recital! The two organ builders, Paul Miller and David Wilson, are to be congratulated and thanked that they were in attendance on that evening to ensure that the inevitable little gremlins appearing after such a huge refurbishment were dealt with before the recital took place.The organ has been returned to full service for the benefit of the community and congregation. To mark the completion of the restoration project the rededication recital was held on Saturday 1st August 2015 given by Graham Maclagan, Director of Music at the Parish Church of Saint Cuthbert, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. A series of recitals and concerts is planned with further concerts in October and December this year as well as Easter and June 2016. The organ was used for worship for the first time after its re-build on Sunday 2nd August 2015.