It was a huge pleasure to be part of the celebrations, last Saturday, to launch a community organ in the village of Headcorn, close to my own village of Frittenden, in Kent.
When the Methodists no longer needed the 1867 Methodist Church in Headcorn, enterprising and determined local people mounted a two year fund-raising campaign to buy the building and preserve it for the public benefit. It is now a secular space, the Heart of Headcorn Cultural and Community Hub, hosting a multitude of local community activities, including a Chatty Cafe, chess club, dog training, a community pantry, Singing for Health Choir, astronomy club, adult learning classes, and a youth club.
The Church’s original organ was sold off when the Methodists closed the building, but building administrator Bella Mansfield was not impressed at this loss of local heritage. Enter Martin Renshaw, of Pipe up for Pipe Organs. He and his colleagues caught the imagination of both the public and the media when, a few years ago, they placed a small pipe organ on the concourse at London Bridge Station for anyone to play whenever the station is open. Martin sourced a replacement organ for Headcorn: a Nelson & Co instrument from a redundant chapel in County Durham, a similar organ to the one that had been lost. He then embarked on the considerable and expert task of transporting it to Kent, and rebuilding it.
With the instrument back in playing order, on Saturday Martin explained to an audience of local people the history of this particular organ, and how it all works. He and I, along with another local organist Gover James, provided an informal organ concert, with an open console afterwards for anyone to have a go. By the end of the day I had a list of people eager to learn to play, so with the RCO’s Play the Organ Year 2025 on the horizon, I’m keen to organise a ‘Play the Organ’ workshop there in the New Year.
Pipe up for Pipe Organs have also installed an organ in the Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon, and their latest project takes them to Widdecombe in Devon. Read more about their work in preserving our organ heritage, and ‘organs for all’ here: Pipe up for Pipe Organs
‘Henry’ the pipe organ at London Bridge Station is pictured here.
The Heart of Headcorn Hub: be inspired by the work of local people to preserve their own heritage and put it to community use: heartofheadcorn.org
My thanks to Jane Armstrong of Headcorn Village News for reporting on the event and providing the pictures above.
I used to play for funerals again Headcorn Methodist church before it closed. I liked the original (Conacher?) organ.
I think you’re right about it being a Conacher, Andrew, because I seem to remember it was the same builder as the organ in my own church, Frittenden St Mary’s. The ‘new’ Headcorn organ was made by Nelson & Co, of Durham.