Banbury’s musical community comes together to help restore historic church organ
Singers from Banbury and the surrounding area joined forces for a special concert of sacred choral music to raise funds for the restoration of St John’s historic organ.
The concert took place at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church on Sunday, October 11.
Under the direction of Dylan McCaig, director of music at St Mary’s Church, and accompanied by Jonathan Kingston, musical director of Banbury Choral Society, the choir presented a varied programme featuring movements from Vivaldi’s Gloria.
The performance also included works by Tallis, Mozart, Fauré, Franck, Bruckner, Purcell, Bennett, Elgar and Rutter, and concluded with a rousing rendition of Parry’s Jerusalem.
Reflecting on the concert, Mr McCaig said: “It was an absolute pleasure to bring together so many enthusiastic singers for such a wonderful afternoon and evening of music-making.
“The choir produced a fantastic sound, particularly considering the limited rehearsal time, and it was a real privilege to conduct such a varied programme of sacred choral music.
“Church organs are extraordinary instruments and an important part of our musical heritage. I am delighted that we were able to come together as a musical community to support the restoration of the organ at St John’s.
“My sincere thanks go to Alan Perry for organising the concert, Jonathan Kingston for his wonderful accompaniment, and, of course, every singer and audience member who helped make the occasion possible.”
All proceeds from the concert will go towards restoring St John’s historic organ, which requires significant investment to secure its future.
Rewiring alone is estimated to cost between £10,000 and £20,000, making fundraising efforts vital to preserving the instrument for future generations.