St Mary's Church organ restoration is finally complete after nearly two years of painstaking work by Trevor Tipple and his team from Worcester, bringing the organ up to full health ready for another 90 years. The ideas and vision of Director of Music, Mark Sanderson, and church organist, Michael Payne, have informed the restoration and now St Mary's Church has an instrument that will keep faithful to its origins, while stepping boldly into the 21st century.

When the Gazette arrived, Trevor was making a few final touches to the organ, a Hele of Plymouth model. "It was in a very sorry state when we first started," said Trevor, who led a team of eight. "All the leatherwork was perishing for example, and things sounded when they shouldn't. It was just about playable. The organist was very tolerant," he nods towards Michael Payne, who smiles stoically if not a little knowlingly. During the restoration Michael has struggled on, playing a small electronic organ. Today that keyboard sits meekly beside its rather enormous counterpart. No one was better placed than him, as the church organist, to help draw up the scheme, knowing what was wanted and desired. "It is sounding so much better than I ever envisaged," said Michael speaking to the Gazette. "The transformation has been remarkable."

So enormous is the church organ, that the Gazette reporter follows Trevor up a twelve foot ladder to take a step inside and it is there that one gets a true taste of not just the enormity of the task, but also its complexity - here 1500 pipes now sit in perfect harmony, all individually cleaned and tuned. And 300 new pipes have been added. "It is the first time many of the mechanisms have been replaced in the organ's history," said Trevor. "And now they are better than new." The new pipes means Michael will have a wider repertoire, being able to interpret music from all periods.

"There are not many organs of this period left," said Michael "and is a fine example of its period." A five figure donation, in memory of Dr John Glydon-Jones, made the restoration possible. "We were very lucky to have a donation. It will enhance worship and music life of the church that now has one of the finest organs in Herefordshire." A rededication of the organ with Hereford Cathedral's organist, Dr Roy Massey, took place on September 24th.