A NEW organ is destined for Edington Priory Church, with the Edington Organ Appeal reaching its target of £437,000 after two years of fundraising. 
Work on building the custom-made new organ has already been started by Harrison and Harrison of Durham, and it will be installed in the Priory Church next year.
The current 1905 Henry Jones organ will be sent to the Gustav Adolf Grammar School in Estonia.
The organ appeal was launched at the 2011 Edington Music Festival, alongside celebrations of the Priory Church’s 650th anniversary. Led by the festival, the appeal wanted to replace the Henry Jones organ with a new instrument to build on the high musical standards of the festival.
It was also an opportunity to give something back to the church and people of Edington, who have provided a home for the festival for many years said Benjamin Nicholas, festival director.
“When we launched the appeal two years ago, we gave ourselves three years to raise £437,000 to pay for a new organ for Edington Priory Church,” he said. “The generosity of the response from Festival supporters worldwide has been truly amazing, particularly during the week of this year’s Festival, and I was able to announce on the final Sunday that, based on donations received and future payments promised, we have reached the target.
“The new Harrison organ will be ‘officially’ launched at next year’s Festival (August 16th to 24th), though it will be in use for a couple of months before that.
“On behalf of the whole Organ Project Committee, I would like to thank, wholeheartedly, everyone who gave to the appeal, including the charitable trusts and the Arts Council of England. We are all looking forward enormously to the contribution the new organ will make to music in the Priory Church.”
Funds have been raised through the Edington Music Festival Association, the Friends of Edington Priory Church, Williams Church Music Trust, the Ray Harris Trust, the Fletcher Trust, and individual donations.
200 people have sponsored a pipe or pipes, and five people have sponsored a stop (a collection of pipes). Arts Council England boosted the appeal with a grant of £50,000.
