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Survey of Manx Church Organs

03 Feb 2011


The Manx Heritage Foundation was pleased to assist with the publication of the magnifi cent picture book Churches of Man, published by Lily Publications. The Foundation recorded Gareth Moore playing some of the Island's more interesting church organs and a CD was included in the back of the book. It became clear, during the recordings that the Island possess some fascinating instruments, many of them with beautiful decorative cases and unusual histories, including ones actually built on the Island by a late Victorian builder called Moses Morgan who had a small factory in St. George's Walk in Douglas. To make sure that the details of these remarkable instruments are not lost the Foundation has embarked on a programme of photographing all of the Island's church organs and providing details of their history. The photographs are being taken by Peel photographer John Hall, and the background to the instruments is being provided by the Island's resident organ builder, Peter Jones. As each instrument is photographed, a PDF is created and placed on the Foundation's website at: www.manxheritage.org/organs Here you can download a general background to the Island's instruments, as well details and photographs of each of the individual instruments showing the church, the keyboards and stops, the pipes, and in some cases, the rather more unusual features such as original water-powered pumps for the bellows, or, in some cases, the inventive bending of larger organ pipes to fi t them into small organ lofts. Further instruments will be added from time to time.

Charles Guard

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