A new charity has been formed called Organs For Schools. The trustees include Professor Ian Tracey of Liverpool Cathedral, and Sir Andrew Parmley, CEO of the Royal College of Organists.
Keith Simpson, a keen theatre and church organist from the Isle of Man who has been funding the scheme and already placed organs in four schools, explains:
“We strongly believe that we can help to create interest in organ playing in the younger generation by igniting their enthusiasm within Britain’s schools. Indeed, one of the schools in Liverpool to which we have donated an organ now has 13 pupils learning to play.”
Since launching the charity at Liverpool Cathedral in April, we have received four requests for an organ from these schools:
- Prior Park College, Bath
- Humberton Academy, Grimsby
- St Anne’s School, Southampton
- Ysgol Friars School, Bangor
The charity are hoping that they may raise more funds and might find organs in good working order at nominal cost or donated to them from supporters as the publicity process gradually rolls out in the months ahead. The charity will also be looking at applying for grants for the scheme. All organs will have a minimum of two full-sized keyboards and a full-sized pedalboard.
The ambition is to ensure that one day, teaching the organ in Britain’s secondary schools will become as normal as teaching orchestral or band instruments.
For further information please see: organsforschools.org
