On the 21st January 2017, a crew of six willing volunteers with two 7.5 ton trucks went to Kent to collect the old Southampton Forum Cinema organ where it was being stored. It took over 3 hours, with 10 people, just to load the first lorry.

The organ was stored in Titchfield Festival Theatre, until on March 5th, 2017, the floor was completed so we could start installing the organ.

Over the next 4 months, practically every weekend and evening was spent fixing wind-chests, plumbing wind trunking, building wind manifolds, wiring up the electromagnets, until on the 2nd July, 2017, the organ sounded again for the first time in years! Mostly out of tune, and leaking a lot of wind, but playing again.

See it working here back in August - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ageV2dVD5I

The rest of 2017 was spent de-bugging the installation, fixing some of the wind leeks and tuning the 1090 pipes that make the organ up.

However, the organ was build in 1933, and some of the elements now are in urgent need of restoration.

There are 7 wind regulators, which all need re-leathering at a cost of about £800 each.

Each pipe is controlled by an electro-pneumatic motor. This comprises a small electro-magnet, and pneumatic motor - a little bellows. The organ has over 1000 little bellows, and many of these need re-leathering as well. Some we can do ourselves, and some we need to buy in professional help.

The organ has been used for a few shows, and is already sounding impressive, but to get every note speaking, and to renovate the entire organ is going to cost a substantial amount of money.

We are looking for generous souls to help us in this quest, and to generate the funds to help us pay for:

Refurbishment of the 7 wind regulators,
Pay for a consultant to provide assistance and to voice/tune the organ etc,
Provide for additional materials that are needed for the restoration,
Get the tremulants properly regulated - the heart of a theatre organ,
Overhaul of the digital (midi) transmission system (the brain that connects the console to the pipes)

In undertaking this work, we will be able to offer a truly stunning instrument to support the organ movement and to inspire future generations of organists and audiences alike.

For further information, join our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1312644098746134/?ref=bookmarks

If you would like to help out, please contact us through Facebook.

THANK-YOU