Fund-raising in aid of the Snetzler organ in Whaddon Church

The visit of the Ridley Hall Gospel Choir to St Mary’s, Whaddon, on 10 March 2007 was to raise funds in aid of the organ in the church. The beautiful and interesting organ that stands in Whaddon Church arrived in 1857 and was a gift from John Felix Beaumont of Town Farm. He bought, and had enlarged and modified, a much older instrument built by John Snetzler in, or about, the year 1740. Snetzler was a famous organ-builder. The first organ that he built in England was made for the celebrated composer George Frederic Handel in 1741 and used at the first performance of the Messiah in 1742.

There is a strong local tradition, mentioned by Arthur Mee in his Cambridgeshire in the King’s England series, that the original part of Whaddon Church’s organ was at one time in the Parish Church (now Cathedral) at Manchester. The organ had been built as a chamber organ without swell or pedal clavier and was bought through a music dealer by Mr Beaumont. (The organ-building firm, J.W. Walker, undertook the rebuild.) It appears that a lot of restoration took place in the Manchester church around 1857 and the organ there was substantially altered, so Whaddon may well have acquired part of that original instrument. The organ has certainly had an interesting history and who knows which famous musicians may have played its ivory keys?

The fame of the organ extends beyond the parish enticing, for example, a group of Dutch visitors to St Mary's in October 2001 as part of their tour to celebrate 'The Beauty of the British Organ'.

See the National Pipe Organ Register entry for the Whaddon organ!

Why do we need to raise funds, and how much?

Urgent repairs to sort out the pedal Bourdon and Principal chest will cost £5,000. Some of the wooden Bourdon pipes have split and some action wires within the soundboard have snapped, causing a number of notes not to work. This sum will also repair the Stop Diapason and the Sesquialtera on the Great Manual. Thereafter £10,000 is required for a major overhaul and cleaning of the whole instrument. In the longer term a full restoration is highly desirable.

We are urgently fundraising now! Donations can be sent to Whaddon Parochial Church Council Treasurer, Mrs Betsy Milton, Chestnut Tree Farm, 95 Meldreth Road, Whaddon, near Royston Herts SG8 5RS. Cheques should be made out to Whaddon Parochial Church Council, with a statement that they are for the organ fund.

If you would like to visit the church to see or play the organ, individually or in groups, please contact Clare Byatt, Whaddon PCC secretary, Turpins Farm House, Church Street, Whaddon, near Royston Herts SG8 5RY, 01223 207429, .