Grand Variety Concert for Christ Church Castlerock
A GRAND Variety Concert is being organised by Christ Church Castlerock on Coleraine Town Hall next month.
Music will be provided by two groups - the popular Riada concert group and the Hamilton flute band from Londonderry.
The Tyrone comedian, Mr Ian Coalter, will act as compere and the special guest will be the well-known bass singer, William Loughlin.
A marvellous evening’s entertainment is guaranteed so make Friday, April 17 at 7.45pm at date in your diary not to be missed.
This is the first fund-raising event to pay for the rebuilding of the church’s historic pipe organ.
Christ Church was consecrated in 1870, three years after the new parish of Castlerock was established in the village. The organ was installed for the opening of the church having been built during 1869 by the London firm of Gray and Davison and transported to Castlerock early in 1870.
It is a beautiful two-manual pipe organ, a surprisingly grand instrument to be found in a small seaside village.
The magnificence of the organ is due to two men, Sir Henry Hervey Bruce MP (the then occupant of Downhill Castle) who was the driving force behind the building of the church and Rev (later Canon) James Armstrong, the first rector of the new parish of Castlerock.
Canon Armstrong was a musician of great skill and repute, best remembered as the composer of “Newland”, the tune he wrote to the hymn “Do no sinful action” written by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander.
it is said that he named the tune after the rector of Macosquin parish who was with him in the rectory in Castlerock when he gave the music to Mrs Alexander.
Being such a fine musician James Armstrong was the organist as well as the preacher in Christ Church.
He therefore persuaded Sir Hervey of the need for a decent organ - for which he needed Sir Hervey to provide the funds.
He was successful and the organ cost 363 plus 11.9.6 to transport from london, whereas it cost just a little more - 456.12.8 - to built the entire rectory.
When he died in 1928 aged 88, Canon Armstrong had been playing the organ in Christ Church for 58 years, a record no subsequent organist has come close to achieving.
It was because of his dual offices that, during the building of the church, he had the organ placed in the chancel with the console beside his prayer desk rather than in the south transept beside the choir.
This has caused much heartache for all the organists who came after him as it means that the organ is away from the choir, giving the organist no contact with the choir during the service.
Over the years, successive Select Vestries have spent a lot of money on keeping the organ in good condition. Now, however, it is time to replace those parts rusted solid by almost 140 years beside the sea.
The organ will be stripped and taken to Dunmurry to the workshop of Philip Prosser, the organ-builder entrusted with the task of replacing all those worn-out parts.
When the organ is away, it is fortunate that the church still has an electric piano, donated by Mr Harry Caskey, who has provided history of the parish.
However all parishioners are eagerly looking forward to the return of the organ and this is why the Grand Variety Concert is so important to Christ Church.
Admission to the event is 7. Tickets can be obtained from any member of the Select Vestry of Christ Church or by phoning (028) 7084 8458. The admission can also be paid at the door on the night.
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Weather for Coleraine
Saturday 04 February 2012
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