Restoration fund

RESTORATION FUND
During the marvellous flower festival held in St Mary's in July 2000, we had a number of organ recitals with guest organists. These organists had lots of complimentary comments to make about St Mary's "What a beautiful church", "Marvellous acoustics", but none had a good word to say about the organ. It was unresponsive to touch, unreliable in action, the tonal qualities were poor........ The list went on.
 
Father Jones was so concerned about these reports that he called in an expert to give an opinion. The expert was highly critical of the instrument. He said that when it had been moved from its previous home (the old Scottish church of St Andrew in Bolton), the methods used in the move had created long-term problems. Most damningly of all, he said that for the money it would cost to put it right, we might as well find ourselves a better instrument. Churches all over the country were closing, many of them with fine organs. We should look for a replacement for one of them.
 
Early in 2002, we were alerted to just such an opportunity. A church at Stonefold, near Accrington, was closing, and it had a fine organ, a two manual, mechanical "Harrison and Harrison". The organ was visited and the excellent reports of it were found to be true. The decision was made to purchase the organ.
 
The organ was installed in Stonefold in April 1899 at a cost of £330. Taking account of inflation, that £330 was worth about £20,000 by 2002, and that was more or less exactly the cost of buying, transferring and restoring the organ for St Mary's. The Parish Social Committee established the restoration fund, and in good Catholic tradition, the money was raised in next to no time. The work could begin! (Had the organ been commissioned from new, it would have cost around £200,000 to build, so it was a bargain at the price.
 
The installation took 8 weeks from the removal of the old organ to the installation of the Harrison and Harrison, which was completed by the last weekend in August 2002.
 
The "new" organ was initiated at a concert in October 2002 where we were lucky enough to have the (voluntary) services of Chris Bagot, organist at Pleasington Priory, and formerly organist at Lancaster Cathedral and Anthony Hunt, organist at Salford Cathedral. A programme for the concert was worked out carefully to display the beautiful tones of the organ - the flutes, the "strings", and the typical English organ sound of the diapasons.
 
The specification of the organ is: -
 
Great Organ
 
1. Open Diapason (8')
2. Gamba (8')
3. Dulciana (8')
4. Hohflote (8')
5. Principal (4')
6. Harmonic Flute (4')
7. Fifteenth (2')
 
Swell Organ
 
8. Viola (8')
9. Lieblich Gedackt (8')
10. Salicional (8')
11. Voix Celestes (8')
12. Principal (4')
13. Suabe Flute (4')
14. Oboe (8')
15. Trumpet (8')
 
Pedal Organ
 
16. Bourdon (16')
17. Flute (8')
 
Couplers
 
18. Swell to Great
19. Swell to Pedals
20. Great to Pedals
 
Three double-acting composition pedals.
 
All the metal pipes are of organ metal. The front pipes are polished bright. The wood pipes are made of selected yellow pipes with hard wood caps and facings. The tone is full and round, rich and mellow, powerful and dignified, the stops being voiced to blend with each other in a smooth manner.
 

The present enterprise is to develop the old infant school into a small meeting room which can be used where the Hall is too big and the Centenery Room is too small and not 'user-friendly'. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this old but venerable building, I have great pleasure in publishing an account by the Diocesan architect, Joe Burke.
October 15th. 2006
The restoration is now complete, having been bleessed by Bishop Brain and named the Rosary Room after the original name of 'Our Lady of the Rosary School'
There is now a thriving Mother & Toddler group every Tuesday morning and it is being used for meetings of the parish societies such as SVP.

JB 0233
November 2005
Some observations on the former Infant School Building
 
This small unpretentious building is so familiar to us as not only do we see it every time we go to church but many parishioners recall being taught within its walls. However, for those who have not been inside the building it consists of a large classroom towards Chorley New Road and a smaller classroom towards the back street. Both rooms are entered from a small porch that faced the main school building. Adjoining the porch is a small cloakroom for out-door clothes. Other than the lavatories, which were originally outside the building along the boundary wall to the back street, everything is under one roof. The classrooms have fireplaces for warmth. The rooms are light and airy with lots of natural daylight from tall high windows, but with high sills to avoid distractions from outside. The classrooms have high ceilings and are passively ventilated. As the wind blows across the two large steel ventilators on the roof, it creates a partial vacuum, and the warm stale air is drawn out through grilles in the ceiling. The interior was intended to be a sound, dry, warm, bright and healthy environment in which to teach and learn. A walk around the outside is also not without interest. A steep slate roof has the roof timbers projecting to support the gutters similar to the church. The roof is supported on walls that are two bricks thick. In order to bind the wall together the bricklayers would use various bonding techniques and the one used on this building is by turning the bricks though ninety degrees on every fourth course. This is not only practical but also very decorative. At approximately floor level the brickwork steps out to form a plinth, incorporating a splayed dense blue brick that does not absorb the rainwater running down the face of the wall. The window frames are original and beautifully proportioned. The details of the stone sills that throw the rainwater away from the brickwork are not unusual, but the tops of the openings are of particular interest. The lintels over the openings to the back street are square and simple without any decoration as this is the side of least importance. The lintels over openings on the entrance side are cut and splayed as are the bricks that support them. A more sophisticated touch for the main approach. The lintels over the windows to the church continue this theme but are much taller and grander recognising the importance of facing the church. For the elevation that faces the main road, the civic face, a large brick arch surmounts the most elaborate window. Perhaps a pointed arch to signify a church school, but an arch with flourishes and terracotta details that celebrate the skill of the tradesman and make a contribution to the street. So, what is going to happen to this parish building? Although not a listed building, in accordance with the recommendations of the various conservation bodies, nothing that will detract from the history and character of, or irrevocably alter, the original building. There will be a new entrance, convenient to the church, but formed within an existing window opening. The sills and lintels will remain as a memory of the original opening. Internally some screens will be built to form a new kitchen and toilet facilities, but adaptations that can easily be undone or modified as needs be. The potential use of this building for Playgroups, Luncheon clubs, Social gatherings, Scouts, Guides, or simply coffee after Mass is already recognised. Let us hope it will be a great success.
 
Drawings supplied by Joe can be found in the next Magazine and at the back of both Churches
We are running a Grand Prize Draw at the moment to increase our funds. Books of tickets available after all masses and from school. The prizes are excellent, the first one being £100.The draw will be during the Christmas Concert in St. Mary's Church on December 17th.