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| ORGAN, MARGARET STREET UNITING CHURCH |
The organ in the Albert Hall is often
discussed, but less well known is the impressive pipe organ in the
Trinity Uniting Church, 96 Margaret Street (on the corner with
Balfour Street)
If you are interested in the
specifications of the organ, they are recorded in detail on the Organ
Historic Trust of Australia website (ohta.org.au), along with a
little of its history.
The organ was originally in the
Paterson Street Wesleyan Methodist Church, where it had been
installed in 1880. It was not, as one might think a sharing between
the sister churches – but a purchase and donation by local
businessman J H Hart in 1920, that made its installation in Margaret
street possible. Considerable modifications were made during the
relocation, including the addition of an electric motor! (All the
details can be found in an article published in The Telegraph
on September 4th 1920). The inscription on the organ
reads “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”
In honesty, I have to confess that my
brain glazes over more than a little when I read long account of the
measurement and construction of pipes and suchlike (although I
realize this is of great fascination for some), but I have had the
great pleasure of hearing the organ played, and can vouch for its
powerful resonance.
UPDATE: The sale of the property means that it will be used as a fitness studio rather than a church, and in June 2018, it seemed likely that the organ would be purchased by the Anglican Church and installed in All Saints Church in South Hobart.
UPDATE: The sale of the property means that it will be used as a fitness studio rather than a church, and in June 2018, it seemed likely that the organ would be purchased by the Anglican Church and installed in All Saints Church in South Hobart.
