The 1876 Willis Organ Project
Working with Henry Willis & Sons organ builders, with whom we have signed a contract, we have acquired the 1876 'Father' Willis organ from Bargeddie Church in Lanarkshire, and the surviving organ pipes from the 1877 Father Willis organ at Bow Common, London - pipes crafted by the same workers on the same machines within the same year. With this material, and re-using the wooden organ case from our current instrument, we can build an organ with an authentic ‘original’ sound that suits our building and worship superbly, but with all the modern controls and features that will make it easy to use and maintain.
We have now raised and committed over £350,000 for this project so far, through regular donations from parishioners and several very generous private donations, and a generous grant of £35,000 from the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust. The building of the organ has begun at the Willis Factory in Liverpool.
We are still accepting donations for the remainder of the cost of the project.
Please give generously to help us bring this exciting project to completion during 2024/2025 and add to the timeless beauty we strive for in our worship.
You can see and hear a demonstration of the Willis pipes from the Bargeddie organ,
by our honorary organist Martin, below.
When completed, the organ will mostly sit behind the current organ case, which we will remodel to blend more with the Victorian style of its surroundings. This means that like the current 1970s organ the new instrument will project forward into the open space of the church. Larger pipes will stand in the big organ chamber behind the wooden case. The Willis organ will have over 1,500 pipes compared with the current organ's 900 and in particular many more Pedal (bass) pipes and more variety of instrumental sounds such as Trumpet and Oboe
To the right is a picture of the Bargeddie organ and soundboard prior to removal from Bargeddie Church
““The Willis organ sound is unique and wonderfully adapted to allow the organist to create atmospheric music that makes church services truly moving. It’s a great pleasure to support this project to bring that sound back into regular church use in Oxford, and in such an iconic building” ”
The Revd Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, Kt, FBA
Patron of the St Barnabas Organ Appeal
Martin Payne
Organ Project Lead
“The organ has been at the heart of Western church music for a thousand years. Even during England’s Protestant Reformation, English cathedrals kept their pipe-organs, and gradually over the last two centuries, an exuberant variety of organs have returned to parish churches nationwide in leading worship. A key element in that transformation was the influence of the Oxford Movement, of which St Barnabas has been a flagship since its foundation: seeking to present its liturgy with solemnity and dignity, with music taking its full part. Skilled and enthusiastic singers have been led in their contribution by a succession of instruments that have done good service; but now is a chance to furnish our beautiful church with an organ that fully matches its exceptional architectural quality. The vision is to create an instrument that speaks (literally) with the voice of one of the most famous and gifted of Victorian organ builders, while enriching that core historic pipework with further ranks in sympathy with the original design. It has been a privilege to be associated with music-making at St Barnabas for more than two decades, and I am delighted to commend this exciting project and ask for generosity in supporting it. ”