Saturday 6th June – GOA Visit to Brecon

These arrangements were made for us by Stephen Power, Organist of Christ College and Assistant Organist of Brecon Cathedral.

10.30 We arrived at the Plough United Reformed Church and were greeted with tea and coffee. The two manual organ in the gallery was built by Ingram and Company in 1897. The chapel has a superbly opulent interior of the same date as the organ. Of particular interest was the now disused hydraulic pump for the organ.

11.30 Christ College

This organ in the gallery was originally built by Vowles in 1873 but has been remodelled by J. W. Walker in 1971, W. Hawkins 1981 and Percy Daniel & Company in 1988.

After a splendid lunch in the Cathedral Refectory, we entered Brecon Cathedral where Stephen Power welcomed us and demonstrated both the large organ and also the Bevington chamber organ. Members were then free to play both.

Originally built by Hill in 1886, the Cathedral Organ was remodelled in Hill, Norman and Beard in 1931 and 1960 when the console was moved. Further work was done by Percy Daniel in 1973 and by unspecified builders in 2002 and 2007 when some digital pedal stops were added because of inadequate space for pipes. The organ is now a sizable three manual instrument.

Some organ music was on sale which some members took in exchange for a small donation to the Cathedral.

http://www.breconcathedral.org.uk/music/music.php/Organ-Organists-4/