VISIT TO NAILSWORTH CHURCH

Wednesday October 7th at 7pm
OUR OCTOBER event was a visit to St. George’s Anglican Parish Church, Nailsworth, to play and hear their “new” organ. Many thanks to committee member Paula Rix for making the arrangements for us.

Nine members were present and there was ample time for everyone to play.

This historic pipe organ was built in 1836 by the renowned organ builder Samuel Renn for St John’s Church, Bollington, Cheshire, when it had the NPOR index number N02114 http://www.npor.org.uk It was moved to St. George’s Church in Nailsworth in 2011, and is one of only six surviving instruments built by Renn. It has been restored by T.W Fearn in Devon. Samuel Renn (10 June 1786 – 11 January 1845) was an English organ builder who ran a business in Stockport, and later he traded in Manchester. Renn was born in Kedleston, Derbyshire. and in 1799 was apprenticed to his uncle, James Davis, an organ builder in London. Renn became his foreman and supervised organ installations and maintenance in London and in Lancashire. When Davis retired Renn went into partnership with John Boston and traded as Renn & Boston in Stockport from 1822 to 1825 and then in Manchester. He died in Manchester in 1845. Renn developed a factory system for building organs, using standardised dimensions, thereby reducing the costs, while continuing to produce artistic designs. Between 1822 and 1845 over 100 organs were produced by Renn. Their musical properties have been praised by critics and material from the organs has frequently been re-used in their restorations. Many of the organs have been lost due to closure of churches. The best surviving Renn organ is in St Philip’s Church, Salford.
The organ is listed in Michael Sayer’s ground-breaking book on Samuel Renn – English Organ Builder, published by Phillimore in 1974.