WEST END REORDERING
Back in 2019 the PCC began to consider possible ways to make the church building more adaptable and suited to mission and ministry in the 21st century. With the parish hall in use for most of the week there is an urgent need for basic facilities in the church building itself - toilets, kitchen, meeting rooms and storage. Added to this, the provision of a permanent access ramp into the building is long overdue for step-free access to services, concerts and various other events. MDP Architects are working with the PCC on a scheme to create new facilities at the west end of the nave which will enhance St Saviour's development as a 'community hub', and provide smaller rooms which can be used (and heated!) independently of the nave.​
The IOF are in the process of arranging the permanent transfer of the Collins organ to St Paul’s, Knightsbridge after which we will resume a conversation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee and The Victorian Society about the removal of the existing choirstalls and plans to enlarge the Nave Altar Platform to maximise its use as a space for liturgical worship & performance, including a heated floor corresponding to the system installed in the nave in 2025.
1988 - Saxon Aldred cleaned and overhauled the organ, undertaking further tonal revision, including re-regulation of the Swell reeds and Mixture, re-voicing of the Great Diapason Chorus, replacing the Great Open Diapason 2 with a 3 rank Mixture and making the Swell Contra Oboe additionally playable on the Pedal Division. A new blower was also installed.
1898 - The original organ was built by Nicholson & Co, with tracker key action, mechanical drawstop action and pneumatic pedal action.
1928 - Henry Speechley cleaned and overhauled the organ and added 2 stops to the Swell (Voix Celeste 8ft and Contra Oboe 16ft) via a pneumatic ventil mechanism and a derived Acoustic Bass 32ft to the pedal division. An electric blower was also installed.
2022- Nicholson & Co, the original builders of the 1898 instrument were asked to assess the current state of the organ and advise on its restoration. Their quotation was based on restoring the organ to its original settings (which had been adapted over the years to better suit the building). This would involve a complete rebuild offsite, and the total cost was estimated to be in excess of £246,000.
1952 - Henry Willis & Sons undertook a cleaning & overhaul, adding a to the organ a balanced Swell pedal, a new radiating and concave pedalboard, new ivory drawstops on angled jambs (in the Willis style), the Great Lieblich Bourdon (which was the former Swell Bourdon 16ft) was made available on the Pedal division as well at 16ft, 8ft and 4ft pitches, Mixtures were added to both Swell and Great divisions as well as other tonal changes.
2023 - GO Organ Builders revisited a report commissioned by the PCC in 2015, and updated their costings outlining a 5 stage restoration programme. Each stage would take 2-3 months and the total cost was then estimated at £111,220 (plus VAT).