Eighty year-old organ given new life by a theatre

The fully refurbished, six-tonne organ was rescued by enthusiast Bernard Tilley and together with the theatre’s director Kevin Fraser and local businessman Chris Milburn it was moved into the theatre.

Kevin said: ‘We have always wanted to have an organ here at Titchfield and when we heard from Bernard about the availability of the Compton, we seized the opportunity quickly. We are extremely grateful to all of the team of people that has made this happen.

Moving the organ was no small task and required 14 people and two seven and a half tonne moving trucks.

Kevin added: ‘We are also excited about seeing the enjoyment that this impressive instrument will bring to our audiences over the coming years.’

The organ itself, which is now more than 80 years old, is composed of more than 1,000 different pipes, requiring patience, skill and dedication to ensure that the music will be of impeccable sound quality.

The entire project has taken several months and has involved the support of many volunteers.

The theatre is currently undergoing significant renovation, which allowed for planning of the new upstairs with the organ in mind, such as position of internal walls.

The organ will be used in September for the theatre’s production of Monty Python’s Spamalot.