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Christ Church’s Historic Walker Organ
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Part 6: Completion of the renovation
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The
new console and associated electronics incorporates a new combination capture system with stepper facilities to allow rapid control of general
selection over more than 90 levels of presets. There are eight divisional pistons to each of Swell, Great and Choir, and eight general pistons,
with Swell, Great and Pedal duplicated on the pedal sweep, Great to Pedal and Swell to Great reversers, setter and general cancel pistons.
The Choir organ shutter facing the north aisle has been recommissioned after having been blocked off in the 1930s, and is controlled by a pedal
next to the Swell pedal. When open, the Choir organ shutter permits the congregation to hear the whole organ much more directly.
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The renovation was sufficiently far advanced for the organ to be heard again on Easter Day 2006 after having been silent since September 2005,
the whole project having taken five years in planning and execution. The inaugural concert of the fully restored organ was given by the great
American organist and showman, Carlo Curley, on 8th July 2006: CCTV from the organ loft linked to five large screens
placed around the church showed his hands and feet in action on the manuals, stops and pedals.
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Because the original pipework is still incorporated and the organ has been maintained by Walker’s throughout its life, and any changes have been
made by Walker’s with due regard to its original design, it remains very much a Walker organ from the Victorian era, and a very fine example of
an English Romantic organ which has maintained its pedigree, that of a major organ-builder, for well over a century. The PCC has agreed to
continue to maintain the instrument with Walker’s, its original builder, in order to preserve this unique heritage. We are very grateful
to all who helped in any way to raise the money to bring this wonderful instrument fully back to life and save it for generations to come.
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