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New organ dedicated at Drumbeg Parish

Pictured at a new organ which was dedicated during morning worship in Drumbeg Parish Church on Sunday 9th September are L to R: Ross Morrow - Organist, Rev Raymond Devenney - Rector and The Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Rt Revd Harold Miller. (back row) Roddy Oliver - Rector's Church Warden and Mrs Helen Smyth - People's Church Warden.

Pictured at a new organ which was dedicated during morning worship in Drumbeg Parish Church on Sunday 9th September are L to R: Ross Morrow - Organist, Rev Raymond Devenney - Rector and The Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Rt. Revd Harold Miller. (back row) Roddy Oliver - Rector's Church Warden and Mrs Helen Smyth - People's Church Warden.

At a dedication and thanksgiving service on Sunday 9th September, the historic Parish Church of St Patrick, Drumbeg resounded with the sound of a new digital organ, played by the organist, Ross Morrow. The Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Rt. Revd Harold Miller, dedicated the new organ, which replaced one dedicated in December 1967.

The new organ, which was installed last June, was made by Stephen Hamill, Phoenix Organs NI, Mallusk. It is a digital organ consisting of 64 stops divided across three manuals and pedals with two smaller divisions, east swell and east great, with a speaker for either department situated high up in either transept to help lead the singing with larger congregations. The variety of stops ranges in pitch from as low 32ft all the way up to a quarter of an inch. The organ console, which is totally new, is made from solid English oak and finished to match in with the existing furniture of the church.

The rector, the Rev Raymond Devenney led the service and welcomed the congregation, visitors and special guests. The Choir of St Patrick's, Drumbeg with Ross Morrow on the new organ led the worship. The hymns included 'Christ is our corner-stone', 'O for a thousand tongues to sing', 'Bright the vision' and 'Now thank we then our God'. Ross showed the capabilities of the new organ with organ solos including, 'Noel No X' by Daquin, 'Folk Tune' by Percy Whitlock, also 'No II and III from 8 pieces for Musical Clocks' by Haydn and the outgoing voluntary was 'Toccata' by Dubois.

Bishop Harold, who used to play an organ, spoke of his joy to be at Drumbeg for the dedication of the new organ. 'It sounds terrific' he said and added 'and the choir sounds terrific as well'. He continued, 'The dedication of a new organ is a parable in the life of a parish. It requires work, skill and craftsmanship; an element of faith and vision; an element of planning and costing; and also a degree of opposition, which he said was all in the background in comparison to the joy of worshipping here today on Hard Gospel Sunday.

In his address, the Bishop said that the story of 'The potter's house' as recorded in Jeremiah 18, was the image of how God works with His people. Emphasising the need to know what God is calling you to do, he said that the Lord has his way of transforming our lives so that He can mould us into something fresh, wonderful and meaningful in accordance with His will.

Pictured at the Dedication Service in Drumbeg Parish Church on Sunday 9th September are L to R: (front row) Roddy Oliver - Rector's Church Warden, Helen Smyth - People's Church Warden, Kathy Devenney, Rev Raymond Devenney - Rector, The Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down & Dromore, Ross Morrow - Organist and Elizabeth Morrow. (second row) Nicola Wadsworth, Margaret Jordan, Suzanne Brown, Linda Gregory, Banny Banford, Moira McKelvey, Emily Twaddell and Eileen Lewis. (back row) Neville Latham, George Heron, David Bloomer and Robert Jordan.

Pictured at the Dedication Service in Drumbeg Parish Church on Sunday 9th September are L to R: (front row) Roddy Oliver - Rector's Church Warden, Helen Smyth - People's Church Warden, Kathy Devenney, Rev Raymond Devenney - Rector, The Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down & Dromore, Ross Morrow - Organist and Elizabeth Morrow. (second row) Nicola Wadsworth, Margaret Jordan, Suzanne Brown, Linda Gregory, Banny Banford, Moira McKelvey, Emily Twaddell and Eileen Lewis. (back row) Neville Latham, George Heron, David Bloomer and Robert Jordan.

Music at Drumbeg Parish
In his book entitled, 'Recollections of the Parish of Drumbeg' Matthew Neill records that the first mention of music in Drumbeg occurs in the Select Vestry minutes of 27th November 1872. Miss Payne, the Rector's daughter, played the harmonium until a new organ was installed in 1881-2. At the Vestry meeting held on 26th March 1883, it was agreed to pay M/S Conacher and Sons '100 for the new instrument. For a number of years after the building of the church in 1870, the question of an organ chamber had exercised the minds of the Select Vestry and again in 1893, the then organist, Mr Robert Gurd (Principal of Charley Memorial Primary School), raised the question of turning the back porch into a chamber to house the organ, which was being improved and cleaned. The organ chamber never was built but, years later, when the old Conacher had finally failed and a new organ was installed, it was possible to have the console in the south transept and the organ above the nave at the west end of the church. The old Conacher organ was then situated in the south transept, just beside the back door of the church. The next organ, dedicated in December 1967, was largely the brainchild of Tom Boreland. Some of the existing pipe work was used for the front case pipes but much of the internal pipe work was new.

10/09/2007