Three day extended visit to organs on the island of Jersey

Seven players and three non-players participated in the EOA’s Extended Visit to Jersey during the October half-term week. The visit was arranged by Andrew Stevens, who is a frequent visitor to the Channel Islands and responsible for tuning the organs that we visited. Although Jersey is just 9 miles wide and 5 miles high, it contains a rich variety of churches and organs as well as impressive coastal scenery and a fascinating history stretching back to prehistoric times.

With the help of three people who had taken their cars with them, participants had the pleasure of visiting and playing nine very different organs across the island, the smallest being the 2MP 9 stop 1923 John Walker & Sons organ at Ebenezer Methodist Church and the largest being the 3MP 50 stop organ in the Town Church, in St Helier, originally built in 1926 by Jardine & Co but much modified over the years. The only other 3MP organ which we played was the 3MP 27 stop 1913 J.W. Walker & Sons organ in St Paul’s Church, St Helier. Every organ that we visited had its merits, but for several people the favourite was the 2MP 21 stop 1959 Henry Willis & Sons organ
in St Thomas’s Roman Catholic Church, enhanced by a generous acoustic.

Most participants stayed in a Premier Inn in St Helier, but meals were enjoyed in a variety of locations around the island, including several with sea views. The camaraderie amongst the participants and the variety of instruments that we visited, combined with good weather, helped to make for a very interesting and highly enjoyable visit, which could not have been improved upon in any way. Thanks to Andrew Stevens for all his work in securing the venues and ensuring the organs were in good voice, and to Michaela Cottee for helping to prepare the visit documentation.