Salisbury Cathedral School's musical organ-athon hopes to raise £1,500 for Peter Collins Pipe Organ
Salisbury Journal - Annette J Beveridge
A MUSICAL marathon is due to take place this week for parents and friends of Salisbury Cathedral School with the aim of raising £1,500 for a new blower for its Peter Collins Pipe Organ.
Salisbury Cathedral School director of music, Susie Lamb, said: “Our first ever Organathon promises to be a fantastically fun and an exciting day. We are very fortunate to have a Peter Collins Pipe Organ in our school Chapel which is perfect for students.
“We hope that, as well as the school organists, young people learning the organ in the Salisbury area will be able to benefit from using the organ for lessons and practice once it is refurbished.”
The lunchtime concert will be performed by David Halls, the Salisbury Cathedral director and John Challenger is the assistant director of music and has been sponsored by the Specsavers store in Salisbury.
Optometric director at Specsavers in Salisbury said: “Sponsoring Salisbury Cathedral School’s first Organathon is a real honour, initiatives such as this are incredibly important for our community.”
The event is a part of the school’s ongoing Pipe Dreams campaign with an aim of raising £43,000 to fund the renovation and repairs to the school’s organ.
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It will also create two new organ scholarships for pupils in the Upper Prep (school years 7 and 8). With an ongoing commitment to musical opportunity, there is a place for a boy and a girl.
In 1991, 17 girls arrived at the Salisbury Cathedral School and became the first girls’ cathedral choir in the UK, operating on par with the boys. With the new organ scholarships, the tradition of supporting women in the realm of church music continues.
The event will take place on Friday, October 7 and will run from 8am to 5pm and the lunchtime concert runs from 12.30pm - 1.30 pm.
It is open to the public but the school is asking for people to RSVP in advance to Rowen Gower: gower.r@salisburycathedralschool.com