Rejoicing in Ripon: Generous organ donation gives Ripon heritage attraction added gusto

🎶 Ripon’s built and cultural heritage has been boosted with an organ donation that was successfully completed just before Christmas.

St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church on Coltsgate Hill, is one of the city’s many architectural gems 🏛️ featured in September’s series of Heritage Open Days organised by Ripon BID in liaison with Ripon Civic Society.

In harmony with its historical status, the Grade II* Listed Building now resonates to the sound of a fabulous mechanical action pipe organ 🎼, donated to the church in late 2023 by Huddersfield University’s School of Music, Humanities and Media.

The magnificent instrument, valued at £350,000 💫, was built by JW Walker of Brandon in Suffolk for Castleford businessman Michael Phipps and was subsequently donated by him in 2008 to the university.

Parishioner Barrie Price, who chaired the appeal that raised £500,000 for major restoration works carried out at St Wilfrid’s in 2020/2021, headed a special organ fund which brought in the money required to pay for the intricate reassembly and installation of the organ.
This work, completed in early December, was carried out under the expert guidance of Dr John Rowntree, chair of the British Institute of Organ Studies and the Committee for Listing of Historic Organs 🛠️.

Since its installation, the instrument has been played by a handful of organists 🎹, including Dr Ronny Krippner, Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral.
Parish priest Jonathan Hart told Tim Flanagan, of the Rejoicing in Ripon Blog:
“The installation of this superb instrument sees the fulfilment of the wishes of many of my predecessors and the potential for its use in services, recitals and other musical events is huge.” 🌟

He added:
“We are currently drawing up our plans and will provide further details when they are available.”
Our Lady of Fountains Altar – one of the heritage features of St Wilfrid’s donated from the Marquess of Ripon’s estate and the mechanical action pipe organ
A much-gifted church
The Gothic-Revival St Wilfrid’s church, was designed by Joseph Hansom, the man who gave his name to the Hansom Cab.
Opened in 1862, it features a stunning east tower, reredos created by Edward Pugin, the Our Lady of Fountains Altar transferred from the chapel on the Studley estate, following the death of the Marquess of Ripon, who had converted to Catholicism.
In addition to the altar, six stained glass windows from the chapel were also donated to St Wilfrid’s.