All Saints Church Barry has launched a fundraising appeal to save its pipe organ.

The original organ was installed on completion of the Church and was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Llandaff on 24 April 1915.

Though it was added to in the 1980s and partially restored in 2013 to a 'basic, playable' condition, but organist and choir master James Bull says repairs are needed before it stops playing altogether.

"We recently had to put a new roof on the church at the cost about £250,000. So that took priority, but the organ is literally pinned together with drawing pins and elastic bands," said James.

"The organ features prominently in services, but it is misbehaving itself and it does play notes of its own accord.

"But we do monthly recitals and with the work being done, we're hoping to get first class musicians into Barry to perform for the local community.

"We're also looking at having local schools on board, and they could do a project about how the organ works," he said.

There are also plans to move the organ into the body of the church.

"That way people can actually see the organist perform. At the moment, I'm sort of buried away so we want to make that sort of more center stage so people can see exactly what you're doing."

The estimated cost for the repairs is £120,000, which the church hopes to raise through grant schemes and fundraising.

"We're also going to launch a pipe sponsorship scheme, where people can give a bit more money, where they will have a certificate to sponsor the pipes in memory of a loved one," explained James.

"So, for example, somebody approached me the other day saying, their parents were married in All Saints, and it would have been their 65th wedding anniversary this year."

James believes the organ is the last remaining pipe organ in Barry, and saving it is about preserving our important community history.

"We use it for big civic services, people obviously want to use the church for weddings, baptisms and funerals," said James.

"So, whether you're religious or not, the church will form some part of your life and so will the organ.

"Allowing it to stop and to just fade away into nothing will be doing Barry a disservice," he said.

To donate to the fundraiser click here.

Read more about the project here: https://beneficeofbarry.com/all-saints-organ-appeal-2021/