Reading Minster is home to a unique and important pipe organ built by Henry Willis in 1862. Unfortunately, decades of neglect have rendered this magnificent instrument almost unplayable. Every part of the organ – the console, pipework, bellows and mechanics – needs urgent attention. We need to act now to save this beautiful organ for the use of future generations.

The original church organ, this Willis instrument is listed Grade II* by the British Institute of Organ Studies for its importance needs thorough restoration so that it can once again fully support a musical contribution to the choir and worship.

To protect this historic instrument and restore it to its former glory we need to raise £600,000. The aim of the Organ Restoration Fund is to restore this instrument to its former glory, when it will be at the heart of the worship at Reading Minster and used for concerts and recitals and by organ students.

  • Dirty, collapsed and corroded pipework: resulting in unusable stops
  • Perished leatherwork to the mechanism: resulting in notes not sounding
  • Split leatherwork on the bellows: resulting in a delayed, sluggish sound
  • Faulty electrical parts to the action, based on outdated technology, with miles of cotton covered wire and corroded contacts
  • Distorted soundboards caused by dry conditions
  • Organ blower heats the air supply to the organ causing dryness

  • Organ completely dismantled and organ space thoroughly cleaned
  • Bellows, wind system, soundboards, action and mechanisms remade
  • All 2,886 pipes individually cleaned
  • Damaged pipes repaired and corroded metal pipes remade
  • Rusted or corroded tuning slides and tongues replaced
  • Modernised, moveable console with up-to-date playing aids incorporated
  • New solid-state electric action provided, including digital memory banks
  • Blowing apparatus replaced

How to make a donation

If you would like to sponsor a pipe or make a one-off donation you can do so by sending a cheque (made payable to St. Mary’s P.C.C and with Organ Restoration Fund written on the reverse) to:

Minster Office, St. Mary’s Gate, Chain Street, Reading, RG1 2HX

Your donation may be eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer or are a business, in which case we get an extra 25p for every £1 donated.