THE Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft will dedicate a new pipe organ at St Peter's Church in Wolvercote tomorrow.

The ceremony will mark the end of a ten-year development project renewing the buildings and facilities at St Peter's.

The organ was designed and handcrafted by Robin Jennings of Dorset-based Jennings Organs who called the project his “Magnus opus”.

Mr Jennings estimated that fewer than ten new pipe organs are now commissioned in the UK every year.

The Wolvercote instrument is even rarer: built to last more than 100 years, it is fully mechanical, shunning the use of electronics which would drastically reduce its lifespan.

Oxford Mail:

The £200,000 cost of the organ was raised by the church and parishioners over a period of 30 months.

Dr Croft, who took up his post this year, said: "I’m delighted to be making my first visit to St Peter’s for the dedication of the fine new organ.

"The new organ is a sign of the commitment of the community of St Peter’s and Wolvercote to their parish church into the future.

"The whole Church is a sign of God’s grace and blessing in this community."

The inaugural recital of Oxford’s newest organ will be given by David Bednall, leading choral composer, organist of the University of Bristol and sub-organist at Bristol Cathedral, on Saturday, February 25, at 7.30pm.

Oxford Mail:

Revd Charles Draper, Vicar of St Peter’s, said: "We are delighted with the new organ, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship which makes a wonderful sound.

"It is a great credit both to the organ builder and to all those in the church and community who have worked so hard to bring this about.

"We look forward to it serving the church and the community for many years to come – as well as being an educational resource for future generations of new organists."

Local organists have already praised the quality of the instrument.

Simon Neal, Wolvercote resident, harpsichord technician and Assistant Organist at St Michael’s Summertown, said: "This is an important new addition to the Oxford organ scene and I hope it will attract players to visit from both within Oxford and from afar.”