Day 97. The Organ

Music was once a key part of religious worship, and organs commonly found in early churches.

Following the Civil War (1642-49) England was governed by a Puritan parliament. The Puritans believed that music was a distraction from divine worship and all organs were removed, often with great violence.

When the monarchy was restored in 1660, religious ideals were altered again. Music was again permitted. To replace the long-desecrated organs, choirs were set up to lead the singing. They were often accompanied with home-fashioned musical instruments such as fiddles. The choir stalls in the chancel of Preston church date to  the mid 18^th century.

Preston had a thriving church choir in the late 19^th century, and this continued well into the mid 20^th century.  Mrs Olive West of Alscot Park was a trained singer and led the choir in the early 20^th century.

In 1895, James Roberts-West installed a new organ in the church at his own expense. Organs had been growing in popularity from the mid 19^th century, as communities or landowners gained the capital to purchase them. They were considered more respectable than the rustic choirs they were replacing. They were often unfavourably met by the local communities who loved their home-spun music, but the thoughts of Preston's community went undocumented.

The organ needed a supply of pumped air in order to produce a good sound. It was a boy's job to work the bellows during the service. The more enthusiastic the player, the more frantically he had to pump. The bellows were eventually replaced by an automatic system which is still used today.