We may not know it but the pipe organ has always been part of our lives. From the background score in movies such as the baptism scene in The Godfather to the squid-faced Davy Jones keying away a melancholic melody on his coral-encrusted pipe organ aboard his ghost ship in Pirates of the Caribbean to even the theme for the popular cartoon The Addam’s Family , the magnificent instrument has stood the test of time.
But did you know, Bengaluru has its own tale to tell about the musical instrument? In four churches, the pipe organ has been as much a part of the city’s history as the grand old churches themselves.
St Mark's Cathedral
This over 200-year-old church is nestled in the heart of MG Road and its architecture is inspired by St Paul’s Cathedral in London. With exquisite stained glass art, this is one of the most beautiful churches in the city. The cathedral is also home to one of the most well-maintained pipe organs in the city. The two-manual pipe organ was donated to the church by Avis Fitzlan Cowdrey in January, 1928 in commemoration of his parents. Encased in Burma teakwood, the instrument was built by Hill Norman and Beard. The pneumatic organ was restored 10 years ago and the original pipes were replaced with electromagnetic ones. Rev Prem Mitra, the presbyter-in-charge of the Cathedral passionately says: “It is very difficult to master the art of playing the organ. It requires all the senses on alert to keep an eye on the choir, hear the sound and maintain a simultaneous motion of the hands and feet.” It is quite the challenge to find organists who are well-versed in playing the instrument, Prem confesses. It is also hard to find specialists to repair the 89-year-old organ and professionals must be arranged from abroad. Give the organ a listen on Sundays and other special occasions.
St Andrew's Church
This red brick Presbyterian Church is on Cubbon Road. The church, consecrated in memory of Mary Elizabeth McGoun, wife of Colonel Thomas McGoun of the Sixth Madras Native Infantry, was earlier known as The Martyr’s Church. This century-old pipe organ is called the ‘great little monster’ of St. Andrew's Church. Installed by builders Peter Gonacher and Co. in 1881, the instrument is a two-manual pedal organ. “Back then, there was no traffic and so the organ could be heard from quite a distance. But now, the music is overpowered by vehicular noise and other electronic gadgets. This has necessitated a refurbishment of the instrument to ensure that the music maintains the grandeur that the organ stands for,” recalls Prem, who had served in this church before moving to St Mark’s. The organ is now played regularly and maintained well through customary repairs and routine tuning. The organ showed some signs of wear and tear, until a few years ago when it was restored by a well-known technician. At 136, this is the oldest organ in the city.
St John's Church
Located in the Cantonment region of the city in Cleveland Town, this church is built alongside a school bearing the same name. The beautiful red edifice is the fourth oldest Protestant church in the city and houses a rare pipe organ. Similar to the one in St Mark’s, this masterpiece was built by Norman and Beard. This one is played only on special occasions. The organ has a polished wooden covering. Initially, air had to be pumped manually into the organ, but with advancements in technology, an electric blower was added by Albert David in 1969. In 2013, a team from well-known organ builders called Johannus had installed a premier model in the church. The Ecclesia T 270 organ has over 40 voices, 2 manuals and 8.1 audio system.
All Saints Church
This beautiful church with its lovely garden is quite a favourite among city folk. With some plants from the Holy Land and other flora mentioned in the Bible, the church houses a 1972 model pipe organ donated by the churches of Germany when the earlier organ had to be replaced. Lilian Zechariah, a pianist at the church, recalls: “In 2009, the church had to be renovated and that is when we realised the importance of the pipe organ. So we put out a request and received the required aid from Germany. Two engineers flew down and were able to restore the instrument after a month long process.” This is the youngest pipe organ in the city at just eight years of age.
A familiar name among all the organs is Dr. Christopher Gray, who is akin to a saviour to these vintage instruments. He flies down to the city to make sure they are in good condition and restore them when needed. He is the one who had restored the age old organ at St. Andrew’s church and the expert behind the fine tuning of other organs in the city.
“One of the toughest challenges is to maintain the organ in good shape and tuning them regularly,” says Prem, who has played his part in maintaining them in two of these churches.
