A CHURCHWARDEN has spoken of his ‘brilliant’ community, who have helped to get together the funds needed for a ‘new’ organ at their ‘Cathedral on the moor’.

Tony Naylor, a churchwarden at St Nonna’s Church in Altarnun, said their previous Victorian organ, installed in around 1956, had ‘decided in recent years to do what it wanted to do when it wanted to do it’, — and there was the question of whether to put the old organ right at a cost of around £25,000.

Tony said: “It was not a very good make, so I’m told. It was decided it was not worth the money. Even if it’s restored to 100% it’s not really big enough for the church anyway. When you get a couple of hundred people in there you struggled to hear. For a parish church it’s big and you can get 300 to 400 people in there,” — St Nonna’s Church is said to be the second largest church on Bodmin Moor, hence its alternative name of ‘cathedral on the moor’.

Organ builder David Gridley came across a Heard & Co pipe organ, that was installed at a big Methodist chapel near Redruth, and it was decided, with the agreement of Diocese organ adviser Jonathan Mann, to give it a new home at St Nonna’s.

A team set about dismantling it and transporting it to St Nonna’s in 2015, and fundraising began to allow the organ to be installed. Reassembling began in September.

The organ was made in Truro. Tony said: “It’s indigenous. Made in the county and always been in the county. We had to raise about £32,500 thousand — we did that and more in less than a year.

“Two thirds came through grants from various bodies. The other £10,000 or £12,000 came from individuals. It was a concerted effort by a lot of people putting in now and again whatever they could afford.

“I like most people am astounded we did it so quickly. It’s brilliant. It’s a success story without a doubt.”

The extra money will stay in the organ fund to service it. It was built in 1915, and Tony added: “Now it will last another 100 years.”

It has been serviceable before Christmas and played every week, although it is expected to be completed in early June. Tony said: “There are around 1,000 pipes of various sizes. There is an awful lot of work not obvious when you look at the external picture — it’s a very complicated thing.

“It’s a lovely organ. People who play say what’s the make, and when they hear they say they will come down and play it. It has a good reputation.”

It is hoped to rededicate the organ in the autumn.