Bristol Teens Hit the High Notes on Historic £1M Revamped Organ!

Three teenagers from Bristol are now learning to play a historic organ at the Bristol Beacon concert hall. This organ, called the Britton Organ, is one of the most important concert hall organs in the UK. It was built in 1956 and has just been fully restored for its 70th anniversary. The restoration was a huge project, with the organ being taken apart and transported in seven lorries all the way to Durham, where it was originally made and recently repaired. Now, the organ is back in Bristol and ready to be played again. To celebrate, the Bristol Beacon has started a new scholarship program that gives free organ lessons to three young people. These students will get the chance to perform a concert on the organ in front of an audience. Laurie Stewart, who is the head of creative learning at the Bristol Beacon, said they want as many people as possible to appreciate the organ and understand how complex it is. The Britton Organ is very large, with more than 5,000 pipes, and it can make a huge variety of sounds.

Jenna, who is 15 years old, is one of the students taking part in the organ classes. She said the organ sounds much better and louder than she expected. Jenna also mentioned that her friends are surprised she is learning to play the organ, but she is excited to perform in front of an audience. Chris, another student who is also 15, said he has always loved music and watching live performances, so being able to play on stage is very exciting for him. Jed Hughes, an experienced organist, described playing the Britton Organ as a surreal experience. He said the organ has everything an organist could need and that every organ is different, with its own personality. Jed believes the Britton Organ stands out because of the huge variety of sounds it can produce, and he thinks there is no other experience quite like playing it.

The return of the Britton Organ will be celebrated with a special recital by Anna Lapwood, a well-known organist who has been awarded an MBE. The Bristol Beacon hopes that more people will become interested in the organ and in music in general. They encourage people to share their stories and ideas about music in Bristol. The organ is an important part of the city's musical history and helps bring people together to enjoy live performances. By offering free lessons and concerts, the Bristol Beacon wants to inspire more young people to learn about the organ and to keep Bristol's music scene alive and exciting.