Organ Concerts – 34th Annual Series

Details of our Father Willis Organ


Download a Programme to Print

Individual Concert Programmes

All concerts begin at 7.30pm Tickets available at the door – £12

Season ticket available – £72

Further information available from Malcolm Lock – Mobile: 0780 106 8156

The historic church of All Saints, Hastings has a fine Father Willis organ dating back to 1878.  The 31st Series of the annual concerts, which last took place in 2019 and held on Mondays through July and August, was a huge success, attracting more music-lovers than ever to listen to a very varied programme played by some of the leading organists in the UK.

Unfortunately the restrictions brought about by COVID-19 made it impossible to present the series of concerts planned for 2020. However, Gordon Stewart was able to record his traditional ‘End of Series’ concert on the August bank holiday Monday and you can watch and hear it in the screen below.

Message from Malcolm Lock

We can now benefit from the comprehensive cleaning and repair of the All Saints organ undertaken by B C Shepherd & Sons of London – (www.bcshepherdandsons.co.uk)  in 2021. Those of us who have attended concerts since will be delighted by the improvement.

The works can be summarised as follows:

A complete overhaul of the organ to include cleaning of all pipes – (last carried out over 50 years ago) and restoration of the pedalboard (currently in a very poor condition), keyboards, swell pedal and combination pedals .
Replacement of celluloid key coverings with recycled ivory.

Whilst the organ remains tonally very good the internal workings are not in such a good state but with these repairs in place I am confident that the wonderful Father Willis which has been passed down to this generation and enjoyed by so many people can be passed onto future generations in a good playing condition.

These repairs costing in excess of £70,000 would not have been possible but for the generosity of all those who have attended the concerts over the past 32 years – profits of which have gone into our Organ Fund and held in a “restricted” account. This plus the generous legacy left to us by the late Elizabeth Stevens, specifically for the All Saints organ, means we just about have enough funds to carry out these repairs. If you would like to contribute to the Organ Fund, please send a cheque payable to “St Clement & All Saints PCC” (marked Organ Fund on the reverse) to: St Clement’s Church, Swan Terrace, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3HT

I will keep you advised of developments in due course but in the meantime I send my good wishes to you all – keep healthy and safe!

Malcolm Lock, Organ Concert Series Co-Ordinator
Further information available from Malcolm Lock – Mobile: 07801068156