Christ Church Anglican Church, one of the Bundaberg Region’s most admired architectural icons, is celebrating a makeover of the church’s 117-year-old Moller organ and its 92 year old stained glass leadlight windows.
The celebration will take the form of an organ recital this Friday night featuring Andre Kouznetsov, organist at St Johns Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane, who will play a selection of classical music, including the works of Brahms and Mendelssohn.
Father Keith Dean-Jones said the recital would be a celebration of the restoration of the organ and the rejuvenation of the church’s stained leadlight and coloured glass windows.
The glass restoration, undertaken between September and March, involved the use of a large cherry picker to access the upper levels of the imposing building to remove, install temporary infills and finally replace the restored windows.
Father Keith said the stained glass had never received any professional attention since being installed in 1927.
“The work was undertaken by stained glass restoration artist Robin Seville and the process has really created a new vibrancy to each of the designs,” he said.
“The church organ was renovated at a cost of $102,000 with the money provided through the generosity of parishioners, church benefactors, community donations and a grant from the State Government.”
Father Keith said the church had wonderful acoustics and the repairs to the organ would result in an improved combination of volume and sound.
“We are very fortunate to have Andre with us on Friday night and I think anyone attending will be in for a genuine musical treat,” he said.
Tickets at $10 per head are available at the door with Friday night’s recital, commencing at 7pm, expected to last one hour.
Church organ sub-committee member Jenny Moreny said the church organ was one of only three like it in Australia.
“It was built in 1902 by MP Moller of Hagerstown, Maryland USA and shipped to Bundaberg where it was installed in the first local Anglican Church in Quay Street in that same year,” she said.
“With the dedication of the new church the organ was moved in 1927 and erected at its current location.
“Naturally the organ had several overhauls during its life with this latest work being undertaken by WJ Simon Pierce of Brisbane.
“Every pipe was removed and shipped to Brisbane for tuning. The refurbishing took about 10 months to achieve.”
- Read more about the organ's history.
