The BBC’s Young Musician of the Year judge Anna Lapwood will be performing a recital at the Holy Trinity Church on their new digital organ on Saturday.
Visitors can take in the wonderful music of the world renowned organist at the newly renovated church in Rayleigh.
The recital takes place at the church on Saturday October 22 at 2.30pm. Tickets are still available at www.parishofrayleigh.org.uk/events.
The church underwent a £870,000 renovation project which included stripping back the old paint and lime washing the walls, a new lighting system, a digital organ and a new boiler and underfloor heating.
Gordon Simmonds, chair of refurbishment group and trustee of The Friends of Holy Trinity Rayleigh, said: “The start of the project goes back 12 years when we were finishing renovation work on the exterior of the church. We started to think what we wanted to do next in the interior.
"The work was put into action three years later when we got an architect and quantity surveyor. The initial amount was more than we could do so we cut it back to the essentials which included to strip away the old paint and limewash the walls to give a lovely finish, replace the old boiler and put in underfloor heating at the front of the church, replace the electrics with fully controlled lighting system, take out old pipes organ and replace it with a digital organ.”
Church members have be thrilled with the renovation work.
“Everyone who comes in loves the renovation work, and is wowed by how bright it is. That is partly the lime washed walls but also the new lighting system,” continued Gordon.
The pulpit was placed in a new position on the south side of the chancel steps, and the brass eagle lectern, following cleaning and repairs, was placed on the north side of the chancel steps. The church font was moved from its position at the back of the church, to its new position at the east end of the south aisle, near to the Alen Chapel.
While the work was being completed church services were held in the main hall to the side of the church.
Anna Lapwood is an organist, conductor, and broadcaster. She is Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge having previously been Organ Scholar at Magdalen College Oxford, the first female in the college’s 560-year history to be awarded the Scholarship. In 2022 she was appointed Associate Artist of the Royal Albert Hall and Artist in Association with the BBC Singers.
For more information go to www.parishofrayleigh.org.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here