A church in Nottingham has become the first in the UK to install a new 
organ which combines digital sampling technology with traditional pipe work.
Following the realisation that the previous instrument had come to the end of its musical life, the director of music at St Peter’s Church, Peter Siepmann, set about finding a worthy replacement.
The result is the £150,000 state-of-the-art organ that resides in the north-east corner of the building.
“We are proud of our liturgical tradition here at St Peter’s and the organ is at the heart of the music,” Dr Siepmann told the BBC.
According to the news provider, the £150,000 buy came after two years of fundraising by the church’s parishioners.
“The cathedral tradition of music is as popular as ever,” Dr Siepmann added.
“Of course there is the contemporary tradition in a lot of churches but certainly in a city such as Nottingham it’s lovely to have that variety of worship traditions.”
Indeed, the combination organ, which uses traditional pipe work and state-of-the-art digital synthesis technologies, is all designed and voiced together as a single instrument.
It was felt that this type of instrument would enable a much greater flexibility in how the organ was arranged in the chamber and make the best use of the space available in the church.
“What’s amazing about this organ is you really can’t tell which music is digital and which is pipe,” Dr Siepmann explained.
“The organ has been used in churches to accompany singing for thousands of years because it is such a powerful instrument. No other can match its power and its glory.”
Church leaders at St Peter’s decided the old organ needed replacing after its action system broke down in 2007.
organ which combines digital sampling technology with traditional pipe work.Following the realisation that the previous instrument had come to the end of its musical life, the director of music at St Peter’s Church, Peter Siepmann, set about finding a worthy replacement.
The result is the £150,000 state-of-the-art organ that resides in the north-east corner of the building.
“We are proud of our liturgical tradition here at St Peter’s and the organ is at the heart of the music,” Dr Siepmann told the BBC.
According to the news provider, the £150,000 buy came after two years of fundraising by the church’s parishioners.
“The cathedral tradition of music is as popular as ever,” Dr Siepmann added.
“Of course there is the contemporary tradition in a lot of churches but certainly in a city such as Nottingham it’s lovely to have that variety of worship traditions.”Indeed, the combination organ, which uses traditional pipe work and state-of-the-art digital synthesis technologies, is all designed and voiced together as a single instrument.
It was felt that this type of instrument would enable a much greater flexibility in how the organ was arranged in the chamber and make the best use of the space available in the church.
“What’s amazing about this organ is you really can’t tell which music is digital and which is pipe,” Dr Siepmann explained.
“The organ has been used in churches to accompany singing for thousands of years because it is such a powerful instrument. No other can match its power and its glory.”
Church leaders at St Peter’s decided the old organ needed replacing after its action system broke down in 2007.