A music festival is planned in York to celebrate the completion of a very special preservation project.
St Lawrence Parish Church in York is staging the festival after its £410,000 organ restoration was brought to a successful conclusion.
The 1885 Denman organ moved from St Michael-le-Belfrey, York, and was restored and installed at St Lawrence.
The St Lawrence Trinity Festival will run from 29 May to 5 June at the church as coronavirus restrictions continue to be relaxed.
The programme of events include a demonstration of the organ by the team from Nicholson & Co, who restored the instrument.
The inaugural recital by Robert Sharpe, the organist and director of music at York Minster, follows on Saturday 29 May at 10:30am.
A Festal Choral Evensong will see the restored organ being blessed by the Bishop of Whitby on Sunday 30 May at 6.30pm.
Brilliant musicians
Commenting on the festival, Jonty Ward, Director of Music at St Lawrence said: “We are very pleased to have such a brilliant range of musicians from York coming to take part in the Trinity Festival 2021, and that there is such a magnificent instrument at the very centre of it.
“St Lawrence is the second-largest ecclesiastical in York after only the Minster, providing plenty of space for people to attend the festival and safely enjoy the fantastic music as the church finally has an organ worthy of its size.”
Throughout the week, further organ recitals are being performed by musicians associated with St Lawrence and wider York.
The festival will culminate with Choral Matins on Saturday 5 June at 11.30am.
Attendance is free to all the events, but booking is required for the Inaugural Recital (May 29th 10:30am) and the Festal Choral Evensong (May 30th 6:30pm). Bookings can be made by contacting festival@stlawrenceparishchurch.org.uk.
St Lawrence Parish Church is on Lawrence Street, just east of Walmgate Bar.