Smethwick St. Phillip’s Roman Catholic Church
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46 years of dust.
Newspapers were found in the organ from 1956. We have to assume this was the last time the organ was cleaned.
Newspapers were found in the organ from 1956. We have to assume this was the last time the organ was cleaned.
These are the tops of the Swell Oboe. This amount of dirt and dust is in every
Here some of the Swell pipes are removed to reveal the dust on the rack
The Great organ was subjected to a major water leak through the roof. We believe this was some time during the 1980’s. To the left is the now redundant Great soundboard, and to the right, the Great pipes have been stored on top of the Swell box should funds be raised for the repairs.
Water is the pipe organs worst enemy. The workings inside a soundboard have felt and leather parts, and when soaked with water they shrink and dry hard, like a used leather cleaning cloth. Soft when wet, and hard when dry. When the leather curls and hardens it cannot form an air tight seal and allow pipes to sound when they should not.
Water is the pipe organs worst enemy. The workings inside a soundboard have felt and leather parts, and when soaked with water they shrink and dry hard, like a used leather cleaning cloth. Soft when wet, and hard when dry. When the leather curls and hardens it cannot form an air tight seal and allow pipes to sound when they should not.