Music at St George's

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For many years St George's has enjoyed a fine musical tradition. We sing a wide selection of music from the 16th century to composers of the present day. Apart from the usual Sunday morning service, we provide music for Festivals, confirmations and a wide variety of mid week services and weddings. Our rendering of Choral Evensong once a month would not be out of place in any English Cathedral! Our singers also provide instrumental music for acts of worship.

We are always on the lookout for more singers (children, men and women) even though there is only standing room at present. Any budding singers reading this will get a warm welcome - choir practice is on Fridays, from 7pm to 8pm in the Vestry, come and join us.


The Organ

Organ music plays a large part in our worship Sunday by Sunday and we are blessed with a wonderful instrument that can produce a magnificent sound for grand occasions and yet lead our mind to higher things for those quiet, reflective moments.

The organ was donated by Charles Mitchell the benefactor of St George's. It was built by Lewis and Co of London, in 1887 and exhibited at the Newcastle exhibition of that year where it was used for public concerts before being placed in the church. The organ was originally driven by two Armstrong hydraulic engines situated below the tower, but it is now driven electrically. Sir William Armstrong was a good friend and neighbour to Charles Mitchell, and supplied the original engines. The organ was reconstructed in 1904 by Binns and in 1993 was overhauled and partially rebuilt by Harrison and Harrison of Durham. The history of the organ is an interesting comment upon the manner in which fashions change and the idea of excellence varies. Binn's reconstruction was thought to be an improvement upon the original by correcting the imperfections of Victorian design, however the most recent work sought to bring back much of the pipe work and voicing to its original 1887 specification. The Church Council has in recent years undertaken a programme of maintenance and restoration in order to hand on this outstanding instrument to the next generation.

It is a four manual instrument, with 44 sounding stops and 23 couplers; some 2675 pipes were used and, in the original instrument, the conducting tubes were said to extend over three miles in length.

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