History

Perhaps the greatest treasure in Leafield church is the fine early Nicholson mechanical action organ. The British Institute of Organ Studies judged this organ to be of considerable historic importance for its musical and technical qualities and in 1997 awarded it a Historic Organ Certificate. BIOS anticipate that out of some 40,000 organs in the country only 4-500 would be of such importance to be awarded a certificate and Leafield's organ was one of the first hundred to be so recognised.

The organ was built by John Nicholson of Worcester at a cost of £290. It was opened on 2 May 1871, with J. Hamilton Clark, Organist of Queen's College Oxford, playing the new instrument at special morning and evening services. The decoration of the organ pipes, in chocolate, gold and blue, was the work of Rev. J.G. Gibbs, vicar of Leafield 1870-5 and a talented artist. The organ has always been serviced and repaired by Nicholsons. They carried out a major overhaul in 1950, including the installation of a "Discus" electric blower, at a cost of £271 10s. An extensive restoration was carried out in 1999 at a cost of nearly £15,000. Now the sound produced by the organ is as magnificent as when it was first built. A concert was held to celebrate the restoration on 13 May 2000, with Stewart Taylor at the organ.

Organ construction

Wind pressure 2.5" w.g. Compass CC-f3