St John on the Wall

W.G. Vowles 16-stop organ

Vowles was born in 1826 in Bristol

I walked into town today to buy a book for a friend's birthday, down Broad St towards Quay St passing St John's on the way. I'd never seen the door open before so I ducked inside to see if it had an organ. A chap was playing Toccata and Fugue in D minor while a couple looked on. His playing was very precise and his footwork excellent. I got chatting to him when he'd finished and he was full of knowledge for the organ here as well as others in Bristol. By his reckoning there are about 50 in the city, and he named a fair few, including one in Bedminster which he said was very secretive indeed. This model was built in 1883 by WG Vowles and is a 16 stop organ, 90% original including the old bellows, although it is currently electronically pumped.

He was kind enough to let me sit down and have a go, and adjusted the stops for me as I played, bringing out a full range of rich warm tones from the organ. It was a beautiful and unexpected experience! He worked the stops very thoughtfully and gracefully and I felt very lucky to be playing with someone who is so passionate and knowledgeable about the instrument. Thank you very much: you're an inspiration! I enclose a recording.