Around nine pipe organs are sent to landfill every week in Britain according to new research. Pipe Up, a charity which saves pipe organs from “mouldering away” said many organs are disused, even in functioning churches, often because of the lack of a regular organist or routine maintenance.
The charity, which was founded in 2022 has published new research which found that an estimated five organs are lost to landfill as a result of church closures, with five being dumped because of “silence and decay”.
Pipe Up estimates that there are 15,000 or fewer organs left in Britain. Of these, half are already unplayable and of those that are playable, only a half are regularly used.
As a result, the organisation said that within ten years, the number of pipe organs in Britain will have halved and by 2070, there will be no playable pipe organs still left in Britain outside Cathedrals, Oxbridge Colleges and a small number of concert halls and well- funded churches.
The report found that the rate of loss is being compounded by the growing inability of churches to fund either routine or major work to their organs and a lack of church awareness of even basic care measures. It predicts there will be a 20% reduction in the number of professionals able to care for organs by 2036. It also cites “inadequate grants for organ repairs, notably from the National Lottery Heritage Fund”.
Britain's pipe organs are renowned as a world-class heritage of craftsmanship and musical achievement and for many communities, they are the gateway to a huge repertoire of music.
Pipe Up Chair George Allan said: “This is a cultural catastrophe for Britain. The experience of hearing live pipe organ music will be lost from almost every town and village and become the preserve of privileged élites.
“Pipe Up is now even more determined to lead a spirited fight-back to prevent this.”
The group has claimed the end of the government’s listed places of worship scheme which enabled churches to claim back VAT on repairs will cause many churches to skimp on organ maintenance. The charity said the cost of routine repair and maintenance of a typical local church pipe organ will now increase from an average of £600 a year to £720.
The charity has launched a crowdfunder with the aim of getting 26 more silent organs back into playable conditions in 2026.