Pershore Abbey's new £800K pipe organ 'a work of art'

Canon Claire Lording and Sheila Joynes said the new organ was a great addition to the abbey

A new pipe organ is being described as a "work of art" by staff at Pershore Abbey where it has been installed.

The £800,000 instrument was made in Padua, Italy, and was produced after a huge fundraising drive.

The installation and tuning of the organ took several weeks at the centuries-old abbey in Worcestershire.

"The sense of relief that everything fitted at the top of the abbey where the organ was supposed to fit is a huge relief," Canon Claire Lording said.

Support for the scheme came from the Friends of Pershore Abbey and about £70,000 of the total raised came from people being allowed to "adopt a pipe".

The organ was completed in time for a service for the Coronation of King Charles III and Canon Lording said it made a big impact.

"It is a work of art," she explained. "It was absolutely breathtaking. People wanted to come to the service and see the organ as well."

The abbey's former director of music, Sheila Joynes, said the instrument was very different to play compared to their previous electric organ.

"It's very loud but absolutely wonderful," she said.