Community rallies to restore organ where ‘Cwm Rhondda’ was first performed
Nation.Cymru Staff
The historic Welsh pipe organ on which the hymn tune Cwm Rhondda was first performed almost 120 years ago has been brought back to life.
The Blackett & Howden organ at Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown has undergone a major community clean on 17 and 18 August, with volunteers removing, cleaning and replacing all 764 of its pipes.
Members of the national charity, Pipe Up for Pipe Organs, as well as team of volunteers and enthusiasts led by charity co founder Martin Renshaw and Wales-based organ builder Kingsley Robinson, gathered at Capel Rhondda in Hopkinstown.
This deep clean is a vital step in a larger restoration project aiming to fully restore the instrument ahead of its 120th anniversary in November 2027.
The organ had been completely unplayable for several years until earlier this summer when, during his first inspection, Robinson managed to “stir the sleeping beauty”, making seven notes audible.
On a subsequent visit, he resolved a major issue with the instrument’s blower, allowing Cwm Rhondda to be played on its original keys for the first time in decades.
“Pipe organs deserve a second wind,” says the team at Pipe Up for Pipe Organs, a charity dedicated to the preservation, education, and celebration of pipe organs and organ music.
The Capel Rhondda project follows another recent local success by the charity and Robinson. At the former St Anne’s Church in Ynyshir, the community group Ynys y Cwtsh was told their 1907 Harrison & Harrison pipe organ was “beyond repair.”
Supported by a £1,000 ‘Sleeping Beauty’ grant from Pipe Up, Robinson proved that this wasn’t the case, successfully repairing the instrument in just one week.
Progress on the Capel Rhondda restoration is being documented for global enthusiasts on Robinson’s YouTube channel, Pipe Organ Revival.
Capel Rhondda itself has also been undergoing a revival after a community campaign was launched to save the Grade II-listed building from potential sale to developers.
Supporters successfully raised the funds needed to secure a bid for the chapel, establishing Capel Rhondda Cyfyngedig to oversee its future, with plans to restore the building and develop it as a community-led creative hub while preserving its musical and cultural heritage.
Follow Capel Rhondda on social media:
To find out more and donate to the ongoing works, visit the crowdfunder here.
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