Historical St George's Church turns 200 with new pipe organ

GEORGE TOWN, July 24 — The oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia, St George's Church, in George Town turns 200 this year with a gift of a new pipe organ, 70 years after it lost its previous pipe organ during World War II.

The organ, built by Mander Organs of London, has 1,050 pipes with an organ case of African teak, a console of English oak and pipe shades of limewood carved with traditional motifs.

This new pipe organ, donated by the family of the late Datuk Tan Kim Yeow, makes it the second of only two pipe organs in Penang, with a heritage pipe organ located at the Church of Assumption.

“The character of Anglican worship revolves around congregational singing of hymns. An organ is the basic necessity for nearly all of this music, and there is no other instrument that matches its ability to lead the singing of a several-hundred-strong congregation,” St George's Church Penang's Bishop Charles Samuel said.

“This organ, dedicated to the glory of God, will also serve the good of the community through special organ recitals and other associated events that will be open to the public,” he added at the official dedication of the new pipe organ recently.

Previously, the church had a two-manual pipe organ that was built in 1899 by Forster & Andres in memory of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

The organ was rebuilt in 1939 but a couple years later, the church was hit by a bomb during World War II and after that, the organ was destroyed by looters who had also stripped the church of its furniture, doors, roof tiles and floor slabs.

This new organ has 17 stops and does not contain electrical components other than a fan blower and tremulant. It is touted to be the only pipe organ in the world to feature traditional Malaysian carvings on its pipe shades.

The pipe organ was blessed and consecrated by Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia and Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Southeast Asia Reverend Datuk Ng Moon Hing on Sunday.

To celebrate the dedication of the new pipe organ, a public recital will be held in the church on August 19.

The St George's Church, located within the George Town world heritage site, is one of 50 National Treasures of Malaysia and underwent a massive restoration back in 2009.

It was built in 1817 by the East India Company and was consecrated in 1819 by the Bishop of Calcutta Reverend Thomas Middleton.

It is the oldest Anglican church in South East Asia and is within the jurisdiction of the area Diocese of the Northern Peninsula of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.