Alan's quest to revive ancient skill and keep pipe organs alive (From Thurrock Gazette)

Alan's quest to revive ancient skill and keep pipe organs alive

2:52pm Saturday 24th November 2007

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CLOCK restorer Alan Partridge from Stanford-le-Hope has won a £7,200 scholarship to master the threatened craft of making reed shallots for pipe organs.

There is a brass reed shallot at the bottom of each organ pipe - without it there would be no sound.

The last shallot maker in the UK can no longer work due to illness, so 49-year-old Alan will gain technical help from expert reed-voicers, the people who use shallots.

Alan grew up on a farm and trained as an agricultural mechanic. He is a qualified skilled blacksmith, engineer, and mechanic and spent 15 years in a blacksmith's forge, responsible for welding, making and repairing machinery and steelwork. He switched career to become a clock restorer and repairer and set up his own workshop in 1990.

Alan worked at his own expense with Robin Stannard, who for several decades was the one man in the UK still making organ shallots, but who recently suffered a severe stroke.

"Shallots are entirely hand made", Alan explained. "The aim of learning this craft in depth is to continue a centuries-old skill to supply organ builders with these essential components.

"Organ builders have already given me enormous encouragement and offers of help.

"It will be an important benefit for organ building and the wider musical and cultural world. Once I have completely mastered the craft I would like to introduce production methods using more modern equipment as current techniques are at least a century old. I also hope to train an apprentice to continue the work."

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust was endowed by the Royal Warrant Holders Association to advance education in modern and traditional crafts and trades in the UK.

Scholarships, open to men and women of all ages, are awarded twice a year.

Application forms for QEST Scholarships can also be downloaded from the QEST website: www.qest.org.uk

They may also be obtained by sending an SAE (50p) to: The Secretary, The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, No.1 Buckingham Place, London SW1E 6HR. Closing date for 2008 Scholarships are January 11 and June 8.

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