Rochester Consistory Court; Goodman Ch. January 1994

The quality of digital organs had improved rapidly in recent years and, in small churches, where there were relatively few sung services, and where other factors such as cost came into play, it might well be appropriate to permit the acquisition of an electronic instrument (particularly one of good quality) where it was impracticable or undesirable to restore an ailing pipe organ. From the point of view of sound quality the suitability of the Allen MDS 38 which the petitioners sought to introduce was a matter of taste. There were good arguments for not requiring the petitioners to restore the defective and not particularly distinguished pipe organ at a cost exceeding the purchase price of the electronic organ.

The pipe organ was to remain in the church in case future generations wished to restore it. A faculty would therefore be granted. The Court would not be likely to be sympathetic, however, to parishes which had deliberately allowed pipe organs to fall into disrepair in order to justify the acquisition of an electronic instrument.

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(1994) 3 Ecc LJ 260