A rare 19th century organ has been brought back to life and played for the first time in decades.

At a recital on Friday evening at St George’s Chapel in Chichester, visitors will hear a 211-year-old organ again after more than 40 years of disuse.

The organ was built in 1813 by the architect of the chapel as an “integral part” of the building. After the Grade I listed building was closed for worship in 1970, it was passed into the care of the Church’s Conservation Trust.

The organ was dismantled in 1979 to enable access to the wall behind it which was structurally unsound. Since then, it has remained in pieces with the pipes removed and stored away and the mechanism dismantled.

The chapel pictured here prior to the reinstatement of the organ The church showing the gallery without the organ in situ, as it has been since the organ was dismantled in 1979 until now (Image: Submitted)To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Chichester based charity Pallant Charitable Trust decided to restore the organ to its former glory.

Over the past year, Goetze and Gwynn, a company which specialises in the restoration of historic organs has been working on the organ.

Alan Thurlow, who was organist at Chichester Cathedral from 1980-2008, said: “Organists will be able to come and play and rehearse and local organist associations – Brighton, Sussex and Portsmouth – will also be interested to see it. An organ of this age is rare – some exist but they have been rebuilt so many times they wouldn’t be recognisable.”

Internationally renowned organist Margaret Phillips will be playing the organ at the recitalInternationally renowned organist Margaret Phillips will be playing the organ at the recital (Image: Submitted) At the recital, internationally renowned organ recitalist Margaret Phillips will play pieces from the period the organ was built in. She said: “There are so few organs left in any sort of original condition so one can hardly ever find the exact sound that this instrument has.

“Even though it has been restored, a lot of the pipes are old and they have rebuilt it exactly as it would have been in 1813. Because the building is no longer a church, the organ doesn’t have to accompany church services and accommodate all church music. churches need something bigger and more romantic for later music.

“Most organs get changed and rebuilt – this one for some reason didn’t get rebuilt. Somehow or other it stayed the same until the 1970s without being changed – that’s very unusual and lucky for us.”