O V E R A L L S
Name: Location: Heifers reared: Hobby:
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John Latham Cheshire 100 Amateur organist
John Latham: “When I play the organ the house comes to life”
Good vibrations text Rachael Porter
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deep passion for music has literally taken over the home of one Cheshire-based heifer rearer. John Latham, from Newton Hall Farm in Malpas, has installed a 1,382-pipe organ is his home. The former church organ, which was built and restored also using pipes from other organs, is now located in what was the farmhouse’s 10-metre-long cheese room. John, who recently sold his dairy herd after milking for 40 years, began playing the piano when he 11 years old and then progressed to the organ when he was 14. The project to install a pipe organ at home started, almost by accident, in 1979. “Paul Derrett, a renowned organist and amateur organ builder, was working on the organ at St Alkmund’s Church in Whitchurch and I went along to see what he was doing,”explains John. “He asked me if I’d ever considered having a proper church organ at home and that sowed a seed for me.” “At that time many churches were beginning to replace their pipe organs, which are expensive to maintain and difficult to look after, with electric organs. “It wasn’t long before we found one at St Paul’s Church in Smethwick. But before we could install it we had to take it apart and get the room where we were installing it ready– that took a year,” he adds. Needless to say, his wife Angela is also very musical. Just as well since the farmhouse has been considerably ‘remodelled’ to accommodate it. Walls were knocked down and others replaced. And a couple of rolled steel joists, to help take the two-tonne weight of the pipe organ, were also put in. But all the hard work and effort was well worth it. “The acoustics are amazing and when I play it the whole house vibrates with music – it comes alive. It’s very powerful – it’s larger than many church organs.” He plays more in the winter then in the summer and since he’s gone out of dairying he practices most days: “Or more often if I have a wedding coming up.” There’s also plenty of ‘fiddling’ and maintenance to be done. The organ is voiced and tuned twice a year. “It does take up a lot of my spare time and a lot of patience is required.” John describes his hobby as ‘pure pleasure’ and great for relaxation: “It takes me out of myself. The organ makes so many different sounds, with its 39 stops and 30-note pedal board. “You have a complete orchestra at your finger tips and you can change the tone, sound and volume. The latter means that it’s a versatile instrument and I can ‘escape’ at any time of day or night.”
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