Key Points
- An academy in west London has raised over £327,000, including a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, for the repair of a rare pipe organ.
- The organ, which resides in Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith, was crafted by Belgian maker Hippolyte Loret.
- As PA Media journalist Jess Warren reports, the organ was transported from Paris in 1904 to evade confiscation by the French authorities due to anti-religion policies.
- The history of the organ was revealed following a visit by organ specialist Dr William McVicker to the Grade II*-listed church in 2024.
- The two-year restoration process will commence this month, carried out by Mander Organ Builders, followed by the installation of the organ in August 2027.
- The extra funds of over £80,000 were raised through donations and ticket sales and grants from the Vine Hill Trust and Ruiz Corbella Trust.
London (West London Times) September 16, 2026 – As reported by Jess Warren of PA Media, a west London school has raised more than £327,000 with help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore a rare pipe organ that was smuggled from Paris to London more than a century ago. The instrument, residing at Sacred Heart High School in uk/local/hammersmith-and-fulham/hammersmith/">Hammersmith, was originally built by Belgian craftsman Hippolyte Loret. Its remarkable journey from France to the British capital in 1904 was orchestrated to protect it from state seizure during a period of intense political and religious upheaval in France.
How Was the Rare Pipe Organ Discovered and Funded?
As detailed by PA Media journalist Jess Warren, the true historical value and background of the instrument remained largely obscured until organ expert Dr William McVicker visited the school’s Grade II*-listed chapel in 2024 to evaluate its condition. Following this inspection, the institution recognised the urgent need to protect and revive the rare piece of musical heritage.
In January, the school publicly stated that it needed to raise £257,000 specifically for the restoration of the pipe organ so that it could once again be utilized for public recitals and concerts. Through a combination of major grant awards and local initiatives, the school successfully surpassed its initial financial targets. As noted in the reporting by Jess Warren of PA Media, the school secured £247,788 directly from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This substantial grant is earmarked not only for the mechanical restoration of the instrument but also to support broader educational outreach and community events tied to the organ and the site’s architectural heritage.
Furthermore, the school independently fundraised more than £80,000. As documented by PA Media, this figure included generous grants from the Vine Hill Trust and the Ruiz Corbella Trust, alongside proceeds generated from ticket sales for a specialized concert and historical lecture dedicated to the instrument’s past.
What is the History Behind the 1904 Smuggling of the Organ?
The origins of the instrument trace back to its commission by the Catholic organization, the Society of the Sacred Heart, for the chapel located at their girls’ school at the Hotel Biron in Paris. However, the socio-political landscape of France shifted dramatically in the early 1900s. Severe anti-religious policies introduced by the French government resulted in widespread convent closures and active plans to confiscate properties belonging to religious societies, including the headquarters at the Hotel Biron.
To safeguard the instrument from destruction or secular appropriation, Mother Mabel Digby, who served as the superior general of the Society of the Sacred Heart at the time, intervened. As outlined by PA Media reporter Jess Warren, Mother Mabel Digby arranged for the intricate instrument to be secretly dismantled and shipped across the English Channel to London in 1904. Shortly after its arrival, the organ was carefully reassembled within the chapel at Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith, where it has remained ever since.
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What Are the Next Steps for the Restoration Project?
With the necessary capital successfully secured, the logistical phase of the project is moving forward immediately. According to the reports provided by Jess Warren of PA Media, the comprehensive two-year restoration project commences this month.
The delicate process begins with the physical removal of the organ from the chapel. Specialist craftspeople from Mander Organ Builders will undertake the meticulous restoration work required to bring the historic instrument back to its former glory. Following the completion of the restoration work, the reinstallation of the pipe organ inside the Hammersmith chapel is scheduled to take place in August 2027. Once fully restored, the school intends to open access to the instrument for recitals and community concerts, ensuring that its unique musical and cultural legacy is preserved for future generations.
Background of the Particular Development
The development centres around the preservation and restoration of a nineteenth-century pipe organ built by Belgian craftsman Hippolyte Loret. Pipe organs of this specific era, builder, and transnational provenance are exceedingly rare, particularly within educational settings in the United Kingdom. The instrument’s relocation to London in 1904 is a direct artifact of the French Third Republic’s strict implementation of secularisation laws, most notably the 1905 Law of the Separation of the Churches and the State, which was preceded by rigorous anti-clerical policies targeting Catholic teaching orders and property holdings in the early years of the twentieth century.
Sacred Heart High School in Hammersmith, possessing a Grade II*-listed chapel, provides a protected architectural context for the organ, making it a focal point for both local heritage conservation and music education grants administered by bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This multi-year restoration project is anticipated to significantly enrich the cultural and educational landscape for the school’s students, local residents, and the broader historic preservation community in west London. By injecting nearly £328,000 into specialized heritage craft through Mander Organ Builders, the initiative preserves endangered European organ-building techniques while creating new academic and community pathways.
For the students and local community members, the reintroduction of a fully operational, historically significant Loret pipe organ in August 2027 will provide unique experiential learning opportunities, regular public concert series, and direct engagement with European social history. Furthermore, the National Lottery Heritage Fund backing ensures that the surrounding community will benefit from educational programs that connect local west London history with nineteenth-century continental European events, fostering a deeper appreciation for historic preservation and classical music performance among younger audiences.
