THE SEARCH is on for the next generation of church organists.
A new project kicking off in Dorchester will encourage young musicians to pipe up' and try their hands at the king of instruments'.
The pipe up! scheme, run by the Diocese of Salisbury in association with the Tindall Trust, is holding a network of Saturday morning workshops to address the church's shortage of organists.
Diocesan church music adviser Robert Fielding said: "The project is really to encourage young people to consider taking organ lessons.
"There is a lack of organists in the church now so the Tindall Trust are supporting this bid to promote the organ as a possible instrument that youngsters will take up.
"There is quite a bit of an age gap at the moment and there is alarm because a growing number of churches are desperate for people to play.
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"We will provide the teaching and instruments and hopefully inspire them."
The first workshop at Dorchester next Saturday, April 26, will see five youngsters, aged between nine and 17, have a go on the organ at St Mary's Church in Edward Road with the guidance of three expert tutors.
Mr Fielding said: "Dorchester is the first one to get going as we have had the most responses there.
"For the kids it's a bit more appealing as they are in a group, it's a difficult instrument to learn.
"It's also difficult to get the opportunity to play, you have got to get a key to a church or someone has got to let you in - it's not like getting a clarinet out of your case at home!"
Mr Fielding is hoping to see workshops operating across the diocese before long and delivering a new wave of enthusiastic, talented organists.
He said: "The idea is to have about half a dozen workshops all playing on a Saturday morning up and down the diocese.
"These will be to get them started and then eventually they will go on to have individual lessons."
Other planned locations for workshops in Dorset include Sherborne, Beaminster, Weymouth and Swanage.
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