St. Luke's Church, Salford

Introduction

The organ was built in 1968 for the then newly built church. The church also has a digital organ with 4 manuals and pedalboard, built using Compton manuals, with customised software.

Architecture and furnishings

The organ builder was Jardine & Company Limited, Manchester. Manual I has 61 keys, compass C2-C6, electric relay stop action, and is unenclosed. As of May 2024, the organ was playable with selected stops. The organ is regularly maintained and tuned but needs an overhaul. The organ is located in the organ loft/gallery.

Music and liturgy

The parish has singing at three of its weekly Masses. For special occasions, a Parish Choir is formed from singers of all the Masses. The parish runs a Hand Drum Group with Djembe and other percussion from around the world. The parish has its own hymn compositions and arrangements.

The parish's YouTube channel gets more than 50,000 views per month and has followers worldwide. The digital organ defaults to General 1 settings when switched on and is ready to play.

The organ details are listed in the National Pipe Organ Register. The organ has an electric blower by British Organ Blowers (B.O.B). The organ has 23 speaking stops, 4 extended ranks, and 2 couplers. The pedalboard is straight flat with 32 keys and compass C1-G3.

The parish offers additional verses for the hymn 'By All Your Saints Still Striving'. The parish offers the hymn 'Our Lady Of Hope'. The parish offers 'Pilgrims Of Hope' for small choirs.

The parish offers singing as a group and opportunities for solo singing. The aim is to sing hymns at Mass and for parish performances, and to make music videos for social media, including creating original lyrics and music with rap and hip-hop beats. Pulse of Hope is primarily for young people aged 10 and over, though some younger members exist. Older children are invited to sing in the choirs at Sunday Mass.

Parish life

The parish has a Social and Community Group at each church which meets most months and organises the Summer and Christmas fairs. The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) is an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing practical assistance to those in need.

The parish seeks catechists for the Confirmation Programme. The parish seeks new members of the SVP. The parish seeks support for a Mums and Tots group at St Luke's. The parish seeks ecumenical group members. The parish seeks a communications lead.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Baptisms are expected to take place within 3 months of the second meeting with the priest or catechist, unless there are exceptional circumstances. In 2019 the parish began using the 'I Belong' teaching materials published by Redemptorist Publications for the Sacramental Programme. The RCIA follows no strict timetable and is tailored to every individual, with sacraments celebrated at Easter where possible.

Drum lessons focus on worship music that will occasionally be sung at Mass and for performance with Pulse of Hope. The drum group teaches playing with djembe, conga, other drums and percussion. Performances and videos use music and dance to tell stories of creativity, identity, and faith. Music forms the core of the group, with flexibility for members to attend other sessions that suit their interests.

Music downloads are made available for non-commercial use and permission is granted for personal use and use in Christian worship and services. The parish seeks stewards/greeters in both churches.

Visiting

Website managers may link to the Hymn Library and embed the parish's music videos on their own websites. The Hymn Library catalogue can be downloaded as a CSV for full recording details and direct video links.