May 2005
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Christ Church, Leeson Park closed for Church of Ireland Sunday worship at the end of May because of reduced numbers attending the church. The official closing service was on Ascension Day, Thursday 5 May. The preacher and principal celebrant was the Most Revd John Neill, Archbishop of Dublin, a former rector of the church. In his sermon he described the constantly changing environment since the church was built and how it had adapted to change through the years—a process that will continue into the future.

The congregation at the Ascension Day service numbered around 400, many of whom had past connections with the church. Former choir members returned to the choir to sing for the service, joining the present choir and members of the Methodist Centenary choir. Other past choristers and former organists of the church were in the congregation.

Before the service the following pieces were played by David Bedlow, the present organist of the church, as a tribute to former organists — John Craig, Harry Shellard, Arthur Morley, Ruarc Gahan, David McConnell, Trevor Crowe (Methodist Centenary and Christ Church), Malcolm Wisener, David Jones, and Derek Seymour (present Methodist Centenary organist), and past organists of St Columba's Church which was part of the same parish—Ronnie Marino, Ronnie Taylor, and Ruth Maybury, and Edwin Maxwell: Cantico Sacra Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in the bonds of death ... but now he is risen; five verses)—Samuel Scheidt; Te Deum Laudamus (prelude and five verses)—Dieterich Buxtehude; Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein (Lutheran hymn on the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus; three verses)—Matthias Weckman. The Te Deum was played also as a thanksgiving for the life and witness of the founders, benefactors and all who worshipped in the church.

The music for the sung Eucharist was Richard Shephard’s The Addington Service. The communion anthem was S.S. Wesley’s Lead me, Lord—a favourite from long ago. Buxtehude Praeludium in D minor concluded the service.
The intended dedication of the church was to Christ the King. The chancel decoration, incorporating kingly crowns and crowns of thorns, was restored in 2001 as a millennium project.

Since 1972 the church has been shared with the Methodist Centenary congregation, following the destruction of the Methodist Centenary Church, St Stephen's Green by fire a few years before. The Methodist congregation will cease worshipping in the church at the end of May and will move to the Litton Hall (adjoining Wesley House in the grounds of the church).

The intention is that the church will be used on Sundays and holy days by the Rumanian Orthodox church from June onwards, or as soon after as practicable. The Church of Ireland parish will continue to exist as an entity and the Holy Eucharist will continue to be celebrated according to the rites of the church of Ireland in the church's St Columba's Chapel on Wednesdays.

The organ in Christ Church Leeson Park replaced an earlier organ possibly built by William Telford of Dublin. The present organ, which is one of the most versatile in Dublin, was built in 1901 by Gray & Davison. It was rebuilt and enlarged by Conacher in 1931; the key action was converted to electro-pneumatic and minor changes to the stop distribution were made c.1960 by R.E. Meates; in the early 1980s further changes to optimise the tonal resources of the instrument were made by Trevor Crowe.

In 1991 the organ suffered serious damage when rain water burst through the roof over the organ chamber during a storm, following which a restoration programme was commenced. The Great soundboard and underaction was refurbished, and the Swell Clarion repaired. More recently the pedalboard was overhauled with new sticks, and changes were made to the Pedal reeds (the Trumpet 8 ft borrowed from the Great and a new Pedal Cornet 2 ft placed on a chest previously occupied by a Choir Tuba).

The present stop list is:

Great: Bourdon 16', Open Diapason Major 8', Open Diapason Minor 8', Stopped Diapason & Clarabella 8', Principal 4', Harmonic Flute 4', Twelfth 2 2/3' Fifteenth 2', Piccolo 2', Tierce 1 3/5', Sesquialtera III, Trumpet 8'.

Swell: Open Diapason 8', Clarinet Flute 8', Echo Gamba 8', Voix Celeste 8', Principal 4', Wald Flute 4', Fifteenth 2', Mixture III, Scherf II, Contra Fagotto 16', Cornopean 8', Oboe 8', Clarion 4', Tremulant.

Choir (enclosed): Lieblich Gedact 8', Gamba 8', Dulciana 8', Suabe Flute 4', Piccolo 2', Siflet 1', Trumpet 8' (from Great), Corno di Bassetto 8', Tremulant.

Pedal: Open Diapason (Wood) 16', Violone 16', Bourdon 16', Octave 8', Bass Flute 8', Fifteenth 4', Rauch Quint II, Trombone 16', Trumpet 8' (from Great), Cornet 2'.

Couplers, etc. Swell to Great, Choir to Great, Swell to Choir, Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal, Choir to Pedal, Pedal Organ off Great Pistons. Four thumb pistons to Great/Pedal and Swell, duplicated by four toe pistons to Great/Pedal and Swell (Great/Pedal pistons can be de-coupled); three thumb pistons to Choir; Great to Pedal reversible toe piston.

The piston action is still tubular pneumatic, as is most of the stop action, but a few stops are electro pneumatic or direct electric, and therefore not attached to the piston system (an arrangement designed to trap unwary visiting organists who do not practice their registration before playing!). The final planned job in the restoration programme was to replace the Tremulants with a single unit acting on the entire organ but this has not yet been done. The Orthodox Church does not permit the use of musical instruments so will not be using the organ. In due course the Church of Ireland parish may seek a suitable new home for the organ where it will be used regularly and properly maintained. In the meantime the parish will continue to maintain the instrument in playing order.

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