The service of dedication of the new Copeman Hart organ in the Chapel of St Edmund's School, Canterbury, drew many distinguished visitors. There was a real sense of occasion. The atmosphere tingled with jubilant expectation. The congregation fired with enthusiasm by the new organ, raised the roof of the early Victorian School Chapel. The Chaplain declared afterwards that in all his twelve years at St Edmund's the dedication service of the Copeman Hart organ represented the zenith of musical achievement and experience in the life of the Chapel.

"For years, it had been a dream to replace the worthy but worn out Father Willis organ. A Trust Fund had been established and clearly the trustees and the Director of Music, Ian Sutcliffe, and Chapel organist, Andrew Bryden FRCO, wanted to make a choice worthy of the trust of those who had so generously given to the fund. Favourable reports had reached St Edmund's of the Copeman Hart organ in Southwell Minster, and after consultations had been made, the momentous decision was taken.

"It was vindicated when the eminent and distinguished Dr Allan Wicks CBE, former Organist and Master of the Canterbury Cathedral Choristers - who are educated at St Edmund's School - gave a learned and laudatory address at the service of dedication. Laudatory because he had been visibly moved by the exhilarating and idiomatic performance of 'Hear my words, ye people' by Parry, accompanied by Andrew Bryden and rivetingly sung by the Chapel choir under the incisive direction of Ian Sutcliffe. Indeed, not only visibly, but also verbally moved: Dr Wicks declared the organ to be magnificent. All who were present agreed. And Dr Wicks' address was learned, in that one of the messages that he wanted to put across, which certainly struck a chord with those present, including the Headmaster, Mr Nicholas Ridley, was that the greatest art emanates from a framework of discipline.

"So it is with the partnership of St Edmund's School, Canterbury and Copeman Hart. Both are looking forward to the future, because they are both forward looking. Copeman Hart transcends but embraces traditional inheritance of the pipe organ with state of the art technology. St Edmund's School - by definition, a traditional framework of discipline - has had a tradition of looking forward since 1749. Hence the choice of a traditional pipe organ in electronic form from Copeman Hart."

Marcus Jeffrey, a Director of the School