St Alphage Church in Burnt Oak has survived more than 70 years and one wartime bombing, but a fire five years ago almost destroyed it.

It looks fairly innocuous from the outside. Tucked away off Montrose Avenue and camouflaged by trees and bushes, passers-by would be unaware of the impressive, spacious Twenties building inside. But perhaps the most impressive feature of this parish church was its 1870 organ.

Whether it was the fine workmanship of this magnificent instrument or the excellent acoustics in the airy, tall-ceilinged building, that made it so special, the result was a sound so open it resonated around the whole church.

But five years ago, the music stopped. Three youths broke into St Alphage and lit a bonfire on the platform where the instrument stood. This mindless act of vandalism destroyed the organ and nearly brought the rest of the church down with it.

The Reverand Hugh Moore, vicar of St Alphage for 30 years, remembers the night as if it were yesterday. Arriving at the church to meet me on his Honda motorbike, he is the picture of an eccentric parish priest. His Springer Spaniel Jack skids up and down the aisle, as he explains how the arson attack affected the whole parish.

'The organ was totally destroyed. We had to gather the bits up and put it all into two skips,' he said. 'It all came crashing down and fell to the ground.'

Showing me pictures of the church after the fire, Mr Moore said if firefighters hadn't acted as quickly as they did it could have been a lot worse. 'If the fire brigade had arrived five minutes later, the whole roof would have come in. As it was the window on the back wall was starting to buckle.'

The whole roof had to be replaced and, of course, there was the problem of how to raise money for a new organ. So this year, the church launched its Millennium Appeal for that purpose.

Edgware-based firm B C Shepherd & Son, who used to service the old organ, are currently working on the new one which will go on the back wall of the church and has been designed to fit around the window.

The church has already raised an incredible £70,000 through fundraising events, but there is still a fair way to go which is where the Apollo Male Voice Choir, based in Mill Hill, comes in.

The choir, led by musical director David Heasman, who learnt to sing at the church 50 years ago when he was just eight, performed a charity concert at the church on Saturday and the Rev Moore hopes other similar events will bring in enough to give the congregation organ music to be proud of again.

icoe@london.newsquest.co.uk