AN ORGANIST and choirmistress has pledged that she will dye her hair according to liturgical colours, to raise money to refurbish her church's organ.

Kathryn Rose will start on the first day of Advent, dyeing her naturally brown hair purple. She will then change her hair colour according to the liturgical calendar - dyeing it variously white, gold, red, and green. "I'm not looking forward to ordinary time, as green really doesn't suit me," she said last week.

She plans to use hair-dyes from Camden Market, and says that Holy Week will be her biggest challenge. "I'll have to go from red during Holy Week, to white, then gold - Holy Saturday could be interesting! It is meant to be light-hearted, and a bit of fun, but it will also make me think a little bit more about something that we follow as a Church."

She has vowed to keep up with the liturgical colours until Pentecost, and hopes to raise about £6000 towards the £45,000 needed to re- leather the organ's bellows at St Andrew's, Leytonstone.

Miss Rose, aged 32, who is Canadian, has lived in the area for 12 years. She is getting married in September at St Andrew's, and decided to postpone the hair-dyeing fund-raiser until after the wedding day. She said, however: "If someone offered me the entire amount for the organ, then I'd consider doing it on my wedding day, too."

To donate to the appeal, text ORGN99 £10 to 70070, or see www.justgiving.com/LiturgicalHair.