Down Cathedral houses one of the finest organs in Ireland and deserves to be preserved and maintained in first class condition.
The magnificent and renowned instrument has been in use from the early 1800s, enhancing worship and providing enrichment through recitals and various musical events. All who perform on it and hear it are amazed by its beauty of tone.
The instrument you hear today is nearing two hundred years old. It was structurally rebuilt in 1913/1914 by one of the UK’s leading organ builders – Harrison & Harrison of Durham.
The organ still sounds magnificent, so why do we have a restoration appeal?
In any organ the mechanism is complicated. Down Cathedral Organ requires thousands of moving parts to activate its three keyboards and pedals. It is therefore not surprising that many of these components are coming to the end of their effective working life. The organ was last cleaned in 1986 and thirty years of dust, dirt and a certain amount of decorating debris are beginning clog the speaking pipes and mar the fine tone of this historic instrument. Hundreds of the two and a half thousand pipes will have to be removed and individually cleaned. It is an extremely skilled, time consuming and therefore very expensive business.
In order to carry out this work we ask for your support in raising £125,000 so that this splendid instrument may continue to give a wonderful musical experience in this historic Cathedral for generations to come.
Donations to the Organ Appeal may be made in the following ways:
Online
– via our JustGiving campaign page
By post/cheque
– Cheque’s payable to Down Cathedral Organ Appeal
Send to:
The Honorary Treasurer, Mr. James Norwood, 31 The Terrace, Church Street, Downpatrick, Co. Down, BT30 6EH
Thank you for you support!