AROUND 4,000 pipes, plus wind reservoirs, electrical systems and console, have been removed from Wells Cathedral as part of a £3 million refurbishment programme of the venue’s Grand Organ.
Packed into 60 crates, the dismantled organ has been transported 300 miles north to the Durham workshop of organ builders, Harrison & Harrison, where they are expected to remain until summer 2027.
Wells Cathedral took the decision to undertake the project after various mechanical faults were found to be risking imminent failure of the organ.
Timothy Parsons, director of Music at Wells Cathedral, said: “Our cathedral organ has become less and less reliable in recent months, and leading up to Christmas the problems became worse, with a division of the organ failing without warning one Sunday morning.
“Unfortunately, it was reaching the point where the instrument wouldn’t have been playable at all, so the arrival of the temporary organ and the start of the work by Harrison & Harrison couldn’t have come at a better moment.”
READ MORE: Wells Cathedral organ restoration to begin amid fears of ‘catastrophic failure’
The project has been supported by The Friends of Wells Cathedral charity, The Vinehill Trust, and other donors.
Arnold Wills, chair of The Friends of Wells Cathedral, said: “The Friends have committed to two-thirds of the total cost and have been lead partners in getting this project initiated.
“We have a great working relationship with Dean Toby and the whole Cathedral team, and the project is on track to be a magnificent success.
“Everyone here is behind the project and we have some very special fundraising events planned. I can’t wait to play the organ when it’s returned.”
Georgina Landau, director of development at Wells Cathedral, said more needed to be raised to cover the cost of the enormous refurbishment programme.
“The extremely generous support of The Friends of Wells Cathedral, The Vinehill Trust and other donors has enabled us to begin this critical project to save something at the very heart of Wells Cathedral,” she said.
“However, we still need to raise a significant sum to see this major project through to completion, and so we would love to hear from any trusts, foundations or private donors who would like to support this.”
Last rebuilt in the 1970s, the foundations of the current Grand Organ were established in the 1850s, while records of an organ in Wells Cathedral date back as far as the early 14th century.
Restorers at Harrison & Harrison plan to preserve as much as possible of the organ’s heritage, according to managing director, Andrew Scott.
“We will be making careful use of much of the existing organ’s pipework, while replacing the worn mechanism and making it easier to maintain, alongside introducing some modern playing aids at the console to enhance the instrument’s versatility,” he said.
Not all the organ’s pipes are to be taken to Durham. The largest pipes – measuring around five metres in length and visible from the cathedral’s nave – will be restored on site.
Until the Grand Organ is due to be reinstalled, the cathedral’s organists will be performing on a temporary Viscount Regent 356-D organ.
Carolyn Craig, assistant director of Music at Wells Cathedral, said: “It’s a relief to play an instrument that works, and it’s great fun playing with the many sounds available, but no digital instrument can replace the body and presence of our Grand Organ. We can’t wait to have it back.”
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