We’re pleased to announce that we have now raised more than £1m in donations and pledges towards our overall £2m target. This landmark moment was achieved just before Christmas 2024, and is the result of the generous support of many people in Wells, across the South West and the wider UK.

The Dean of Wells Cathedral, Toby Wright said:

“The Cathedral organ is in a rapidly deteriorating state, and it is becoming increasingly urgent that we restore this once magnificent instrument to its full glory. Until now, our wonderful organists have masked the decline of the organ’s performance, concealing its flaws from the ears of the thousands of people who come each year to attend Cathedral services, recitals and concerts. Reaching the appeal halfway point is a landmark moment and we owe our thanks to everyone who has found a way to support the appeal with such generosity.”

In a further update, Chairman of the Appeal committee David Morgan Hewitt said:

“Progress being made on the fundraising side of the appeal has allowed us to begin more detailed planning and we now have a proposed timetable of works for the organ’s refurbishment. It is likely that the organ pipes will be removed at the start of 2026 and will be taken away for repair and refurbishment.   At the same time, work will begin on crafting new sets of pipes for the 32 foot stops and the new trumpets.  It is hoped that the organ will be reinstalled by the end of 2027 or early in 2028.  The process of refurbishing the organ is a very complex, specialised and labour-intensive challenge and will mean a couple of years with a temporary instrument. But the end result will be worth the wait and will create a greatly improved and fully revitalised instrument that is ready to continue its work for the next 50 years or more”

Having achieved the first £1m, the appeal committee will now be refocusing its efforts on raising the second million. The present economic environment is challenging for any fund-raising project, but the committee members remain confident that they will rise to the challenge. With the support and generosity of donors from Somerset and across the United Kingdom, the goal is to ensure that Wells Cathedral is able to maintain the highest musical standards with a refurbished organ that is fit and ready for the 21st century.

To find out more about how you can support the Appeal, please contact the Friends of Wells Cathedral on organappeal@wellsfriends.org

Ben Maton, widely recognized as The Salisbury Organist, visited Wells recently to raise awareness about the ongoing challenges facing the iconic organ at Wells Cathedral. The renowned musician and organist, who has garnered a significant online following through his musical performances and informative videos, focused his efforts on highlighting both the remarkable history and the current issues with the Cathedral’s Grand Organ.

Our magnificent Organ has been at the heart of worship and music at the Cathedral for centuries. However, due to the age of the instrument and the wear and tear it has sustained over time, the organ is now in need of urgent restoration. To address these critical repairs, the Friends of Wells Cathedral is running the Grand Organ Appeal to raise much-needed funds.

Ben Maton’s support for the appeal has been hugely appreciated. On Advent Sunday, Maton released a video that not only showcases the splendour of the Wells Cathedral Organ, but also educates viewers about the importance of preserving this historic instrument for future generations. In just one day, the video made a huge impact, generating over £1,000 in donations to the appeal. The video has since continued to gather attention globally, further amplifying the call for support and increasing awareness of the organ’s preservation needs.

“We are absolutely thrilled by the engagement Ben has helped generate,” said Carolyn Craig, Assistant Director of Music at Wells Cathedral, and the instrument’s chief player. “His video has had an extraordinary reach, and we are incredibly grateful for his dedication to this cause. It’s clear that people around the world share our passion for preserving this beautiful instrument, and Ben’s efforts have given us a fantastic boost at a critical time.”

We urge supporters to continue watching the video to help boost its visibility, particularly through the YouTube algorithm, which can help spread the message further.

Watch the video below to see Ben’s wonderful demonstrations, and support the Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal. Your engagement helps spread the word and makes a tangible difference in preserving this national treasure.

Every contribution helps, and every viewer makes a difference!

Wells Cathedral Director of Music, Timothy Parsons was recently interviewed on ITV News about the pressing need to raise £2million to fund a complete overhaul of the Cathedral’s organ. You can watch the complete feature below.

Reaching the First Million – Grand Organ Appeal Update
Thursday 19th September 2024, 7.30pm in Wells Cathedral

The Friends of Wells Cathedral are holding a special evening on Thursday 19th September to focus on the Cathedral’s Organ and the fundraising for it refurbishment and renovation. The Friends Grand Organ Appeal has now reached £950,000 in donations and pledges, only £50,000 short of the first million pounds, the halfway point of the Appeal.   

Unfortunately, the news about the current state of the organ is much less joyful; 25% of the instrument is not playable and will not be so until it is rebuilt.  Further deterioration is inevitable. This sad news has only spurred the Friends to raise the funding as fast as they can. One of the first public performances for the Cathedral’s new Director of Music, Timothy Parsons, will be a concert in the Cathedral on Thursday September 19th at 7:00pm. He will be joined by the Cathedral’s the Assistant Director of Music, Carolyn Craig, the Wells Chamber Choir and others as the evening demonstrates the various ways in which the organ supports the musical life of the Cathedral. The evening will present the organ as a solo instrument, in conjunction with singers and other instruments, and supporting community singing.  There will also be an interview with Timothy Parsons, as well as an update on the Appeal and refurbishment plans.

 Mr David Morgan-Hewitt, chair of the Friends’ Appeal Committee says, “The Grand Organ Appeal has now reached £950,000 in donations and pledges. This means we are only £50,000 short of the first million pounds - our halfway point!  This is a great milestone that we hope to be able to reach and celebrate before the end of 2024. Thank you so much to so many of you for your generous support already received from around the world, which has helped us to get so close to this important point on our fundraising journey.”

The skills of organists help to cover up so many of the shortcomings which now exist. Sticking notes, hissing sounds, mechanical malfunctions on stops and delays in the reaction to the keyboards are all regular occurrences which they try their best to disguise. However, even the skills of these amazing musicians are no longer enough to keep standards up. In recent months there have been some heart stopping moments when it seemed possible that the organ would fail altogether.

 The primary objective of the Appeal is to recondition the organ by removing all 5,000 existing pipes for repair, cleaning or replacement and to overhaul the console, the pedals and the stops. But the vision also includes plans to deliver a significant enhancement to its musical performance.  It is intended to add a few more pipes to increase the range and interest of sounds available, especially for the larger occasions. The Cathedral’s organ is one of the few without a colossal 32-foot stop to underpin the fabulous sound of a great congregation.   The hope is that the refurbished organ will be a Grand Organ that will be truly appropriate for the Cathedral’s reputation as a centre of excellence for English choral music.

The event on 19th September will launch The Friends of Wells Cathedral £50,000 Push.  All are very welcome to attend this free event.

Timothy Parsons

Carolyn Craig

David Morgan-Hewitt

We are delighted that the following recitals will be taking place throughout the year. Admission is free but all will have a retiring collection in aid of the Grand Organ Appeal. Please come and support these events if you are able.

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During the week of 20 June, we hosted two separate Grand Organ Experience events to raise money in support of the appeal. On Tuesday, Elaine Beck and her sister Jennifer Bayliss, came to play the organ. Whilst a very musical duo, they didn’t have any previous experience playing the organ. Under the tutelage of our Assistant Director Music, Alexander Hamilton, they were able find out how this ‘King of Instruments’ works, and how to get the best from it. They reported that the experience had been ‘fascinating’!

On Thursday it was Michael Warren’s turn to play the Cathedral organ, this time under the guidance of Jeremy Cole, Director Music. His wife Sally had been looking for a special, unique gift as a birthday surprise. With contributions made by family and friends she booked the evening and kept it a secret from Michael. Already a competent keyboard player, Michael had previously played the organ but never on an instrument on the scale and power of our Cathedral organ. Michael was told about his birthday gift a few days before and so was able to prepare a number of pieces, including some jazz numbers and show tunes. It is not often that the exotic tones of ‘Bali Hai’ are heard wafting down the Cathedral Nave! Most interesting was that Michael played some of his numbers twice, using different sounds as guided by Jeremy Cole. This demonstrated just how flexible, subtle and nuanced the organ can be when the most appropriate stops are being used for a particular piece of music. The evening was an emotional one and a tear or two were shed by his four guests who listened from the Quire.

If you would like to join us at Wells Cathedral for your own Grand Organ Experience please click here for details.

Elaine and Jenny with Assistant Director of Music, Alexander Hamilton, and Precentor, Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle

Michael with Director of Music, Jeremy Cole

On the evening of Saturday 21 May, a large and excited audience gathered in the Cathedral to listen to the Gala Organ Concert in aid of the Friends of Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal. The evening’s performer was internationally renowned organ virtuoso, David Briggs, currently Artist in Residence at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York City. 

Following a highly entertaining and informative introduction to the programme from Maestro Briggs, the audience was treated to an extremely fine concert including works by Franz Schmidt, Maurice Ravel, Charles-Marie Widor, and an incredibly improvised Scherzo. The second half of the concert was devoted to Briggs’ own transcription of Vaughan-Williams’ Fifth Symphony, which demonstrated the full potential of the Cathedral organ along with a display of musicality and virtuosity which surely left no-one unmoved. 

The concert was enhanced by a video link to the ‘cockpit’, which showed the complexity and physicality involved in such world-class organ playing. We would like to thank everyone who attended the concert, as well as expressing our sincere gratitude to David Briggs. We were truly privileged to welcome to Wells one of the world’s finest organists.

David Briggs Gala Organ Recital

“…one of the world’s greatest contemporary organists” (New York Times)

Join us on the evening of Saturday 21st May 2022 for an evening of exceptional music making by David Briggs, consistently ranked as one of the finest organists of his generation. Internationally renowned, Briggs’s performances are acclaimed for their musicality and his ability to excite and engage audiences of all ages.

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Gala Organ Recital - Musical Programme

Prelude and Fugue in D major ‘Hallelujah’ - Franz Schmidt (1874-1939)

Pavane pour une infante défunte - Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) transcribed by David Briggs (2017)

Improvisation: Scherzo Symphonique

Symphonie VI - Charles Marie-Widor (1844-1937)
Adagio - FInale - Vivace

INTERVAL

Symphony No. 5 in D Major - Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) transcribed by David Briggs (2019)
Preludio - Scherzo - Romanza - Passacaglia

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About David Briggs

Known for his unbridled virtuosity and passion for making organ music vibrant and accessible to a wide and diverse audience, Briggs is one of the most sought-after concert organists of his generation.

At the age of 17, he obtained his FRCO (Fellow of the Royal College of Organists) diploma, winning the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. From 1981-84 he was Organ Scholar at King’s College Cambridge, during which time he also studied with Jean Langlais in Paris.

He teaches performance at Cambridge University, frequently serves on international organ competition juries, and gives master classes at colleges and conservatories across the US and Europe.

Briggs has held numerous positions in North America and the UK. He is currently Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City.

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About the Friends of Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal

The Friends of Wells Cathedral aims to raise the £2m needed to restore and improve the Cathedral organ. New ranges of pipes will be added and existing pipes will be given a new lease of life. The result will be the best organ our Cathedral has ever had – fit for the 21st Century – our Grand Organ. Read more…

On Thursday 20th January, Richard Kerton-Welch, accompanied by his wife Lisa and mother Sue, visited the Cathedral after evensong to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the magnificent Cathedral organ. Richard may be a familiar face to many Wells residents as he is the store manager at the High Street Branch of CanDo4You – our very own shoe repairer and engraver par excellence! This Grand Organ Experience was given to him as a gift by two good friends to mark Richard’s many years of service as organist at St Mary Magdalene in Wookey Hole.

During the evening Richard played a number of pieces he had personally selected. The programme was wide ranging and included:

• Air and Gavotte - John Sanders

• Cebell - Henry Purcell & Festive Procession - Paul Bryan (Richard’s own merged concept!)

• Largo from 'Xerxes' - George Frideric Handel

• Minuet from 'Samson' - George Frideric Handel

• Gymnopedie No.1 - Erik Satie

• ‘I dreamed a dream’ from Les Miserables - Claude-Michel Schönberg

• Communion - Malcolm Archer

The evening was concluded when Director of Music Jeremy Cole played Elgar’s magnificent Imperial March with Richard watching up close in the organ loft. Throughout the evening, Jeremy was coaching Richard on how to get the most out of the Cathedral organ and from time to time adjusted the stops to ensure maximum impact from the music being played. Richard filmed the entire event in the loft whilst sound recordings were made by his wife Lisa who was sitting in the Quire.

Richard said: “It has been a lifelong dream to have the chance to play the Wells Cathedral Organ. After decades playing the organ in Wookey Hole, the big step up to one of the biggest and best organs in the country was an exciting prospect. The whole evening is one I shall never forget and I want to thank Jeremy Cole, the Cathedral Friends and most especially my wonderful friends at St Mary’s Wookey Hole for giving me this fantastic opportunity. This is an amazing appeal and I would encourage everyone to support it in any way they can.”

If you would like to support the Friends of Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal by arranging your own Grand Organ Experience or would like to gift the opportunity to a friend or loved one, please click here for more information

Enjoying a pre-experience drink with Jeremy Cole (right)

Richard ascends the stairs to the organ loft

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On Thursday 18th November, the Friends of Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal was launched in front of a large audience of invited guests. Representatives of the Friends, the Cathedral, the City of Wells, and the County of Somerset gathered in the nave for this important occasion.

The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr John Davies, welcomed the Lord Lieutenant and the other assembled guests to a special recital which was played by no fewer than five organists. After a welcome drink, he explained that every 50 years or so the organ has to undergo a full refurbishment. It is, after all, a working instrument that is played every day of the year to accompany the Cathedral Choir as well as local and visiting choirs. On top of this, it is played regularly in concerts, recitals, and used to accompany events which take place in the Cathedral. This constant use since its last overhaul back in the 1970s means it is now beginning to sound very tired and at times somewhat underwhelming. The time has come to bring it back to its full potential as a truly glorious Grand Organ for Wells Cathedral.

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David Morgan-Hewitt, the Chairman of The Grand Organ Appeal, announced that over £300,000 of the £2 million required to undertake this vital project has already been given or pledged. He went on to explain the ways in which we can all help by donating to the appeal. “The backbone of our fundraising is the Regular Giving Programme but you can also give one off donations, provide a legacy in your will or Adopt a Pipe. There are even opportunities to play the organ and hold a private recital for special occasions.” The Chairman then suggested we all go and check out the website for details of these unique packages.

We then heard from the five organists. During an entertaining discussion, they gave their views on our instrument and how it compares to others they have played, recounted their personal journeys to becoming professional organists, and told us some of the funniest and most vexing moments of their careers. For many this was a highlight of the evening as we had an opportunity to get to know something about the people who make this organ sing.

Following a short film explaining the many challenges with the organ at the moment, given by Harrison and Harrison who maintain our organ, the recital began. Each of the organists played two of their favourite pieces whilst a live video feed allowed those in the nave to watch the incredible virtuosity of our passionate musicians. Finally, David Bednall entertained us with one of his famous improvisations whilst we all tried to identify the advent carols and popular songs hidden deep in the music.

Following the event, we have received some great feedback, with a number of guests commenting that the occasion had been an inspiring, enjoyable and informative evening.  The amazing virtuosity of our organists made the very best of our slightly tired organ and we all headed out into the autumn evening to the strains of Widor’s famous Toccata, known to brides across the world!

Click here to view the Launch Programme