The Challenges

If you are visiting Wells to attend Evensong or listen to a recital on the Cathedral organ, you might be forgiven for thinking that all is well, because for the time being the organ is still speaking. However, the skills of our organists really do help cover up so many of the shortcomings which sadly now exist on our organ. Sticking notes, hissing sounds, mechanical malfunctions on particular stops and delays in the reaction to the keyboards are all regular occurrences which they try their best
to disguise.

However, we are now facing the possibility that the organ could fail altogether. In May 2024, one of the wind reservoirs in the organ suffered a catastrophic failure and two entire divisions of the organ, the Choir and the Positive, are no longer functioning. There is no quick fix for this, and so it is unlikely that these sounds – about a third of the organ’s stops – will be heard again until we complete our restoration project. This experience has given us all a warning as to the very fragile state of the instrument, and the real possibility that more parts of the organ might follow.

The Vision

The primary objective of the project 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 our vision also includes plans to deliver a significant enhancement to its musical performance.
To this end we will revoice and rebalance the instrument, moving more of the sound to the nave side and less of it on the quire side.
This will create a much more appropriate volume for the great civic services, the carol services and celebrations which take place in the nave each year.  For daily Evensong in the quire a much more elegant and sensitive range of pipes will accompany these daily devotions.

We also intend to add a few more pipes to increase the range and interest of sounds available, especially for the larger occasions. Our cathedral organ is one of the few without a colossal 32-foot stop to underpin the fabulous sound of a great congregation – an omission we aim to correct. We hope also to commission a rank of trumpets for the grandest of occasions. A few more additions are being planned to ensure that the refurbished organ will be a Grand Organ that will be truly appropriate for our reputation as a centre of excellence for English choral music.