Gloucester Cathedral has said that this year’s Organ Festival will be extra special, as it will see the unveiling of its brand new organ.
The festival will run from 13-15 June and has been described as a “celebration of music for all” by organisers who have put together a range of musical performances.
Andrew Zihni, Dean of the Cathedral, said, “This year’s Organ Festival is a thrilling highlight of the Cathedral’s Year of Music, celebrating the unveiling of the magnificent new organ, an instrument built to lift hearts and inspire generations to come in worship and wonder.
“Bringing together world-class performers and the wider community, the weekend will showcase the instrument’s extraordinary range and marks an exciting new chapter in the Cathedral’s musical life, a life rooted in the daily offering of prayer and praise. We look forward to welcoming all who can attend this special occasion.”
The highlight of the festival is expected to be the Gala Concert on 13 June, featuring the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Gloucester Cathedral’s very own Director of Music, Adrian Partingdon.
The following day the full range of the new organ will be demonstrated at a recital by pianist and organist, Wayne Marshall.
The news comes at a time of decline for the traditional church organ.
Pipe Up, a charity devoted to the preservation of organs, warned earlier this year that the instrument could be virtually extinct in Britain by 2070. The group said that every year 400 church organs are scrapped or go unused.
Since 1915 the number of pipe organs in the country is believed to have dropped from 40,000 to just 15,000. Of those that remain only around half are in a playable condition, and of those, only half are regularly used.
Even when organs are saved from landfill, they often end up being shipped abroad.
