The Organ
Music
Norwich Cathedral has one of the largest pipe organs in the country, with the organ featuring an incredible 5,767 pipes that range from 32 feet to just an inch long.
In November 2023, the organ was reinaugurated after a complete rebuild by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and is now considered one of the finest instruments of its kind in the country.
A special festival will be taking place in summer 2026 to celebrate this magnificent pipe organ.
An organ has been one of the musical centrepieces of the Cathedral’s worship for centuries - the first known references to an organ here date from the 14th century, and since then numerous famed organ builders (including Dallam, Renatus Harris, Byfield and Bishop) have been associated with instruments at the Cathedral.
In 1899, a new five manual organ was built by Norman and Beard but it was badly damaged by fire during a dramatic Evensong on 9 April 1938.
In 1940-42, the organ was rebuilt by Hill, Norman and Beard and the impressive casework by Stephen Dykes Bower added in 1950.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, after more than 70 years of providing music for daily worship, the organ underwent an extensive rebuild to preserve it for future generations.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, a complete rebuilding and reorganisation of the organ was undertaken by Harrison and Harrison organ builders of Durham.
This saw the removal and overhaul of nearly all of its several thousand pipes and the internal layout of the instrument was redesigned to achieve a more even distribution of sound throughout the Cathedral. The console was replaced and technology updated to ensure that the organ is fit for purpose for many decades to come.
The work was completed in summer 2023 and a special series of Organ Reborn! concerts took place in November 2023 to celebrate the return of the organ.
Norwich Cathedral’s Summer Organ Festival kicked off in spectacular style with five days of events and services in early July – and the festival continues with recitals throughout the summer.
Highlights so far have included a Battle of the Organs musical extravaganza, a Baroque Masterpieces concert, Choral Evensong with BBC Radio 3, and a BBC Singers performance featuring music inspired by Edith Cavell and Julian of Norwich.
Audiences also have enjoyed A Night at the Movies with Odeon Leicester Square organist Donald MacKenzie and a concert by Notre-Dame Cathedral’s titular organist Vincent Dubois.
The Cathedral’s organ will continue to take centre stage throughout the summer with a series of recitals by the Cathedral’s resident organists and visiting musicians.
We are delighted to host a programme of organ recitals throughout the year.
Visit our events pages to see the forthcoming organ concerts.
