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You are here: Home / Support Us / Fundraising / Organ Appeal - Resounding Hope

Organ Appeal - Resounding Hope

Help us protect the future of the Coventry Cathedral Organ

Built in 1962, the Harrison & Harrison organ is judged to be of outstanding national significance and was awarded a British Institute of Organ Studies Grade I Historic Organs Certificate in 2013. The architect of the New Cathedral, Sir Basil Spence himself designed the façade of the organ, making it an intrinsic part of the architecture and cathedral building.

The organ is at the heart of the community of Coventry Cathedral and we need your help to preserve our 'best in the world' organ.

Recently, the organ has been showing significant signs of fatigue, with many parts wearing away or broken due to age, and we now need to raise funds to help refurbish the organ for generations to come.

Organ Appeal Video

In this video, Dean John Witcombe and Director of Music, Rachel Mahon, along with choristers and congregation take us through the history of the organ and gives some explanation of the current problems and challenges.

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Areas that need attention

  • Broken pipes
  • Cracked sound boards
  • Failing magnets
  • Broken leather
  • Outdated electrical components
  • 60 years of dust

It is estimated that without restoration work within 5-10 years the Cathedral organ may become unusable.

Browse the images below to discover the poor condition of the organ prior to restoration works.

How you can help

We are raising £2 million to refurbish and clean the Cathedral’s magnificent organ. Any donation, large or small, to the appeal is much appreciated. By giving this renowned instrument the care it needs, we will safeguard a national treasure for generations to come.

Here are the ways you can help us reach our target:

  • One-off donations are very welcome. You can do so by donating here

Or

  • Set up a standing order or make a deposit directly into the Cathedral Account:

Account Name: Coventry Cathedral
Account No: 20248673
Sort Code: 40 – 18 – 17
Reference: Organ Appeal

Alternatively, if you would like to discuss other ways you may wish to help raise funds for the Organ Appeal, please contact our fundraising team at email hidden; JavaScript is required

Please help us reach our goal

This is a chance for the people of Coventry, the whole country and the global community to show support for the monumental task of refurbishing this 5000-pipe organ. By giving this renowned instrument the care it needs, we will safeguard a national treasure for generations to come.

Inside the Organ gallery
Pipes Each pipe needs to be cleaned and tuned. Many pipes also need repair work.
Organ Blower Room This is where a big fan, called a blower, works to provide wind for the organ. The air is kept under pressure in reservoirs which are covered in leather.
Wind Reservoir You can see that the leather is old and has cracks in it, meaning that wind is leaking from the reservoir. All of the leather needs to be replaced.
Pipes These are pipes from the swell division of the organ. There are five different divisions of the organ - Solo, Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal. Together, all the pipes from these divisions equal 4,987. They range in size from a few inches to 32 feet.
Pipe The base of this pipe has been crushed by its own weight. This will need to be repaired.
Pipe This pipe has had a temporary fix where you can see some welding near the base. It needs to be properly repaired in the workshop.
Piece of a Pipe A piece of a pipe has fallen off. You can also see the thick layer of dust. All the pipes and the interior of the organ need to be thoroughly cleaned.
Pipes You can see many of the pipes leaning because their feet neet to be repaired.
Foot of a Pipe Here is a close up of one of the feet that needs fixing.
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