The Klais Organ

The original organ was manufactured by one of the most eminent English organ builders, Norman and Beard, and was built specifically for the Cathedral in 1904. Following a period of silence of around 30 years, Johannes Klais Orgelbau were chosen to reconstruct and enlarge the instrument to serve the requirements of the restored cathedral and new position of the choir. The organ was built in the workshops of Klais in Bonn, and transported to the Cathedral in July 2009 to complete the work in situ over a six month period. The project was under the supervision of Benjamin Saunders and David Sanger.

The tonal style is English Edwardian, and so all the historic 1904 pipework has been carefully restored on its original chests, with new pipework matching the original materials and construction methods. The number of different materials used was intentionally limited as far as possible, such that the metal surrounds of the Swell pedals are of the same material as the toe pistons and the Swell pedals of the same material as the stop jambs. The keys are of bone and ebony and the inlay of the console oak is ebony and Swiss pear.

Acolour magazine feature on the organ was printed in Organists’ Review.

Specification

The organ now has seven divisions, controlled from a four manual console with 78 stops, and features a unique new system of allocating manual departments to keyboards.