Chester Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal
If you are looking for an unusual Christmas gift for friends or family this Christmas, perhaps sponsoring a pipe from the historic Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral could be just the ticket? Sponsorship starts at just £25 and all proceeds will go towards the Grand Organ Appeal fund. In return, sponsors will receive a certificate acknowledging the pipe or stop chosen, along with our heartfelt thanks.
The Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral is of huge historical significance and is a perfect example of superb British craftsmanship. £1m is needed to preserve and maintain the wonderful sound of the organ for the enjoyment of future generations. The Sponsor a Pipe Appeal was launched in October and its aim is to raise funds for the Grand Organ to be rebuilt. It also hopes to educate, inform and spread a little joy and happiness when talking about this majestic instrument at the heart of the cathedral. The Grand Organ Appeal will run for five years, until 2019.
Philip Rushforth, director of music says, “Organ music often provides the soundtrack to the most momentous days of our lives and the prospect of a silent cathedral is almost unthinkable. The Grand Organ desperately needs expert attention and after so many requests to do so, the Sponsor a Pipe Appeal has finally been launched.”
The organ contains nearly 5,000 pipes and 71 stops, each of which makes a different sound and has its own name. You can sponsor a pipe from just 2 feet in length to one that is a mighty 32 feet long either with a one-off donation or by setting up a standing order. Single pipe sponsorship ranges from £50 for a small pipe to £1,000 for the very largest. You can choose the name of the stop you wish to sponsor, for example Trumpet 8 or Fifteenth 2. The Mixture stops are made up of a number of pipes that sound when a note is played. For £25 you will be sponsoring more than one pipe.
Your donation - large or small - will help maintain the future of an historic and unique instrument at the heart of music making in Chester Cathedral.
