Cathedral Begins Dismantling Pipe Organ as Part of $14 Million Renovation Project
WASHINGTON – Washington National Cathedral will hold a press conference on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, to provide an update on the $14 million dollar renovation of its massive pipe organ, which contains more than 10,000 pipes.
The press conference will take place on the staging platform suspended 46 feet above the cathedral’s Great Choir. From there, media will be able to watch as workers remove some of the organ’s largest pipes, and they will get a chance to see behind the scenes of the organ’s infrastructure.
“This renovation is a transformative investment in our music program and is critical to preserving the Cathedral’s rich musical heritage,” said Thomas Sheehan, the Cathedral’s Organist and Associate Director of Music. “The organ is the musical backbone of national services, daily worship and imaginative concerts. We are thrilled that this grand instrument will be restored and expanded for its next century of service to God’s people.”
Connecticut-based Foley-Baker, which previously restored many of America’s greatest organs, including at Duke University Chapel, The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, and Boston Symphony Hall, is leading the work under the supervision of the Cathedral’s Department of Facilities & Preservation. Work on the organ is expected to last until 2028.
Originally installed in 1938 by the Ernest M. Skinner and Son Organ Co., the organ was originally designed when the Cathedral was only one-third complete. In the decades since, it has undergone various expansions, patches, retrofits and rebuilds to facilitate its use across more than 30,000 Cathedral services. However, after experiencing natural wear and tear over 85 years, at least a quarter of the organ is no longer functioning, and it no longer speaks with a coherent voice into the Cathedral’s larger, completed space.
The renovation will restore the instrument after nearly a century of service while maintaining key historical elements of the organ and seamlessly integrating newer parts. The new additions to the organ will be handcrafted and robust and will produce a more supportive, warmer sound.
Who: Patrick Smith, Deputy Director of Facilities and Preservation | Thomas Sheehan, Organist and Associate Director of Music | Douglas McKeever, Foley-Baker Organ, Inc.
What: Press conference updating the Cathedral’s organ renovation project as workers remove some of the largest pipes.
Where: Staging platform suspended 46 feet above the Cathedral’s Great Choir. Note this is a hard hat area and access is via a narrow passageway.
When: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Because of the platform’s strict weight limits, the media must RSVP for this event in advance by emailing [email protected]. Tripods are not allowed on the platform, and videographers are asked to plan to go handheld.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Ari Geller, [email protected]; 202-689-4985
About Washington National Cathedral
Grounded in the reconciling love of Jesus Christ, Washington National Cathedral is a house of prayer for all people, conceived by our founders to serve as a great church for national purposes.