Cathedral Organ
Click here to watch a virtual tour of the organ!
The first organ at St Peter’s Cathedral was built in 1876 by Bishop & Son and contained 29 stops over three manuals and pedals. This instrument was relocated in 1931 to St Augustine’s Church, Unley.
The present four-manual organ was built in England in 1929 by William Hill & Son and Norman & Beard. The 32ft Double Open Diapason pipes were made in Australia and to this day are the largest organ pipes in South Australia. Its unique Romantic musical character is further influenced by the excellent acoustics, unrivalled elsewhere in Adelaide. It was dedicated on Sunday 6 July 1930.
Originally built without any casework, the façade pipes were arranged in preparation for a case to be added. The lower corniced section was donated in 1963 by its designer, Walter Bagot. A further 55 years passed before the upper section was finally realised in 2018. The design of the new casework was achieved by working with the original 1929 Bagot sketch, utilising modern design tools and laser cutting technology to complete the intended design economically.
Photo: Chris Oaten
The 32ft Contra Trombone was installed by George Stephens in 1989 in memory of musicians associated with the cathedral. These full-length pipes are sited opposite the main organ chamber in the liturgical south transept where the first organ once resided. These pipes are not the largest pipes in the instrument, this title goes to the 32ft Double Open Diapason, whose pipes are big enough to climb inside and stand at the back of the main organ chamber.
In 2017 the organ was shipped back to England to the workshop of Harrison & Harrison Ltd of Durham, where it was comprehensively overhauled at a cost of $1.7m. Four new stops were provided and the 32ft Contra Trombone was revoiced; these tonal revisions being based on the original pipework scaling are perfectly in keeping with the 1929 tonal aesthetic.
While the romantic style and character of the 1929 instrument has been preciously safeguarded it has been equipped with modern playing aids to allow the cathedral musicians to have an instrument fit for today’s liturgical requirements. The instrument remains as one of the grandest and substantially musically unaltered organs in Australia, making it one of significant historic importance.
The organ was rededicated on Sunday 2 December 2018. Click link to view the First Chords service.
To hear the Organ, click here
St. Peter’s Cathedral – Policy for Use of the Cathedral Organ
St. Peter’s Cathedral – Guidance Notes for Visiting Organists
Play the Cathedral Organ – One Hour ‘Pay to Play’ Experience
St Peter’s Cathedral – Pay to Play Organ Experience
A 1 hour session, curated by the Director of Music or the Cathedral Organist, offers a rare opportunity to play an instrument of this scale. It is an ideal gift for anyone with a passion for playing the organ, and is something that will be a lifelong memory/