THE CATHEDRAL ORGAN

The Cathedral's Grand Organ was designed and made in 1984 by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Bray, county Wicklow, Ireland. It was commissioned to complement the major restoration of the building which had been completed in 1982.

Seeming to float in space, the organ stands on a compact base on the floor of the north transept under the arch of the central tower, standing nearly forty-five feet (14m) tall. At a height of 15 feet the organist's gallery, faceted, projects from the front of the organ-case and out over the north-side Canons' stalls. The organ case, sited so that it is also visible from the nave, is of solid oak throughout. The key action is exclusively tracker, including a separate action to the soundboard of the large-scale 16' Open Wood which is housed within the base. The action is mechanical throughout but there is also an electric combination system running in parallel with and driving the mechanical stop action. The comprehensive range of pistons can be set on sixteen separate levels of memory, a very useful facility for the player.

The organ has three 56-note manual departments and a pedal department of 30 notes. There are 50-51 ranks with a total of 2482 pipes and thirty-nine speaking stops. There is key-tensioned or suspended action and the soundboards are of the slider type. The wind is fed through wooden wind-trunks from traditional ribbed reservoirs or bellows. The stop action uses steel trundles and oak traces. The elegant console uses inlay and stringing in precious woods, with hand-scripted stop-labels. The instrument was voiced entirely in the Cathedral, a process taking some three-and-a-half months.

The instrument has been described as the most significant new Irish cathedral organ in history, and it has gained an impressive international reputation particularly through its central role in the Dublin International Organ & Choral Festival. Its flexibility and comprehensive specification enable the performance of a wide range of repertoire as well as the fulfilment of an active role within the Cathedral's liturgy. One of its most attractive features is its ability to perform music of the different periods and styles of the past five centuries without any sense of compromise-not because it represents a conglomeration of styles but because it has its own character, strength and musical logic.