The Mayor, Councillor Jasmine Browne was invited to attend the Grand Organ Appeal Concert in Wells Cathedral on Thursday 19th September.

The primary objective of the Organ Appeal is to recondition the organ by removing all 5,000 existing pipes for repair, cleaning or replacement.

The Mayor learnt how the air supply, which drives the organ, has become extremely noisy and is beginning to fail. Despite frequent maintenance visits, the number of other mechanical failures continues to grow and it is now increasingly urgent that there is a full refurbishment of the instrument.

The Grand Organ is an important part of the great civic services, the carol services and celebrations which take place in the nave each year and many people from Wells and beyond enjoy the daily Evensong in the quire and the free organ recitals.

The Friends of Wells Cathedral Grand Organ Appeal has now reached £950,000 in donations and pledges, only £50,000 short of the first million pounds, the halfway point of the Appeal.  

The newly refurbished organ will be a Grand Organ appropriate for Wells and for its reputation as a centre of excellence for English choral music.

The Mayor would like to thank the wonderful Cathedral organists and Friends of Wells Cathedral for the work they are doing to preserve this great tradition.