Chester Cathedral awarded £1.4million from the Julia Rausing Trust

We are overjoyed to announce that Chester Cathedral has been awarded an exceptional grant of over £1.4 million from the Julia Rausing Trust to fully refurbish, rebuild and develop our Grand Organ.

This generous funding will allow the instrument to be fully restored and rebuilt, where necessary, using modern organ building techniques and materials. The whole organ will be thoroughly cleaned and the console replaced, alongside AV support. After restoration in the organ builders’ workshop, each of the almost 5,000 pipes will be individually adjusted for sound and tuned within the Cathedral building.

The Grand Organ is at the heart of the Cathedral, both physically and spiritually. Music at Chester is amongst some of the finest cathedral music in the country and draws people from all over the world in-person and to our daily streamed worship. Without our music, we would lose a vital part of our worship and mission.

The organ was built in 1876, by the local firm Charles H Whiteley (at a cost of £1,800), and is their only major work. It was rebuilt in 1910 by Hill, and again in 1970 by Rushworth and Dreaper, with its considerable reputation lasting through these two rebuilds. However, whilst many cathedral organs have been refurbished and/or renovated more than once since 1970, the Chester organ has not as the significant project has been beyond the Cathedral finances. The instrument has been beginning to show significant signs of wear, and without urgent repairs, it could fail entirely at any time, and indeed, some parts have already failed.

The organ is played almost daily, mostly to accompany worship, but also for concerts and education workshops. Visitors are welcomed to listen to the weekly Thursday lunchtime organ recital at Chester Cathedral, which is one of the longest running series of weekly organ recitals to be held in any Cathedral. It inspires visitors and worshippers alike. 

Canon Rosie Woodall, Canon for Worship and Spirituality at Chester Cathedral says:
“The Cathedral is currently renewing its strategic planning for 2025-2030, and the Grand Organ project was firmly placed as a priority project. The extraordinary generosity of The Julia Rausing Trust has given us the security to finally plan its refurbishment – thus enabling music to remain at the heart of our worship for many more years to come.”

The Julia Rausing Trust was launched by Hans Rausing in July 2024 in order to make memorial donations in honour of his late wife, Julia Rausing. Read more about the Trust here.