Herald AV Publications

Chichester Cathedral Organ
The earliest references to an organ in Chichester Cathedral suggest that an instrument existed inthe Lady Chapel in 1533. This was probably dismantled following damage caused by Cromwell’s troops, to be replaced in 1678 by a new one-manual organ built by one of the most famous organ builders of the day, Renatus Harris. A number of pipes from this instrument remain in the present day organ, including some of the richly decorated front pipes.

The next two centuries saw various additions by John Byfield (the Choir Organ in 1725 or 1751 and a trumpet stop), Thomas Knight (a Swell Organ in 1778) and George Pike England, who added the organ’s first pedal department in 1806, putting Chichester amongst the first cathedrals in England to have pedals. Various tonal additions were made by Gray and Davison in 1844, and by William Hill in 1851. Throughout his long association with the organ, Hill was careful to re-use existing pipework as far as possible, an act of wise stewardship for which listeners today have reason to be grateful.

In 1861, the Cathedral’s central tower and spire dramatically collapsed. The organ, having just been moved to the north transept, suffered surpisingly modest damage, and was rebuilt in the 1880s. It remains a rare survivor of the gentle, early English style of organ building, having escaped the large-scale extension and romanticization found in many cathedral organs in the Victorian age. A further rebuild was carried out in 1904 by Hele including the installation of tubular pneumatic action. By 1973, this was failing, and the organ had become so unreliable that it fell silent, until the major restoration of 1986 carried out by N.P. Mander Limited. Following the pattern of earlier work,this project preserved the historic pipework, provided new, mechanical action and enlarged the pedal department. The majestic front case designed by Arthur Hill in 1888 was extended to the sides and back, and a new 5-stop solo organ was added, along with a nave section playable from its own onsole or the main console, to assist congregational singing in the nave. The organ’s future remains secure, supported in large part by the dedicated financial provision that exists as part of the ongoingwork of the Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust.

Sarah Baldock took up the post of Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chichester Cathedral in April 2008. She was previously Assistant Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral where she accompanied the Choir in daily services, tours, broadcasts and recordings. She founded the Winchester Cathedral Girls’ Choir in 1998, and was its Director until 2008. She has directed choral workshops in the UK, USA, Norway and Sweden and is a Patron of the Newcastle Cathedral Girls’ Choir, and a regular Director of the Girl Chorister Course at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City.

Chichester Cathedral Choir has toured Berlin and made two recordings under Sarah Baldock’s direction, and new initiatives such as Chorister Open Days and services in conjunction with the RSCM have opened up opportunities for local children to experience aspects of cathedral singing. Keen to encourage musical education and enjoyment for all ages, Sarah Baldock has worked on projects at the Royal Festival Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall. She has been a faculty member of the Calgary, Edinburgh and Oundle Organ Courses, and Organ Performance Tutor at Southampton University. She is currently a Trustee of the Royal College of Organists, and is a tutor for the University of Chichester MA in Choral Studies.