Dedication of Dromore Cathedral organ
Bishop Harold Miller has dedicated the newly rebuilt organ at Dromore Cathedral at a service of evensong.
Mr Theo Saunders, Organist and Master of Scholars at St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, provided accompaniment and gave a recital at the service on Sunday 20th September. The choir was led by the Cathedral's musical director Mr David Falconer.
The Dean of Dromore, The Very Rev Stephen Lowry, said that he hoped the celebration would mark a new beginning for musical excellence in the cathedral and diocese. He welcomed the Bishop as he dedicated, "both the instrument and the worshipping community to God's glory."
After the service, Rev Adrian McLaughlin, Chairman of the Pipe Organ Preservation Trust, presented the Cathedral with a cheque for £25,000 toward the restoration.
The organ was redesigned, extended and rebuilt by Mr Trevor Crowe of County Kildare, who gathered together a team of experts to work on the project. The instrument has gradually come into service over the last nine months. It is ‘made to measure' with a design and construction that takes into account its unique location and the acoustic of the cathedral. Several new features make the organ more secure from misuse and more responsive to the demands of regular worship.
Background
In 1869 the church was extended to include an organ chamber at the north end of a new aisle since known as the organ aisle. A few months later an organ was bought from the English company Conacher and carefully installed in the ready built chamber.
It was an adequate instrument and with enhancements and repairs over the subsequent 130 years was useful in leading the singing in the church and setting an atmosphere of worship. In 1962 the choir moved from their position in the balcony above the North Door to become a robed choir, processing each week from the Tower to the newly added choir stalls.
The old organ console was, however, situated a long way from the choir and had become very heavy to play. After reviewing the instrument, the Select Vestry in September 2007 agreed to invite Mr Trevor Crowe to rebuild the cathedral organ to a very high specification. The console was also relocated closer to the choir and an unstained English oak was chosen to match the choir stalls.