"Heavenly Voices: Mighty Sound". Our Organ Restoration Project
We urgently need your support. Help secure the future of Carlisle Cathedral’s historic organ and music ministry. Please consider giving today.
“The music from the organ filling the Cathedral creates a sense of belonging and inclusion. The project is vital to protect and replenish the heart of the Cathedral's music.” Louise, Chorister Parent
WHAT IS THE ORGAN RESTORATION PROJECT?
Please support the Cathedral’s organ restoration project today.
Please click here to donate to the Organ Project.
Over the past 170 years, Carlisle Cathedral’s organ has evolved in response to changing musical fashions and liturgical needs. Today, it is a rare and layered instrument that tells the story of British organ-building across generations.
Containing almost 4,000 pipes, 72 stops, intricate mechanical and pneumatic systems and bespoke components that cannot simply be replaced off the shelf, the organ is an intricate, powerful and complex feat of musical engineering. While it has been carefully maintained, it has not undergone a full overhaul for nearly 30 years, and specialists are clear that it is now approaching a point of serious risk.
This project is about careful renewal: securing the long-term health, reliability and musical integrity of an instrument of national significance, ensuring it can continue to serve worship, education and cultural life for decades to come. For supporters who care deeply about heritage, this is an opportunity to invest in something irreplaceable, not as a museum piece, but as a living instrument that continues to be loved, used and shared.
What’s Needed Now? £500,000
Campaign Target £2.4 MILLION
This is the funding needed to secure Carlisle Cathedral’s nationally significant organ which is in urgent need of extensive repair.
Funding Secured £1.9 MILLION
Including a £1.6m grant from the Benny Walker Charitable Trust, a significant vote of confidence in the Cathedral’s music, heritage and civic role.
Please click here to donate to the Organ Project. Thank you.
You can support the Organ Project by making a donation online. If you prefer, donations can also be made by cheque, payable to Carlisle Cathedral Restricted Funds Account, or by bank transfer.
If you are a UK taxpayer, please consider enhancing your gift through Gift Aid at no extra cost to you. To request a Gift Aid form or for details of making a bank transfer, please contact the Development Director.
Personal support will play a vital role in closing the remaining funding gap. Whether you give as a Supporter, Patron or Benefactor, every gift helps secure the pledged funding and enables the Cathedral to deliver this project with confidence.
By supporting this campaign, you are investing in people, place and possibility, ensuring that the Cathedral remains a place where the joy of music is experienced and passed on.
If you have any questions or would like any further information, please contact our Development Director by email or telephone 01228 548151.
Our Case For Support fully explains why we need to restore the organ, the impact this magnificent instrument has on the people within our city, county and beyond, and how you can support this historic project.
Got a question? You can read the full Case for Support, or we have answered our frequently asked questions here.
Our Project Glossary is coming soon.
Alternatively, or you can email us to find out more.
Please click here to donate to the Organ Project. Thank you.
Join us on this remarkable journey, click here to explore the milestones and progress as we restore and repair our 170-year-old Father Willis organ
Please click here to donate to the Organ Project. Thank you.
How has the Carlisle Cathedral organ played a part in your life? Please tell us your story in the comment box below. Your story may be used on our website and social media or in printed publications in relation to the organ project. By completing this form you agree to Carlisle Cathedral using your story for these purposes. Thank you.
With thanks to our kind donors, including:
- Cumbria Community Foundation through the Geoffrey Blake Architectural Heritage Fund
- The Golden Bottle Trust
- Stephen and Alison Mott
- David Gibson
- Richard & Jenny de Robeck
- Keith White in memory of his father Danny White
- Ian C. Hare
- Mr A.J. Danaos
- Ronald East
- Anne East
- The Ryde family
- Rev Kate and Colin Brown
- Graeme & Susan Knowles
- Mr & Mrs Ellison
- Rev David Dredge
- Crossley Family
- Paul Nedved and the late Audrey Nedved
- David and Felicity Brown
Please click here to donate to the Organ Project. Thank you.
