Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — An organ inches closer to a significant milestone.
On Sunday, Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross hosted the Cathedral Organ 149th Anniversary Fundraiser. Music Director Richard Clark said the 101-rank E. & G. G. Hook & Hastings opus 801 has a storied history here in Boston.
“It was dedicated on Feb. 23, 1876. We’re celebrating the 149th birthday,” said Clark. “This is American-made, and it was the largest American-made organ built at its time in 1875.”
Several talented organists performed as the concert raised money for the Cathedral’s Organ Restoration Fund, which helps maintain the historic instrument. The Cathedral regularly receives requests from organists worldwide looking for a chance to play the opus 801.
“People from all over the world want to [see, hear, play], and experience this,” said Clark. “There’s a connection to the generations of faith and the people that prayed here so that connection is very palpable.”
The organ had fallen into some disrepair over its lifetime but was restored by Clark’s predecessor Leo Abbott years ago. Now, Clark said years of fundraising have ensured the organ sounds “exactly the same” as it did when it first arrived at the Cathedral.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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