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The original organ for the Cathedral, built by the Estey organ company of Brattleboro, Vermont, was given by Thomas Cruse in memory of his daughter, Mary Margaret, who died on the Feast of St. Cecelia, 1914. The organ, opus 1250, consisted of 27 ranks and two 3 manual consoles. At this time the Estey organ company produced 95 pipe organs in that year. It is interesting to note that this mass production did not offer individualized tonal concepts for each instillation. It is believed that in order to make a “cathedral-like” sound the wind pressure was at eight inches. This would make for a very aggressive and forced sound. Also, at this time organ building did not necessarily follow classic principles. The organ designed for the cathedral here did not include upper-work or adequate reed stops. However, the Estey Company did make good quality pipes. Over the last several decades the wind chest, electrical work and the consoles suffered greatly. There were numerous dead notes, ciphers, and wind leaks. During one of the cathedral’s renovations, one of the consoles was moved to the rear gallery and a gallery division was added with 6 ranks. One of these included a historic clarinet built by the famous American builder, E. M. Skinner.
During this current renovation (2008) it was decided to contract with the Wick Organ Company of Highland, Illinois for a complete rebuilding and enlargement of the organ. Much of the existing Estey pipe work was used, with new wicks pipe work scaled and voiced to match the original work. Pressures were lowered in order to facilitate better blending of the pipes and a clear, “unforced” sound while carefully maintaining the original character of the organ. New Wick Direct electric ® action chests were built for all of the pipes, new and old, as well as a new Wick console, constructed to harmonize with the cathedral’s appointments. The enlarged specification was drawn by Wicks personnel in consultation with Dale Fleck, Director of Music at the cathedral. The final tonal finishing was done by John Sperling, tonal director emeritus for Wicks, with Dale Fleck on hand for approval. The renovated organ has 40 ranks and over 2300 pipes. The movable console (for concerts) has solid state memory and three manuals and pedals. The organ was dedicated on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, January, 2009.
