Two Special occasions at the Manchester Cathedral

September has been a monumental month for Manchester Cathedral, with two special occasions taking place in the month. The first, was on Thursday 14^th September, which saw the blessing of the new Stoller Organ with a recital given by world renowned concert organist, Thomas Trotter.

With twelve years of planning behind restoring the organ, after it was damaged by an exploding bomb in 1940. Ken Tickell began the restoration on the new organ in 2012, until his untimely death in 2014. The building of the organ in the Northampton workshop took 21 months and reflects the instrument’s great complexity.

Manchester Cathedral wrote in their press release, ‘We are grateful to Tickell’s Organ Builders and particularly to Pippa Tickell and the organ’s creators who have worked tirelessly to complete the project.  We are proud that one of Ken Tickell’s last organ builds will have a place in Manchester Cathedral for many years to come.’

The second occasion saw the blessing of the new Altar Frontals, designed by artist Christina Rodrigues on September 17^th. The new collection designed by the Portuguese artist, titled ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, features seven textile works for four of Manchester Cathedral’s altars in partnership with the Municipality of Castelo Branco.

Manchester Cathedral encapsulates the city’s history for nearly 600 years, undergoing many renovations and improvements over the years, from the installation of a new green heating scheme which uses ground source heat pumps to heat and cool the cathedral (2013), to the installation of the Hope Window (2016), the opening of the East Door and installation of new light and sound systems and the completion of the Stoller Organ (2017).

For more information on Manchester Cathedral, click HERE.