A gift for generations to come

We are delighted to announce the creation of the Peter Noble Organ Fund, an endowment of $100,000, generously donated by local organ music aficionado Peter Noble. This fund will pay for all future maintenance costs associated with the Wolff Organ in perpetuity. Mr Noble has been enthralled with pipe organs since childhood. He first encountered the Wolff earlier this year when attending a concert, and decided that he wanted to ensure the long-term upkeep of the instruments for generations to come. 

Mr Noble said: "My involvement with the creation of the organ fund represents my belief in support for community arts, my love of music, a desire to preserve such a beautiful art object and my life long fascination with complex machines." 

We welcomed over 900 people to the cathedral across three events this past weekend to celebrate the renewed Wolff Organ. On Friday, Mark McDonald and Adam Zinatelli heralded the start of celebrations with an organ and trumpet recital. On Saturday, Alex Ross (Partner at Juget-Sinclair Organ Builders) gave an engaging talk on the restoration process. Later that day, the young German virtuoso Jan Liebermann enthralled the crowd with his memorization skills, dazzling technique, and his interpretations which demonstrated a maturity far beyond his twenty-one years. 

On Sunday, the organ was rededicated by the Dean, along with a plaque celebrating Director of Music Emeritus, Michael Gormley. As part of that service, the Cathedral Choir premiered a specially-commissioned setting of verses of Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures ("You are praised, O Lord, through our Brothers, Wind and Air..."), composed by David Bednall, and paid for by an anonymous donor. The Wolff organ is now thoroughly prepared to serve our cathedral and city for years to come - through leading us in our worship, teaching the next generation of musicians and delighting audience-members from around the world. Thank you to everyone who took part in the celebrations and gave to the project. 

Image: A packed cathedral for Jan Liebermann's concert

Image: Thomas Chase, Donald Hunt and Peter Noble