Organ and organists of Chester Cathedral



The organ of Chester Cathedral is the major source of instrumental music at the cathedral, being played for daily services and accompanying the choir, as well as being used for concerts and recitals. The choral tradition at Chester is 900 years old, dating from the foundation of the Bendedictine monastery.

The organists of Chester Cathedral have included the composers Robert White and Malcolm Boyle. The present Organist and Director of Music is Philip Rushforth and the Assistant Organist is Alex Palotai; the post of Assistant Director of Music and Sub Organist is presently vacant. There are lunchtime organ recitals weekly on Thursday. The monthly program of music is available on the cathedral's website.

Organ
In 1844, an organ by Gray & Davison of London was installed in the cathedral, replacing an instrument with parts dating back to 1626, possibly by Father Smith. The organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Whiteley Bros. of Chester in 1876, to include harmonic flutes and reeds by Cavaillé-Coll. It was later moved to its present position at the front of the north transept. In 1910 William Hill and Son of London extensively rebuilt and revoiced the organ, replacing the Cavaillé-Coll reeds with new pipes of their own. The choir division of the organ was enlarged and moved behind the choirstalls on the south side. The instrument was again overhauled by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool in 1969, when a new mechanism and some new pipework made to a design by the organist, Roger Fisher, was installed. Since 1991 the organ has been in the care of David Wells of Liverpool. The organ case is by Sir Gilbert Scott.

Organists

 * 1541 John Brycheley
 * 1551 Thomas Barnes
 * 1558 Richard Saywell
 * 1567 Robert White
 * 1570 Robert Stevenson
 * 1599 Thomas Bateson
 * 1609 John Alien
 * 1613 Michael Done
 * 1614 Thomas Jones
 * 1637 Richard Newbold
 * 1642 Randolph Jewitt
 * 1661 Rev. Peter Stringer
 * 1673 John Stringer
 * 1686 William Key
 * 1699 John Mounterratt
 * 1705 Edmund White
 * 1715 Samuel Davies
 * 1726 Benjamin Worrall
 * 1727 Edmund Baker
 * 1765 Edward Orme
 * 1776 John Bailey
 * 1803 Edward Bailey
 * 1823 George Black
 * 1824 Thomas Haylett
 * 1841 Frederick Gunton
 * 1877 Joseph Cox Bridge
 * 1925 John Thomas Hughes
 * 1930 Charles Hylton Stewart
 * 1932 Malcolm Courtenay Boyle
 * 1949 James Roland Middleton
 * 1964 John Sanders
 * 1967 Roger Fisher
 * 1997 David Poulter
 * 2008 Philip Rushforth

Assistant organists

 * Mr. Munns 1857
 * Herbert Stephen Irons 1872 - 1876
 * Joseph Cox Bridge 1876 - 1877 (then organist)
 * John Gumi ???? - 1890
 * John Thomas Hughes 1893 - 1925 (then organist)
 * Guillaume Ormond 1925 - 1926 (later organist of Truro Cathedral)
 * James Roland Middleton 1934 - 1944 (later organist of Chelmsford Cathedral)
 * George Guest 1944 - 1947
 * Brian Runnett 1955 - 1960
 * Peter Gilbert White 1960 - 1962
 * Harold Hullah 1962 - 1967
 * John Belcher 1967 - 1971
 * John Cooper Green 1971 - 1975
 * John Keys 1975 - 1978
 * Simon Russell 1978 - ????
 * Lee Ward ???? - 1989
 * Graham Eccles 1989 - 1998
 * Philip Stopford 2000 - 2003
 * Ian Roberts 2003-2011
 * Benjamin Chewter 2011 - 2016
 * Andrew Wyatt 2016- 2020