'In Tune' Organ and Music Campaign

Music brings people from all walks of life together. It is an essential part of our day-to-day life: Evensong without our choirs is unthinkable. Our famous organ is an integral part of who we are. It is our duty to protect our musical heritage, and to keep it alive for generations to come.

You can donate to the In Tune campaign using the form below. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact our Head of Development by email or call 01452 528095. Thank you for your support.

The In Tune campaign aims to raise £3 million by 2026, which will fund the refurbishment and renewal of the Cathedral’s famous organ, as well as revitalising the musical education that is offered to hundreds of musicians of all ages.

By supporting the In Tune campaign, you will enable us to:

• Refurbish and renew our historic Gloucester Cathedral organ

• Continue to build on and deliver musical education of the highest standard to hundreds of young musicians

• Protect our musical heritage for the future

• Enable us to live out our vision of being in tune with heaven and in touch with daily life

Further details about the campaign can be found by clicking on the button below.

We are delighted that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are Patrons of the In Tune campaign. The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester, said:

“I am delighted and honoured that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have graciously accepted my invitation to become Patrons of our In Tune organ and music campaign. We are enormously grateful to The Duke and Duchess for their support in helping to ensure that we build the right foundations for a sustainable future for our music, so that generations to come can enjoy music and singing in Gloucester Cathedral, as well as in the wider community.

We shall look forward to welcoming The Duke and Duchess to In Tune events between now and 2026, and hope that their support will encourage many others to give however they can to this campaign to enable us to continue to strengthen our communities to be in tune with heaven and in touch with daily life.”

Our Development Board consists of a group of passionate individuals who collectively make a significant difference to the long-term success of our projects and campaigns.

They provide advice and support towards our fundraising endeavours.

Development Board Members:

Lt Col Andrew Tabor JP – Chairman

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni – Dean of Gloucester

Bridget Barker

Roger Head OBE DL

Mark Hurrell DL

Andrew Mitchell

Simon Probert

Tony Wilton-Steer – Chairman of the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral

The Board is also supported by a group of Ambassadors, who help spread awareness of our ambitions and help attract new audiences.

Ambassadors:

Dr Loyd Grossman CBE

Trevor Ford

Marc Marot

Simon Williams

We have created a bi-monthly e-newsletter to share updates, progress reports, news and events relating to the In Tune campaign! You can read the November edition by clicking on the button below.

The next edition will be published in May.

We’re delighted that the Cathedral Chapter has approved the specification of our new organ from craftspeople at Nicholson & Co. Ltd of Malvern, who are currently hard at work on this project. Already, over a third of the pipes for the instrument have been prepared. Nicholson & Co. Ltd are arguably the best organ building company in the UK and their recent work can be heard and seen in cathedrals, churches, schools and concert halls across the country and worldwide.

We are excited for this new chapter in the Cathedral’s musical journey and look forward to the grand debut of the new instrument in 2026 at the Three Choirs Festival.

“Cathedral organs through history seem to last about fifty years. The Gloucester organ was last re-built in the early 1970s and was designed according to the ideas of its time. In many ways it was an exciting instrument, but it was built for recitals rather than for accompanying choirs and services.

However, the musical needs of the 2020s are rather different from those of the 1970s; and whilst the renewed instrument will retain some of the ethos of the previous instrument, the emphasis in its design will be on serving the musical needs of those thousands of people who worship in the Cathedral each year, and specifically the accompaniment of services and big public events like the Three Choirs Festival. It will be an instrument for the many, and not just those few who have an interest in organ music.”

Adrian Partington, Director of Music

“Music has long been a central part of Gloucester Cathedral’s mission. Therefore, it is our duty and our privilege to safeguard and protect this tradition for generations to come.

It is wonderful to be working with Nicholson & Co. Ltd, who are undoubtedly one of the most skilled and renowned organ builders in the country. Their plans to refurbish and renew our beloved instrument will ensure it can continue to inspire, educate and captivate congregations and audiences for years to come.

All of us at the Cathedral are thrilled that the hard work has started and look forward to hearing the sound of our refurbished organ’s magnificent pipes fill the building in 2026.”

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester