An Organ for Glasgow

10/09/2026

It's tomorrow night. Tickets are free. A treat awaits.

08/09/2026

This image, The Mosaic of the Female Musicians shows is how close ancient pipe organs look to their modern equivalents. Essentially they both use air and pipes to make sound.
To learn more come to Frikki Walker's A Short History of the Pipe Organ: Antiquity to Baroque, a talk this Friday 11th September at 7.00pm at St Mary's Cathedral Glasgow G4 9JB. https://fb.me/e/9wEXvRWiG Free admission in aid of anorganforglasgow.org
The Mosaic of the Female Musicians is a 4th-century Roman-Byzantine floor mosaic discovered in 1960 inside a villa in Maryamin, Syria, and is now housed in the Hama Museum. It depicts an all-female musical ensemble of six women performing on a stage, accompanied by two small children dressed as cupids (or Eros) operating the bellows of an organ.The musicians play detailed instruments of antiquity, including an early hydraulic pipe organ (hydraulis), a double flute (aulos), a lyre, castanets, and cymbals. It is one of the most important surviving visual records of ancient musical performance, offering rare functional insight into how instruments like the hydraulic organ were played in late antiquity

08/09/2026

Folkhouse, Cardinal Directions: N4 Bretsh are artists working at the crossroads of folk and classical music in Scotland, telling stories and creating unforgettable performances. The grand finale of their Cardinal Directions series is at St Mary's Cathedral on 18th September at 19.30h. Tickets at Eventbright https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/folkhouse-cardinal-directions-n4-bretsh-tickets-1995168715336?aff=oddtdtcreator

07/09/2026

Just one of the coming highlights at St Mary's OPEN DOORS DAYS event 17th-20th September, the delightful Kid's Organ Trail with Pip the Pipe Mouse. Pip gives out colouring sheets and awards certificates to children who complete the trail and you might even be able to visit his tiny Mansion Mousehole! It's all completely free. Though under 18's must be accompanied by an adult we guarantee the adult will have a good time too! https://fb.me/e/6kjU91cMe

06/09/2026

We are celebrating 4 amazing days of pipe organ heritage at St Mary's Cathedral OPEN DOORS DAYS 17th-20th September 2026
Check out our event page for details https://fb.me/e/6kjU91cMe

This is the moment to hear the organ and meet the organist: Peter Wakeford will be playing, talking, answering questions from 12.30 - 3,30 on Saturday 19th. Or go on a tour in the fascinating company of the Provost, The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth from 11.30 on the same day. And there's a great Organ Heritage Exhibition and a Kids Organ Trail on all 4 days too. If you have never heard one do not miss a superb Choral Evensong on Sunday 20th at 5pm.

You'll come away in awe of the complexity, richness and power of the instrument which unfortunately is becoming an endangered species with 400 pipe organs being lost per year.

Admission is free. The event is in aid of www.anorganforglasgow.org St Mary's mission to repair and save an exceptional Willis II organ given to us by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow. Please join us by making a donation.

03/09/2026

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was known in Germany as the "maker of organists".

To learn more, come to Antiquity to Baroque, the first of series of talks with music about the history of the pipe organ by Frikki Walker, 11th September at 19.00 in St Mary’s Cathedral. Admission is free with donation to An Organ for Glasgow.

Surprisingly, in Sweelinck’s time Calvinist services did not usually include organ playing due to the belief worship consist only that which was commanded in the New Testament.

However, the Consistory of Dordrecht of 1598 instructed organists to play variations on the new Genevan psalm tunes before and after the service so that the people would become familiar with them. Sweelinck was employed as an organist by the city. He worked for Protestant magistrates the remainder of his life.

His work allowed him time to teach, and he became as famous for this as for his compositions. Sweelinck's pupils included many musicians of the north German organ school: Jacob Praetorius II, Heinrich Scheidemann, Paul Siefert, Melchior Schildtand Samuel and Gottfried Scheidt. Students of Sweelinck were seen as musicians against whom other organists were measured.

01/09/2026

This is a reconstruction of the hydraulis, an early water organ. Learn more about pipe organ history at Antiquity to Baroque, a talk with music by Frikki Walker on 11th September 19.00 at St Mary's Cathedral.

The hydraulis was invented Ctesibius of Alexandria, an engineer of the 3rd century BC. The world's earliest keyboard instrument, the hydraulis was the predecessor of the modern pipe organ. The ancient hydraulis' keys were well-balanced, and could be played with a light touch, as is clear from the Latin poem by Claudian (late 4th century), who uses that exact phrase to describe playing the keyboard: “let him thunder forth as he presses out mighty roarings with a light touch”. This suggests it may have sounded a little like how an organ sounds today.

31/08/2026

Did you know that pipe organs can last for as long as 600 years? 🎶 Learn more at Antiquity to Baroque, a talk with music by Frikki Walker at St Mary's on 11th September at 19.00h.

Perched on its hill, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Valère, in Valais, houses an exceptional treasure: one of the oldest playable organs in the world. 🇨🇭
Built in the 1430s, its maker remains unknown to this day. When fire struck the city of Sion, the organ came close to being lost forever, saved only by the direction of the wind.

Carefully restored over the years, it now captivates audiences worldwide. Since 1969, the Valère International Organ Festival has drawn organists from every corner of the globe. https://bit.ly/4wWJbbC

St Mary's is raising funds to support the restoration of a special Willis II organ to its original state. https://www.anorganforglasgow.org/post/from-antiquity-to-baroque-series-of-talks-with-music-on-the-pipe-organ-repertoire

The 15th-century organ at Notre-Dame de Valère in Sion attracts fans from all over the world.

31/05/2026

A WEEKEND OF MUSIC

Marking the 30th Anniversary of Frikki Walker’s appointment as
Director of Music, St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow

Saturday 27th June

7.00pm Bach Cantata Project

BWV 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben and BWV 188 Ich habe meine Zuversicht

Sunday 28th June

11:00am Choral Eucharist, Featuring Festival Missa Brevis, by Frikki Walker.

5:00pm Choral Evensong Includes Dyson in D and Howells’ Coll Reg Te Deum.

All friends new and old are most welcome. Tickets are free. All events will beheld at
St Mary’s Cathedral, 300 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9JB.

In aid of anorganforglasgow.org

17/05/2026

The roof was nearly lifted off St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow. We had the most amazing time introducing the students from Hollybrook Academy, a school that teaches those who need additional support, to the 'King of Instruments'—the mighty pipe organ! 🎹✨ From seeing the massive pipes up close to trying out the pedals, it was a morning of pure musical magic. Listen to Frikki Walker, Director of Music talking about faith, love and music.