Hellmuth Wolff & Associes Ltee, Opus 47, 2005
Christ Church Cathedral’s magnificent gallery organ was designed and built by Hellmuth Wolff & Associés Ltée as the firm’s Opus 47 in 2005. Comprised of some 4,000 pipes across four manuals and pedal, the instrument is the largest on Vancouver Island and ranks among the finest instruments in North America.
The organ’s free-standing mahogany case sits on a steel structure which carries the load of the pipes and windchests and is designed to withstand significant seismic events. The instrument’s primary design reflects the centuries-old practices of traditional organ building and the key action is entirely mechanical, giving players great flexibility in interpreting music from across the whole history of organ music. Wolff described the case design as “Modern-French-Gothic” with its dramatic towers and floral ornaments gilded in gold leaf. The tonal design of the organ is rooted in the eclectic 18th century southern European organs of Austria and Germany (particularly the organs of Holzhey and Riepp) which fuse many elements of Germanic and French organ building practices. Adding to its versatility, Wolff also added more modern elements including a swell box (for expressive dynamic control), electric stop action and a combination computer for storing hundreds of preset stop combinations, and a modifiable wind system to imitate modern or historical winding styles.
The organ took several years to build at the Wolff firm’s shop in Laval, Quebec and was installed in the gallery over a period of several months in 2004-2005. The inaugural concert was given by celebrated organist John Scott in September 2005 and a historical keyboard conference to celebrate the new organ was organized by the Westfield Centre for Historical Keyboard Studies in June 2006.
Since its completion, the Wolff organ has put Victoria on the map as a centre for organ music hosting concerts from dozens of internationally-renowned performers including David Briggs, Ton Koopman, Olivier Latry, Wayne Marshall, and Harald Vogel, and providing the backbone for the future of organ education through organ performance studies at the University of Victoria and through the recently-founded Victoria Organ Studio, an initiative of the Victoria Centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
With an initial cost close to 2 million dollars, the funds for the organ were raised through significant fundraising efforts by cathedral parishioners and the wider Victoria community. After the completion of the organ, the remaining funds were consolidated into a new Cathedral Music Fund which continues to fund the cathedral’s ongoing musical activities including the young chorister program, choral and organ scholarships, new music commissions, staff capacity, and the maintenance of the cathedral’s five organs.
In 2025, as the Wolff organ approaches its 20th birthday, it is clear that it requires significant preventative maintenance to ensure that the instrument can continue to serve the cathedral and the Victoria community for the next generation. A plan which comprises of the cleaning and regulating of the organ’s 4,000 pipes and refurbishment of the organ’s various mechanical and electrical components will be carried out by leading Canadian organ builders Juget-Sinclair of Montreal, Quebec. The firm is a fitting successor to Hellmuth Wolff (1937-2013) and has already played a key role in restoring several of his other instruments including his landmark Opus 24 (1981) in Redpath Hall at McGill University.
Estimated to cost $150,000, this vital work will only be possible with the continued support of generous donors like you who see the value this wonderful instrument brings to the life of the cathedral and the wider Victoria community. If you would like to make a tax-deductable contribution to support the organ renewal project, you can donate through the cathedral’s CanadaHelps page, selecting “Music Fund” from the dropdown menu, and specifying “Organ Project” in the notes field. Alternatively, cheques can be mailed to the cathedral office. Thank you for your generous support!
Technical details:
The organ is in a free-standing case of solid mahogany and mahogany veneered solid wood. The case has been designed around the rose window of the West Wall of the Cathedral. To carry the load of the windchests, and to provide seismic resistance, the Builder provided a steel structure inside the organ case, in collaboration with the Cathedral Architect and the Structural Engineer. This steel structure is mounted on steel beams installed on the gallery floor.
The divisions of the organ are placed as follows: The central tower and adjacent flats of the great case contain the facade of the Oberwerk. The Hauptwerk stands on either side of the Oberwerk. The Pedal stands on either side of the Hauptwerk at impost level. The Unter- or Schwellwerk is located in the base of the main organ. The Rückpositiv is built into the gallery railing.
The organ's console is detached from the main case, allowing space for two rows of singers between the console and the case. The manual compass is 58 notes, C a³, with an octave span of 161mm. The natural keys are capped with ox-bone, with arcaded nosings of padouk wood. The sharps are of solid ebony. The pedal compass is 30 notes, C f1. The pedalboard is flat, centred on d#, with the naturals spaced 60mm apart. The natural keys are of white oak and the sharps capped with rosewood.
To read an article about the organ written by its designer, Hellmuth Wolff, please click on the link below.