The History of the Cathedral Organs

Organs in the Lund Cathedral 

The gallery organ is built 1934 by the organ builders Marcussen & Søn, Aabenraa, Denmark. The organ has 102 stops and four manuals. About 20 stops remain from older organs. 

The choir organ with 23 stops. two manuals and pedal, was built in 1977 by Poul-Gerhard Andersen, Copenhagen. 

By the same organ builder are the two positives with 4 stops each. A fifth organ is the little regal which is part of the astronomic clock.

The cathedral had an organ already in 1237. From 1626 we know the specification of the organ, which then was built, probably by the danish organ builder Johann Lorenz, and which had its place where the big stairs are now.

ln 1836 an organ with 61 stops was built on an organ loft in the western part of the church. It was then the largest organ in Sweden and the first with a swell organ. ln 1876 the organ was rebuilt. In connection with the big restauration of the church, the architect H. Zetterwall wanted to divide the organ prospect so that the light from the new windows could come into the church. 

About 1920 the organ was in a very bad condition, and after ambitious preparations, with participation of advisers like Ernst Schiess, Albert Schweitzer, Christhard Mahrenholz and the Swedish organists Otto Olsson and Oskar Lindberg, the organ was completely renewed in 1934. About 20 stops from the earlier organs were reused. The organ got 101 voices with electro-pneumatical action and with slide chests. Through the synthesis with 19th century registers and the ideas of the new organ movement with baroque models, the organ has became extraordinary well suited to music of different times and styles. 

The organ builders Marcussen & Søn had rebuilt the organ in 1876 and 1934 and also got the responsibility for the restoration 1992. A new console with 256 setzer combinations is built, and through thorough reparation of all technical parts and an excellent voicing work, the organ now again sounds as beautiful as the masters wished who worked on this magnificent instrument before.