Fratelli Ruffatti has completed a new organ for the Domkyrka in Uppsala, Sweden. The building seats 2,500, is more than 350 feet long, and boasts a reverberation period of 11 seconds. The cathedral already houses an organ built by Per Larsson Åkerman in 1871. The new Ruffatti organ stands in a new gallery in the north transept, close to the central altar and to the choir stalls. It features slider windchests and electric action and comprises 74 ranks over four manuals and pedal, 4,126 pipes, with 37 bells in the Glockenspiel. The Solo division includes a brass Trompette-en-chamade and a big English Tuba. The Pedal division is crowned by two 32′ stops, a Subbass and a Trombone, both of African mahogany.
The organ is playable from either of two four-manual consoles, one located in the balcony with the pipes, and one in the nave, close to the choir stalls. Each features a unique system that allows the raising and lowering of the entire upper part of the console, including the manuals and stop jambs, to accommodate even the tallest organist. The organ was dedicated on February 8 with a recital by the Domkyrka’s associate organist Andrew Canning. His program included works by Harold Nutt, Frescobaldi, Heiller, Emil Sjögren, Arbo Landmann, and Ad Wammes. For information:
www.ruffatti.com.
