Background to this concept

 

The idea of having a beautiful Pipe Organ for the Cathedral is not new. The wish has been ongoing for long and the question has always been the same: How do we get there?

This concept is a follow up of Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere’s visit in the Diocese of Passau, German on Saturday, 8th July 2023. On this day the Archbishop paid a visit to the Cathedral of Passau and had the opportunity to closely see the biggest Pipe Organ in Europe. The Archbishop showed immediate interest and a wish to have such a beautiful instrument in Lubaga Cathedral. He requested that we do a follow up, put our ideas on paper and present them to him.

 

First meeting with Pipe Organ Company

 

Immediately, a team of three people set to work and after several consultations, the Rieger Organ Company was requested to take on this gigantic task. The company has undertaken many Pipe Organ projects in Germany and internationally, and is one of the leading Organ builders in the world.

Our discussions can be summarised as follows:

1. A minimum budget for the Pipe Organ of this magnitude was set at 1 million Euros, which translates to approximately 4 billion Uganda shillings (this is only for the instrument, other costs are excluded).

2. The initial reaction was doubt as to whether so much money can be raised. In the end it is not so much about the amount, but more about a well-planned fundraising drive which brings many people and groups on board, with perhaps some big funders in the upper bracket of donations. The significance of Lubaga Cathedral, its national and international appeal, its place as a heritage of Christianity in Africa, the musical, liturgical and social justification of having a Pipe Organ in such a cathedral – all these factors are a sound basis for raising interest and support for this project.

3. Preliminary sketches of the Pipe Organ, conceptualisation of design and sound (number and type of organ stops), placement in the Cathedral; all this would begin after the Organ builder visits the Cathedral and makes a thorough study of it. The architectural design of the Pipe Organ, as per tradition, must fit and rhyme with the architectural conception of the Cathedral, or elements of it.

4. With the preliminary sketches in place, a concept of the entire project plan was to be presented to the Archbishop of Kampala and his committee for endorsement.

5. The contract with the Organ Company, detailing all aspects and phases of construction would then be duly completed and signed.

6. Intensive Fundraising would then start. The company can only begin work if at least 30 % of the total cost as stated in the contract is available. With availability of funds, the work can be completed in about 30 months.

 

Centenary Celebration in 2025

 

From our discussions, we came to the realisation that Lubaga Cathedral would be celebrating the Centenary Jubilee of its consecration on 31st October 2025. The Centenary Idea is a good motivation for the Project in terms of setting a meaningful target, and staying focused with a sustained fundraising drive. The project will of course be completed after this date, but the new Organ will still be part of the memorial of this centenary.

 

Prior efforts and the Situation today

 

Many visitors to the Cathedral quickly realise that a Cathedral of this magnitude and significance misses a Pipe Organ to complete its architectural beauty. The small harmonium and its pipe façade left by the missionaries was surely the first attempt in this direction. It is clear they also wanted something magnificent.

Experimenting with Electronic/Digital Organs for the last few decades has not been particularly successful. Such organs last only a few years, and whatever the technological advancements, the sound production remains an imitation of the pipe Organ, and cannot equal it.

 

Significance of a Pipe Organ at Lubaga Cathedral

 

A Cathedral of such magnificence, magnitude, architectural beauty and historical significance, indeed the most important Cathedral in Uganda deserves an equally magnificent and beautiful instrument that fits it. A Pipe Organ completes the architectural beauty of a Cathedral, and reflects the heavenly liturgy celebrated therein. It accompanies the singing community and uplifts their souls to God more powerfully and beautifully than any other instrument.

The power and beauty of a pipe organ raises our spirits, it lifts our minds and hearts, and it inspires our lives. With its rich, natural and variety of sounds, the organ assists in the articulation of sacred mysteries, reveals divine grace, and stirs our deepest emotions. The unleashing of the full spectrum of an organ's power can move us to tears, can console our grief, and can enhance our joy. It has been said that no other instrument acts so powerfully as a medium of both meditation and celebration.

According to Vatican II, the Pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendour to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things. (Sacrosanctum Concilium 120)

The organ has many sounds that can be almost combined without limit such that the organ in its own right sounds like an orchestra, or a combination of orchestras under the control of a single person playing it with hands and feet.

 

Objectives of a Pipe Organ at Lubaga Cathedral

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1. Music and Liturgy are inseparable. A beautiful Organ in any Church primarily has a liturgical function. No instrument can better accompany the faithful when singing, and uplift their hearts to God in prayer as a good Pipe Organ. The Cathedral should be the centre and source of inspiration for beautiful liturgies and musical artistry. A good Pipe Organ is one of the means of cultivating and maintaining high musical standards in the liturgy.

2. We now have a good number of well-trained and qualified Church musicians, plus the necessary connections and expertise to handle such an instrument. We are convinced that the idea of a Pipe Organ has now matured. It is the time for its realisation, and if it has to be done, then it must be done well to the highest standards possible. In this effort, Lubaga Cathedral should be the pace setter, and rightly so.

3. A beautiful Pipe organ adds in its own right to the architectural and artistic beauty of a Cathedral. Lubaga Cathedral is work of artistic perfection. The Romanesque-Gothic structure, the paintings and stained-glass windows, the statues, the altars are all testimony to centuries of artistic beauty and human achievement. Such magnificence should be completed with a Pipe Organ that gives added life to the Cathedral through the medium of sound and through its very architectural set up and design. Instead of setting up electric Organs/Keyboards every few years, it is better to invest in an instrument of lasting significance and value.

4. A good pipe Organ will attract high level musical events of international standing, including Organ concerts from renowned Organists worldwide. It will therefore have an additional impact in raising the Cathedral to a place of international religious and cultural repute, cultural exchange.

5. Promotion and cultivation of music talent in cooperation with the Archdiocesan school of music. Unless good instruments are available, the tradition of good Organ Playing and liturgical accompaniment cannot be developed, cultivated and maintained. A beautiful Organ is a source of inspiration to talented young musicians who may be motivated to learn this instrument. The Organ encourages the development of musicianship in other areas when combined with music ensembles like choirs, chamber groups, orchestra settings, instrumental soloists and solo singers.