About

St Davids is a cathedral city located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Situated on the River Alun. The city is named after Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, whose resting place is within the cathedral. St Davids holds the distinction of being the United Kingdom's smallest city by population, with 1,751 residents recorded in 2021.

St Davids was granted city status in the 12th century. Unlike other regions, city status in England and Wales was not automatic but was traditionally awarded to towns with cathedrals, following practices established in the early 1540s during the reign of Henry VIII, when he founded dioceses. Although St Davids lost its city status in 1886, it was restored in 1994 at the request of Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1883, Father Willis constructed a three-manual organ with 32 stops, which was installed on the quire screen. However, its appearance faced criticism, with one observer describing it as "a poor exhibition of woodwork and paint." The entire organ was housed within its case, except for the longest pipes of the Pedal Open Diapason and Violone, which were placed in the south nave triforium and behind the north choir stalls, where they remain to this day. The Pedal Ophicleide was added by the Willis firm in 1906.

In 1953, Hill, Norman & Beard rebuilt the organ within a new, much smaller case designed by the Cathedral Architect, Alban Caroë, resulting in a very cramped layout. The original tracker action with a pneumatic lever was replaced with pneumatic action, a new console was installed, and most of the Pedal stops were relocated to the south of the choir stalls.

Over the following forty years, numerous modifications were made to the organ, including the installation of electro-pneumatic action and the remodelling of the Choir Organ by Rushworth & Dreaper in 1980. One of the most significant changes, carried out by Percy Daniel & Co, was the addition of twelve 32ft Open Wood pipes from St Marylebone Parish Church, which were installed in the south transept in 1988. Fortunately, 31 of Father Willis's original stops (including some that were safely stored at the Deanery) survived these alterations, providing inspiration for the new organ to be completed by Harrison & Harrison of Durham in 2000.

As a crucial first step, the Caroë case was redesigned in consultation with Caroë and Partners, the Cathedral architects, with the west elevation being entirely new. The main section of the organ, including the new Tuba and most of the Pedal Organ, is now housed within the enlarged case on the screen. The new West Choir Organ is in a "chair" case that projects towards the nave, while the new console, like its predecessors, is located on the south side of the screen. The East Choir Organ is situated on the south side of the choir stalls, along with the new Contra Trombone rank. Dr. Roy Massey served as the consultant for the project, alongside the Cathedral Organist at the time, Geraint Bowen.