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For decades, the cathedral congregation and its church musicians had wished to have a choir organ for use in this historic building. The rich choral music life of the Braunschweig Cathedral Choir School and the acoustic situation made such an instrument virtually a necessity. The Schuke organ of 1962 in the west, which we rebuilt in 2003 and 2022, can only reach the front areas of the cathedral indirectly and with a delay, and thus cannot provide optimal musical support for the services and choral concerts held there. Due to its outstanding suitability for choral accompaniment, an ‘English Romantic’ specification and voicing style was realised in the new Brunswick choir organ. We examined several historical organs by the Victorian organ builder Henry "Father" Willis in advance, which served as inspiration for the tonal concept.

Over the years, the organ commission has considered a wide variety of sites for a suitable choir organ. On the one hand its position has to be sensible from a technical and acoustic standpoint. On the other, it must not impair the architectural aspects of the interior, in particular the valuable secco wall paintings in the quire and crossing area. Collaboration between the architect, officials of the historic monuments commission and an organ designer eventually arrived at a concept, by which the organ will be divided in two irregular but matching, free-standing, wing-shaped towers standing at the junction of the crossing and the two transepts. The large wooden pipes of the pedal Open Diapason 16' stand outside the organ towers at ground level in the northern transept.

The choir organ has 32 true stops with 2222 pipes, enlarged by various extensions and transmissions. To this end some of the windchests will be of unit construction, the others of electrically controlled slider chests. The powerful reed stops are on separate high-pressure chests. In both organ towers there is a large swellable movement. Both divisions will have swell shutters on three sides, separately controllable and allow a more differentiated sounding of the room. The third manual (Solo) is completed by a Tuba on high pressure, together with tubular bells. Manual ranks will extend to g4 for use with superoctave couplers, except for the mixtures and 2-foot stops. Both the new choir organ and the old main organ are playable from the central console, which is also new. With 89 stops, the characterful stylistic expressions and the excellent spatial-acoustic situation, the combined organs offer unique musical possibilities. At the request of the client, the electronics including the setting system were supplied by an external supplier (Thomas Fritsch, Aplos inc.).

The organ-building association provides information about the choir organ project on its own homepage.

A detailed and richly illustrated commemorative publication in German language about the new choir organ in Braunschweig Cathedral can be ordered directly from the organ builders' association (info@orgel-braunschweigerdom.de) or from bookshops, quoting ISBN 978-3-00-077388-4. Softcover, 124 pages, 21 x 21 cm, 15,- €.