Washington National Cathedral

==Music==
'''Director of Music:''' Canon Michael McCarthy (2002–);

'''Organist & Associate Director of Music:''' Dr. Thomas Sheehan (2019–);

'''Associate Director of Music & Chorister Program Manager:''' Julie DeBoer (2022–);

'''Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship:''' Michelle Fowlin (2022–);

'''Organ Scholar:''' Vacant (New Appointment: July 2024)

'''Carilloneur:''' Dr. Edward Nassor (1990–).

Former organists and choirmasters include Edgar Priest, Robert George Barrow, [[Paul Callaway]], [[Richard Wayne Dirksen]], [[Douglas Major]], Bruce Neswick, [[James Litton]], Erik Wm. Suter, [[Scott Dettra]], Jeremy Fillsell, Christopher Betts, The Rev. Benjamin Pearce Straley, George Fergus and Rebecca Ehren. The present artist in residence is Stanley J. Thurston.

=== Choirs ===
The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, founded in 1909, is one of very few cathedral choirs of men and boys in the United States with an affiliated school, in the English choir tradition. The eighteen to twenty-two boys singing treble are of ages 8 to 14 and attend [[St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)|St. Albans School]], the Cathedral school for boys, on vocal scholarships.

In 1997, the Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls was formed by Bruce Neswick, using the same men as the choir of the men and boys. The Choir consists of middle and high school girls attending the [[National Cathedral School]] on vocal scholarships. The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate.

[[File:The Great Organ of WNC.jpg|thumb|The console of the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral in 2010. It includes four manuals: the Choir, Great, Swell, and Solo. It is located in the Great Choir.|upright=1.2]]
Both choirs have recently{{when|date=December 2018}} recorded several [[Compact disc|CDs]], including a [[Christmas]] [[album]]; a U.S. premiere recording of [[Ståle Kleiberg]]'s ''Requiem for the Victims of [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] Persecution''; and a [[patriotism|patriotic]] album, ''America the Beautiful''.

The choirs rehearse separately every weekday morning in a graded class incorporated into their school schedule. The choristers sing [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|Evensong]] five days a week (the Boys Choir on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Girls Choir on Mondays and Wednesdays). The choirs alternate Sunday worship duties, singing both morning [[Eucharist]] and afternoon Evensong when they are on call. The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events. The choirs are featured annually on ''Christmas at Washington National Cathedral'', broadcast nationally on Christmas Day.

The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the [[Cathedral Choral Society]].

=== The Great Organ ===
The Great [[pipe organ|Organ]] was installed by the [[Ernest M. Skinner]] & Son Organ Company in 1938. The original instrument consisted of approximately 8,400&nbsp;pipes. The instrument was enlarged by the [[Aeolian-Skinner]] Organ Company in 1963 and again between 1970 and 1975, during which time more than half of the original instrument was removed. The present instrument consists of 189&nbsp;ranks and 10,647&nbsp;pipes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcago.org/washington-national-cathedral.html |title=Washington National Cathedral |website=American Guild of Organists: District of Columbia Chapter |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

==== Renovation ====
Although the instrument was mechanically restored in the late 80s and early 90s, the instrument has deteriorated to the point where a third of the instrument was unplayable, including the entire Solo division. Furthermore, the layout of the organ created a confusing sonic effect for listeners, and the neo-classical approach to organ building that was popular during the era of the Organ Reform Movement had become obsolete.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Everything (and more) You Wanted to Know About the Cathedral Organ |url=https://cathedral.org/blog/everything-and-more-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-cathedral-organ/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> The organ was to be replaced with a new instrument built by [[Dobson Pipe Organ Builders]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Midgette |first=Anne  |date=June 17, 2008 |title=Fans Pipe Up About Replacing Venerable Cathedral Organ |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602834.html |access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> but this plan was scrapped in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Organ Project |url=http://www.nationalcathedral.org:80/arts/organProject.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130011146/http://www.nationalcathedral.org/arts/organProject.shtml |archive-date=November 30, 2009 |access-date=December 16, 2018 |website=Washington National Cathedral}}</ref>  

As of 2023, plans are being developed for a renovation of the instrument. The organ will be renovated by Foley-Baker Inc. of Tolland, CT over a span of 4 years from 2024 to 2028 at the cost of $14 million, and is expected to reduce the size of the organ to 172 ranks and 9,787 pipes.<ref name=":0" />It will include a complete removal of the instrument, and the addition of a suitable digital organ by the Walker Technical Company for the duration of the project. This renovation will include the addition of a new division within the Nave to improve the clarity of the organ to listeners within the Nave, a new mechanical chassis for the instrument, and the removal of some of the least successful pipes from the 1970s renovation. Approximately 50 ranks of pipes from the original 1938 instrument remain, and as many of these ranks will be reused as possible, as well as some of the pipes from the 1970s renovation. The rest of the instrument will consist of new pipework which will seamlessly integrate with what remains from the previous instrument.<ref name=":0" />

On December 31, 2023 the temporary Walker organ was unveiled during worship services.  

=== Bells ===
The cathedral is unique in North America in having both a [[carillon]] and a set of [[change ringing]] bells.

The ring of 10 bells (tenor {{long ton||32|0|4|disp=or}} in D) are hung in the English style for [[full circle ringing]]. All ten were cast in 1962 by Mears & Stainbank (now known as The [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]]) of London, England.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=washington&numPerPage=10&Submit=Go&searchAmount=%3D&searchMetric=cwt&sortBy=Place&sortDir=Asc&DoveID=WASHINGTDC |title=Washington, Cath Ch of S Peter & S Paul |website=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers |access-date=November 29, 2012}}</ref>

The carillon has 53 bells ranging from {{convert|17|lb}} to {{convert|24000|lb}} and was manufactured by [[John Taylor & Co]] of Loughborough, England in 1963. The bells are hung ''dead'', meaning rigidly fixed, and are struck on the inside by hammers activated from the keyboard.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/exterior/carillon/ |title=Carillon |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

=== Contemporary music ===
In 2016, under the leadership of then-Associate for Worship and Music, the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett, the Cathedral transformed its 9:00am Sunday Eucharist into a BAS Communion Service with both contemporary language and music. This meant regular collaborations with Barnett's Theodicy Jazz Collective. Following Barnett's departure in 2019 (to All Saints, Atlanta), GRAMMY-Award nominee Daryl L.A. Hunt joined the Cathedral as Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship where he expanded the Cathedral Band and focused the Cathedral's contemporary music offerings towards African American spirituals and contemporary ensemble music. Since March 2020, the Cathedral's Principal Sunday Eucharist at 11:15am has included a blend of contemporary and traditional music.