Spotlight shines on pipe organs

Expert praises high-quality instruments in Vancouver

Father Joseph Le examines Holy Rosary Cathedral's 97-year-old pipe organ. (Photo: Ian Smith / Vancouver Sun)

For music aficionados, a recent Vancouver Sun article suggests a visit to five unique pipe organs in the Lower Mainland. One of them is at Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Holy Rosary’s Karn-Warren organ is said to be the oldest romantic-style organ in B.C. to have remained in its original spot. The church’s website explains how the original instrument boasted 2,468 pipes before it was disassembled and sent for repairs with Quebec organ builders Casavant Freres.

Two years later, it returned to Holy Rosary boasting 2,899 pipes laid out over 51 ranks, with a console of three manuals (rows of keys), a pedal board of 32 notes and 42 stops controlling air flow to the pipes.

St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Good Shepherd Church, St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church, and Westminster Abbey host more of these impressive instruments. Read about them here.