The Father Smith Organ of Durham Cathedral, 1683 - 1873

The Durham Cathedral Chapter contracted in 1683 with the King's Organ maker, Bernard ("Father") Smith, for a good, perfect, laudable and harmonious great Organ and Chair Organ [17 stops altogether] with a case of good, sound and substantiall Oak wood...

Our speaker Richard Hird grew up in Yorkshire, studied at Oxford and Leeds, and took up the profession of Town and Country Planning. He is an organist, sits on the Durham Diocesan Advisory Committee and the British Institute of Organ Studies. He has jointly authored a book on The Organs of Durham Cathedral.