Historic Wren Organ Recitals

Historic Wren Organ Recitals Come to the weekly recital of the historic 18th-century organ in the Wren Chapel! Concerts are free to the public and last half an hour.

The organ in the Wren Chapel dates back to the 18th-century and was most likely built a decade after the 1732 construction of the chapel in which it now resides. It was originally constructed by an unknown builder for Kimberly Hall, the ancestral home of the Wodehouse family in Norfolk, England. There it stayed until 1953 when noted organ builder Noel Mander discovered it before selling it to the

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1954. Upon its arrival in Williamsburg, the organ was installed in the ballroom of the Governor’s Palace. It was later moved to the lobby of a new conference center in Williamsburg in 1963 since it was determined to be out of proportion with the size of the ballroom. In 1970, the organ was placed in the west gallery of the Wren Chapel where it has remained ever since. James (Jock) Darling, then the Choirmaster at Bruton Parish, began the weekly Saturday morning concerts at that time. In 2001, it was temporarily moved to the Colonial Williamsburg conservation lab to receive major maintenance and minor cosmetic repairs. Notably, the lost hand-pumping mechanism and tuning temperament were restored. The organ is fully functional and is used for occasional religious services and weddings in addition to the morning recitals.

03/21/2022

Historic Organ Recitals in the Wren Chapel on the campus of The College of William & Mary are back. Come check out a Saturday morning 10:00 concert.

06/28/2016

We enjoyed a wonderful concert with Allison Smith, baroque oboist who grew up here and now lives and works in Holland. Wonderful sound with the organ in that space!

01/26/2015

Please be sure to spread the word about these concerts. We begin the 45th year of this series!

11/24/2014

We have some very exciting news about the recital this upcoming Saturday! On November 29 Rebecca Davy will premiere a new piece dedicated to her by Carson Cooman on the Wren Chapel organ. Carson Cooman is the Composer in Residence at The Memorial Church of Harvard University. Check out his website at http://carsoncooman.com/ to learn more.

So come to the Wren Chapel this Saturday at 10:00am to hear this new Diapason Voluntary on the Wren Chapel organ!

11/20/2014

Great turn out last week! A big thanks to the 50+ people who came to hear the recital this past Saturday.

Feel like you're missing out? Then come to the recital this Saturday! Thomas Marshall will play the organ on November 22 beginning, as always, at 10:00am.

Hope to see you there!

11/12/2014

Looking for something fun to do Saturday morning? Then come to the Wren Organ recital! Concerts are free, a half hour long, and open to music enthusiasts of all ages.

Rebecca Davy will play the organ at the recital this Saturday, November 15 beginning at 10:00am.

Meet Rebecca Davy! Rebecca is the coordinator of the Historic Wren Organ Recitalsand the Music Director & Organist at Br...
11/12/2014

Meet Rebecca Davy! Rebecca is the coordinator of the Historic Wren Organ Recitals
and the Music Director & Organist at Bruton Parish Church.

11/06/2014

Want to learn about the history of the historic organ? Check out our About section for more information!

11/05/2014

Sarah Bland will play the organ at the recital this Saturday, November 8 at 10:00am.

It's FREE and only a short walk away from other fun Saturday events in Colonial Williamsburg such as the Williamsburg Farmers Market

11/05/2014

Join us every Saturday at 10:00am for a recital on the historic 18th-century organ in the Wren Chapel!

Click on About for more information

Address

Williamsburg, VA
23185

Opening Hours

10am - 10:30am

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