NUTCRACKER SUITE
When: Saturday, Jan. 4, 4 p.m.
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave.
Admission: By donation
Christ Church Cathedral is presenting a by-donation concert Saturday featuring a world premiere adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, which is big news unto itself.
What’s more, the performance kicks off the Year of the Organ, a 12-month run of concerts and events honouring the 20th anniversary of the church’s iconic pipe organ.
“We’ve been gradually putting the pieces in place to mark the organ’s anniversary,” said Donald Hunt, director of music at Christ Church Cathedral. “We’re doing a concert that features the organ at least once a month throughout 2025.”
The year-long anniversary, which includes performances during February’s 91原创 Baroque Festival, is one well worth celebrating. “It’s the largest mechanical-action organ of its kind on the West Coast of Canada,” Hunt added. “Most organs these days are connected to pipes through wiring, but this one uses the old technique of levers and pulleys basically, despite being built in 2005.”
The organ, designed and built by Quebec’s Hellmuth Wolff, is an engineering marvel, especially when compared to the instrument it replaced in 2005 — a British-made organ from 1872 that was rebuilt in 1957 and again in 1980. Wolff’s purpose-built instrument cost $2.2 million and took 30 months to construct, eventually boasting more than 4,000 pipes that stretch skyward over the Quadra Street entranceway of the cathedral.
It was a huge undertaking at the time, and was made a reality by a multi-year fundraising push. “It’s a super special instrument,” Hunt said. “When the fundraising for it was taking place, long before 2005, the idea was that this would not just be the church’s organ for services on Sundays. This was a musical gift to the whole city. Over the last 20 years or so, it has lived out that mission.”
Weighing approximately 20 tonnes, the organ sits in a free-standing case of solid mahogany that engulfs those who are qualified to play it, a shortlist that includes both Hunt (who conducts the cathedral’s choir and handles administration) and Mark McDonald, assistant director of music at Christ Church Cathedral.
McDonald, who has a master’s degree and a doctorate in organ and harpsichord performance from McGill University, started writing a new adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite for two organists several years ago. He has now completed it. McDonald and Hunt will perform together on the organ during the world premiere on Saturday, with McDonald operating the majority of pedals on the organ and both McDonald and Hunt handling keys.
Victoria tenor Benjamin Butterfield and KlaVIERhands, featuring pianists Wendy Stofer and Jane Edler-Davis, are also featured in the program on Saturday. Unique programming such as this remains a top priority for cathedral brass, Hunt said.
“These sorts of events are attracting a broad cross-section of people in Victoria. They are not just for cathedral members.”
There’s another upside to The Year of the Organ, one that is concerned with the functionality of Wolff’s vaunted organ. With the amount of moving parts involved, and the amount it is used for performance, upkeep is essential — but costly. “Just like every 20 years you have to replace the roof on your house, every 20 years on the organ, you need to clean all the pipes and straighten things that have tipped a little bit, along with some of the electric and mechanical stuff,” Hunt said.
“And that’s a $150,000 job.”
Concerts such as the one set for Saturday afternoon will help offset the maintenance costs. Hunt is committed to offering top-tier programming for both cathedralgoers and members of the general public, the majority of it showcasing the once-in-a-generation instrument.
“There is absolutely nothing like this [organ] in the city. It’s an important piece of cultural infrastructure.”
