THE CATHEDRAL ORGAN

The pipe organ in St. John Cathedral is a masterpiece of French organ design. In the splendid acoustical environment of the Cathedral, the organ is thrilling to hear, and provides the listener with a sound experience that is unique in the state of Louisiana. The organ was installed in 1985 as part of the extensive renovation of the Cathedral.

In keeping with the Acadian tradition, the organ was designed by a Frenchman, Jean-Louis Coignet of Paris, and built by the firm of Casavant Frères, Limitée in French-speaking Québec. The organ console, which is solidly constructed of oak and maple, has three manuals (keyboards) and pedals. The largest pipe is sixteen feet in length and the smallest less than half an inch. The organ has fifty-three ranks of pipes as well as two digital bass registers powered by 600 amps.

The design of the organ was inspired by the great French Cathedral organs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and is in every sense of the word a French instrument.

Click here for specifications of the organ.