Winchester Cathedral organ marathon

On 21 and 22 October, Winchester Cathedral's trio of Organists, assisted by three musical colleagues (all past organists at Winchester themselves), will be playing the Cathedral's Organs (one at a time!) non-stop for 24 hours, from 2pm - 2pm, in shifts, to raise funds for Cathedral's Choral Foundation. The Cathedral will be open until 9pm on the Friday night - reopening at 7am on the Saturday morning - and there is an opportunity to 'sleepover' in the building - although no one guarantees any sleep!

The final hour of the Organathon will be a fun hour, with duets and possibly a trio played by the Cathedral Organists, in the form of a concert. At the end of the Organathon there will be a retiring collection.

The Winchester Cathedral Willis Organ dates from 1851, where it was on show at the Great Exhibition, and was moved to Winchester by the then organist Samuel Sebastian Wesley shortly afterwards. Of course the Winchester organ can be heard almost every day as it accompanies over a thousand services in the Cathedral every year. With over 5000 pipes, producing a large range of sounds, it is one of the finest organs in the country and so is ideal for exploring the wide range of music.

If you don't want to miss a moment of the Organathon, you can stay overnight in the Cathedral (They do not guarantee sleep during this overnight stay!) Tickets: £40 and includes a full English breakfast served in the Cathedral Refectory on Saturday Morning. Tickets are available by emailing Emma Law (emma.law@winchester-cathedral.org.uk) or by phone on 01962 857 212.

Andrew Lumsden, Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral, who will start the thing off said: "We aim to make this a fun occasion and a chance to hear the Cathedral Organs as the sun sets and rises. Not only will the instruments and the players get a good workout, but also our coffee machine!"

You can help by sponsoring the event in a number of ways. either by the hour or overall for the event. See: www.justgiving.com or you can text YDWJ67 £XX (the amount you wish to donate) to 70070.

In addition to sponsorship, in the run-up and throughout the event there will be an opportunity to Pledge for a Piece (from a published list) to be played. Between 11am and 12noon on Saturday 22 October the pieces that receive the highest pledges will be played, as part of the Organathon. This list is available and donations can be made anytime up until 10am on Saturday 22 October.

More details of this and all events at Winchester Cathedral are available at: www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk .