Organ of St Catarina Church

I will be posting some texts, photos, and videos of organs extant in the Azores archipelago. There are about fifty of these instruments in eight of the nine islands in various states of conservation. A very strong effort was made in late-80s and 90s to restore the historical instruments (mostly the ones built by António Xavier Machado e Cerveira and Joaquim António Peres Fontanes) also promoting regular concerts and some CD recordings.

The restoration works were made by the Portuguese master organ-builder Dinarte Machado, a high-skilled artisan that made a tremendous work in the Azorean organs, but also in Madeira island and the Continent, notably the restoration of the six organs of Mafra Basilica.

About the organ of the church of Santa Catarina in the village of Calheta São Jorge Island there is not much to write in this post. I have published a brief article in The Organ magazine that can be downloaded here. The instrument was built by the famous Portuguese organ-builder António Xavier Machado e Cerveira in 1790 being his 29th work.

Mostly important is the video bellow where the instrument can be listened. It has a very particular sound with some timbre difference between registers.