The Peterhouse organ is the largest surviving example of the work of Johann Snetzler.  It was given to the College in 1765 by Horatio Mann who had joined Peterhouse as a Fellow Commoner in 1760, and the College is most grateful for the generosity of current Petreans that made our recent ambitious restoration project such a success. The recent large-scale renovation of the organ began as far back as 2016 in terms of planning, and was completed in 2024.

The chapel was consecrated in 1632 during the Mastership of Matthew Wren, and an organ was installed as early as 1635. As a centre of Laudian practice, music played a central role in chapel life from the outset.

Uniquely, the newly-restored organ may be played from two different consoles: one a recreation of the original 1765 console, the other a contemporary console with pedal division and a modern setter system. This allows players to experience both a historically-informed sense of the original 1760s instrument; it also offers the opportunity to explore the same pipework under a different guise and vastly expands the range of repertoire possible. It has created an instrument of astonishing range and versatility, providing the college with an instrument designed to serve the musical and liturgical needs of the college chapel, and the education of our organ scholars. Two of Europe’s most respected organ builders, Flentrop Orgelbouw and Orgelbau Klais, collaborated on the project and the resulting instrument is of great aesthetic value and integrity as well as historical interest.

The specification of the new organ is available here.

The History of the Peterhouse Organ