Why go
Installed in the 1950s after the church became a cathedral, the instrument replaced an older parish organ. The account of its inauguration links it to music by four Basque composers, including Jesús Guridi, whose Tríptico del Buen Pastor won the associated competition.
The full story
The first organ at the Good Shepherd church dated from its early years as a parish. A much larger replacement was built in 1953 by Organería Española of Azpeitia and inaugurated in the upper choir in January 1954. It followed the creation of the Diocese of San Sebastián and the church's designation as its cathedral. The main console has five manual keyboards and pedals, while an echo organ stands in the presbytery. Contemporary descriptions count more than 9,000 sounding pipes in the combined instrument. Its inauguration featured new pieces by Tomás Garbizu, Luis Urteaga, José María Nemesio Otaño and Jesús Guridi. The project was funded through a legacy from Fermín Lasala, Duke of Mandas, whose former estate became Cristina Enea park. These connections tie the organ to both the city's religious life and its wider cultural history.