Murdy Family Organ
The Wayne and Diana Murdy Family Organ
Made possible by a generous gift from Wayne and Diana Murdy, the organ in the Basilica of the Scared Heart at the University of Notre Dame was built by Paul Fritts and Company Organ Builders of Tacoma, Washington. The organ took four years to build, completed and delivered in July 2016 and dedicated on January 20, 2017, the feast of Blessed Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau, priest and founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross. The organ was blessed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., and the dedication recital was played by Professor Craig J. Cramer.
With four manuals, or keyboards and pedal, 70 stops and 5,164 pipes the organ is the height of a four-story building. It is the largest organ Paul Fritts has ever produced. It was built using methods and materials that guild craftsmen in the Netherlands and northern Germany three and four centuries ago would recognize and understand today but with the benefit of modern tools and technologies.
The Wayne and Diana Murdy Family Organ weighs 20 tons, is 40 feet tall, was built by 10 skilled craftsmen, has 232 keys and took 40,000 man hours to build. This is one of four organs on campus built by Paul Fritts and Company Organ Builders.
The organ is primarily used for Masses and liturgical celebrations to accompany the hymns, responses, and choral anthems, and on special occasion, for student recitals throughout the academic year.
