HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING | Diane Bish at Ulm Cathedral, Germany

The Walcker organ of Ulm Munster (Ulmer Münster) is one of the major late-20th-century German cathedral instruments. The present instrument was built 1967–1969 by E. F. Walcker & Cie., Ludwigsburg, designated Opus 5000, and installed on the west gallery beneath the main tower. It replaced and reused large parts of the earlier Walcker organ that had evolved through the 19th and early 20th centuries. General specifications: Manuals: 5 manuals + pedal Stops: about 99 speaking stops (plus effect registers such as Zimbelstern and glockenspiel). Pipes: approx. 8,900 pipes Action: mechanical key action with electric stop action. Couplers: extensive inter-manual and pedal couplings (e.g., III/I, IV/I, V/I, I/P through V/P). Accessories: crescendo roller, swell pedals, tutti controls, mixture/reed cancel, etc. Design concept: The tonal design was supervised by organ expert Dr. Walter Supper. The instrument reused roughly 75 % of pipework from the previous Walcker organ, integrating historical material into a modern post-war concept typical of large German cathedral organs of that era. Later modifications: 1995–1996: installation of a modern electronic combination system. Significance: One of the largest organs in the German state of Baden-Württemberg at the time of completion. It represents the late Walcker firm during the era of large neo-Baroque influenced cathedral instruments but with symphonic resources (notably the horizontal tubas and large pedal reeds).