The Cabra de Mora organ could play again after almost 100 years without doing so. To make this a reality, the City Council, the Parish of San Miguel and the Abad Zapater Association have come together to ask for the help of citizens through crowdfunding and obtain funds to restore this historic organ. Since June 2023, this instrument has been part of the Hispania Nostra Red List, which includes cultural assets of Spanish heritage that are at risk due to their poor state of conservation.
“I want to breathe again!” This is the message shared in this fundraising campaign and is that the goal is to “revive” this historic piece so that it “delights with its voice and teaches its soul.” In addition to filling the church of Santa María and San Miguel in which it is located – raised above the choir at the entrance like a balcony – with sound, it would give rise to numerous projects to revitalize the town where about 70 people live.
The Abad Zapater Foundation, founded in 1997 and which brings together more than 170 members, indicates that with the restoration “cultural, educational and musical diffusion activities related to the organ” will be organized. Examples of this are seminars with organ specialists, the organization of classical music concerts, early music festivals, specialized courses, guided tours or the inclusion of this organ in the International Organ Music Series of Teruel.
The organ in question was built by the famous organ builder Vicente Sospedra in 1788. This master worked mainly in the east and in the province of Teruel, which led to the creation of organs in towns such as Morella, Villafranca del Cid, San Mateo or the Cathedral of Teruel. The one in Cabra de Mora did not undergo any repairs during the 19th and 20th centuries, with the exception of the bellows, which were carried out in 1880.
This fact is reaffirmed by Jesús Gonzalo López, one of the best specialists in historical organs in Spain. In addition, he is the author of the “Catalogue of Historical Organs of Teruel”, which brings together all these historical instruments distributed throughout the history of the province of Teruel. Regarding the Cabra de Mora organ, it is indicated that the original registration labels corresponding to 1788 are preserved.
A “unique and representative” body in Aragon
The preservation of the organ is “practically 100% original in all the mechanics” and even preserves a significant amount of metal pipework. The one in Cabra de Mora is the last organ that preserves the original pipes from the Gúdar-Javalambre region, as they appear in the Aragonese Cultural Heritage Information System (SIPCA). Here is also the one in Mosqueruela, but fewer elements remain.
The organ specialist, Jesús Gonzalo López, has carried out an assessment of the state of conservation. He specifies that the “box remains in its 100% original state”, as well as all the mechanics and bellows. For their part, the pipes, estimate that there are about 50% of the initial ones.
Thus, the Cabra de Mora organ is positioned as a “singular and representative” instrument of Aragonese organ building. Gonzalo López also highlights that the heritage value of this piece comes from the fact that it was “the only ecclesiastical property of the time preserved in the church of Cabra” and from the fact that it survived the Spanish Civil War, since during that period the matter was completely finished with the organs. with pipes in the province of Teruel.
The current deterioration of the organ is due to “spoliation, abandonment, lack of conservation and use”. Over time, “dust and dirt have accumulated on the case and internal structures” and the wooden parts are affected by “woodcut insects”.
Specifically, the “hose” portion is “chapped” with broken mounting brackets. The “secret and mechanical systems” have “structural issues” that make them difficult to operate. Meanwhile, the “keyboard, straps, and pedals” have “misalignments and lack of movement,” and the “pneumatic system” has a “broken and disassembled mechanical movement system.”
Fundraising campaign
However, the good news is that it can be restored and recovered so that it can emit sound again. The work of dismantling, transfer to the workshop, return to the church and all the restoration work is estimated at around 140,000 euros.
As part of the crowdfunding campaign, a minimum target of 20,000 euros has been set for the restoration of the metal and wooden tubes. If 30,000 euros is reached, a figure they describe as “optimal”, a further step will be taken to restore the organ’s bellows.
When donating, there are different categories. In addition to the usual, there is the possibility of sponsoring one of the 1,443 wooden and metal pipes that support the organ. By choosing one of these forms of contribution, you will enjoy several advantages: your name will appear in the church’s “contributors panel”, it will be recorded on the pipe and you will enjoy a guided tour of the temple and the hermitage of L’Escala Santa.
Other pieces that can be sponsored are organ pedals, crossbars, black and white keys, secret mechanism, organ bellows or organ case. In this case, new rights are added for each of the pieces, for example free tickets for the organ inauguration concert or the V Festival of Classical and Choral Music of Cabra de Mora 2025.
With all this, we want to give life to this organ that, according to Jesús Gonzalo López, presents an “evolutionary sound model” for its time and whose V-shaped design is advanced for the period of construction. Also stop being a spectator and become a protagonist of the Classical and Choral Music Festival that has been held for four years in the Church of Santa María and San Miguel.
