become more "broad" in nature, whilst retaining the dignity of cathedral worship. Financial and structural difficulties and 2020 closure In April 2020, the church officials said that financial difficulties could mean that the cathedral might not re-open after the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, Bishop Anne Dyer and the Cathedral Trustees and Chapter announced that the cathedral would close temporarily from September 2020, because of problems with the fabric of the building. The congregation continued to gather for worship online from September 2020 to October 2021. In July 2021, the trustees made a Vision Statement that the cathedral will reopen for worship on Advent Sunday 2021 Reopened for Advent 2021 On Sunday, 5 December 2021, the cathedral reopened for worship to a grand inaugural service of Advent Carols. The congregation continued to gather for worship on Sundays at 10.45am and on Thursdays at 10am. List of provosts Andrew Jaffray James Milne 1735–1774: William Smith John Skinner William Skinner Stephen Allen John Ryde Thomas Suther Henry Ley Greaves 1882–1909: Myers Danson 1910–1912: William Perry 1914–1932: Henry Erskine Hill 1932–1955: Gordon Kinnell 1955–1965: Paddy Shannon 1965–1978: Arthur Hodgkinson 1978–1991: Donald Howard 1991–2002: David Wightman 2003–2015: Richard Kilgour 2015–present: Isaac Poobalan Organ and organists The cathedral, which has a splendid acoustic, houses one of the finest three manual pipe organs in Scotland, and has been served by a number of distinguished organists and masters of the choristers including: George Trash John Cullen Richard Galloway Frederick ("Bill") Fea David McGinnigle Geoffrey Pearce 1978 – 1983 (afterwards organist of Bridlington Priory) and Selby Abbey Professor Andrew Morrisson 1983 – 2020 Christopher Cromar 2020–2021 Cathedral canons Revd Canon Captain Gerry Bowyer Revd Canon Neil Brice Revd Canon Vittoria Hancock Revd Canon Jeremy Paisey Revd Canon John Walker See also Religion in Scotland St Machar's Cathedral — the original cathedral in Aberdeen, now a High Kirk of the Church of Scotland St Mary's Cathedral — cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen References Aberdeen Category A listed buildings in Aberdeen Listed cathedrals in Scotland