Welcome
Welcome to the Internet pages of Europe’s oldest magazine on Organ Art: Het ORGEL [i.e. the ORGAN]. Het ORGEL is a magazine of Dutch origin. This Internet site contains English summaries of articles published in Het ORGEL. Every second month we will add the newest summaries. The site also contains a survey of which festival is happening where in Europe, and an extensive collection of links to other interesting organ sites throughout the world.
In the most recent issue
The November issue has as its theme the 1950s. It opens with an article on the Flentrop organ of 1952 in the Catharinakerk in Doetinchem. The author, Theo Jellema, served as consultant for the restoration of this instrument in 2014, and is thus thoroughly familiar with the archives. The article treats not only the intriguing origins of the organ, but also how it was received and its importance for organ building in the 50s.
When Dirk Andries Flentrop had completed the organ in Doetinchem, he began the restoration of the Schnitger organ in the Grote Kerk of Zwolle. Cees van der Poel, who serves as consultant for the current restoration of this instrument, describes, using information from the archives of Flentrop Orgelbouw and the personal archives of Arie Bouman, the preparation for the restoration of 1953-6 and the restoration itself.
Jan Smelik starts a series of articles on organ playing in protestant churches at the time after World War II. The first in the series discusses primarily the use of the organ before and after the service, during the collection, and after the sermon.
“Early Birds : organ music by Willem Vogel from the middle of the 20th century” is the title of Christiaan Winter’s article. He describes Vogel’s ideals regarding organ building and organ repertoire. There follows a discussion of Vogel’s early organ works and the ways in which the sound idiom of others influenced Vogel’s work.
The rubrics ‘Column’ and ‘Orgelpark’ are also dedicated in this issue to the 50s. Jos van der Kooy describes his experiences with organs from the period 1950-1960. In the rubric Orgelpark, Hans Fidom provides background information on La chanson de Roland, composed by Jeanne Demessieux between 1951 and 1954. This work was performed on Sunday 12 November in the Orgelpark, in an arrangement made by Hans Leenders.
Following death of Arie J. Keijzer in August, 2023, his pupils Jolanda Zwoferink and Henco de Berg wrote an In Memoriam.
The rubric Organ Building News has an article by Wietse Ouwejan on the restoration of the G.T. Bätz organ in the Lutheran Church in Edam, and on the organ that was recently placed in the Hersteld Hervormde gemeente van Nieuwaal.
The November issue closes with the final article in the series ‘Antwerpse vormgevers van barokke orgelfronten’ {Designers of baroque organ fronts in Antwerp}. Auke H. Vlagsma writes about the designer and the design of the organ case in the Oud-Katholieke Kerk ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ (aka ‘Oppertse kerk’) in Rotterdam.
New articles
KVOK
Royal Dutch Association of Organists and churchmusicians
The publisher of Het ORGEL
The paper edition as well as the Internet edition of Het ORGEL are published by the Koninklijke Vereniging van Organisten en Kerkmusici (Dutch abbreviation: ‘KVOK’). This Association was founded on 16 January 1890, and in 1937 became the publisher of Het ORGEL; the first issue of Het ORGEL was published in 1886.
Adress of the editorial staff
Dr. Jan Smelik, editor in chief
H. van Steenwijckstraat 10
8331 KK STEENWIJK
The Netherlands
E-mail: redactie@hetorgel.nl
Do you want to support the work of Het ORGEL?
You can support Het ORGEL and the Royal Dutch Association of Organists and churchmusicians by becoming a member of the Association. Membership fee: EUR 91 (Europe) and EUR 97 (Outside Europe) a year in the Netherlands. Membership is for one year and will be automatically renewed if not terminated at least one month before the end of the calendar year.
Once you’re a member, you will receive the paper edition of Het ORGEL 6 times a year and the digital newspaper NOTABENE 12 times a year. It is also possible to receive the publications without being a member of the society.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send an e-mail to the board of the Association