‘I try not to project’

Sander Booij belongs to the younger generation of organ builders. I spoke to him in Uithuizermeeden on the evening when the Mense Ruiter organ in the Nederlandse Gereformeerde Kerk was returned to service. Built in 1985, the instrument had undergone major maintenance and had also been revoiced. The revoicing was aimed at achieving more even tonal production and greater intensity, without any change in volume. At the keydesk that evening, Sander Booij as organist largely let the instrument speak for itself; in our conversation, it was the organ builder who did the talking. We began at the beginning.