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 recent number
Albert Clement opens number 5 van vol. 116 (2020) with part 2 of his trilogy on Dutch organists of the school of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. This part is about Dutch students at the conservatory in Leipzig in 1843-1847, among them Jan Albert van Eijken. Clement describes how pupils of Mendelssohn Bartholdy were important for renewed interest in the organ and for the (organ) music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Auke H. Vlagsma describes in his series on French renaissance organ cases the organ in l’Église Notre-Dame in Caudebec-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime.
In 2018/2019 the organ makers Gebr. van Vulpen (Utrecht) carried out an extensive restoration of the J.H.H. Bätz-orgel (1768) in the Petruskerk in Woerden. Peter van Dijk, the consultant, provides not only an overview of the organ’s history, but also discusses the recent restoration and the choices that were made.
The ‘Ciaconna in e’ of Dieterich Buxtehude is too short, according to Reitze Smits. His article discusses the number of variations in works with ostinato basses in the 17th and 18th centuries in Germany.
The Hersteld Hervormde Gemeente (Bethelkerk) of Lunteren inaugurated its new J.L. van den Heuvel organ 9 months ago. Bert de Hertog visited the instrument, describes the concept, discusses various aspects with the builders, and gives an impression of the sound.
Exactly 100 years ago Het ORGEL published a complaint to the church authorities (aanklacht tegen de overheden der kerk). The column ‘Een eeuw geleden’ presents a lengthy quotation, in which Corn. Immig, Jr., fulminated against the fees paid by protestant and catholic churches.
Last December Wim S. Ros earned his Ph.D. with a dissertation on the architecture and the design of the organ in the 15th century, a subject about which almost no research has been done. Auke H. Vlagsma reviews the voluminous dissertation ‘Fundamentum organisandi’, using plates from the book.
Sietze de Vries reviews ‘The English Organ’, a multi-media production by Fugue State Films, which consists of 4 dvds and 3 cds covering 33 organs on 3 continents.
The Netherlands could not be considered generous in putting up monuments for famous Dutch musicians. Frits Zwart, in his column De Achterplaat (the back page), directs our attention to an exception: the monument for Richard Hol in Den Haag.
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.
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 70,- (Europe) and EUR 75,- (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
