Het ORGEL | Europe’s oldest magazine on organ art

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 latest issue

8/7/2020

The July issue opens with the first part of a series on Dutch organists from the School of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. In this introductory article the author, Albert Clement, discusses the founding of the conservatory in Leipzig by Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and the first contacts between him and musicians from the Netherlands.
Frans Brouwer portrays in the series ‘The voicer’ the person and the work of Frits Elshout, who worked for Flentrop Orgelbouw for 48 years. He’s a voicer in heart and soul, whose inspiration comes not only from the organ. His development, his opinion on tone production and his enthusiasm for a few special projects are discussed.
The article in the series ‘French renaissance façades’ by Auke H. Vlagsma deals with the organ in the Cathédrale Saint-Julien in Le Mans, Sarthe (Pays de la Loire).
Het ORGEL regularly publishes information on organs of the Bätz family. In this issue Bert den Hertog interviews three players of Bätz organs: Sander van den Houten (Evangelisch Lutherse Kerk, Den Haag), Matthias Havinga (Ronde Lutherse Kerk, Amsterdam) and Jan Hage (Domkerk, Utrecht). The interview discusses choices made when restoring organs, characteristics of the ‘Bätz sound’, and how the organs are used in current practice.
Mannes Hofsink commemorates Nico Verrips (1929-2020), who died on 18 April, 2020, and who was cantor-organist of the Grote or Mariakerk in Meppel for nearly half a century.
‘Psalmen voor orgel’ by Cor Kee, originally published between 1939 and 1948 in 3 volumes, have recently been republished. The editor, Lourens Stuifbergen, describes the place of these psalm compositions within the oeuvre of Cor Kee. He also discusses their modality, their polyphony and harmony, structure, cantus firmus, text portrayal, and registration.
Pieter van Dijk served as consultant for the Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds (NMF) [National Musical Instrument Fund] for the building of an Italian organ commissioned by the Fonds. He describes the genesis of this instrument, which was built by the firm of Klop from Garderen. The organ was designed as a baroque ‘organo di legno’ [with only wooden pipes], and was specially built to function as continuo instrument for the vocal works of Monteverdi.
Jaap Jan Steensma reviews the book “Orgelbouw na 1945 in Friese kerken. Van vernieuwing naar traditie?” [Organ building after 1945 in Frisian churches. From renewal to tradition?] by Theo Jellema.
In his column ‘De Achterplaat’ [the back page] Frits Zwart draws the readers’ attention to the organist Govert Dorrenboom (1850-1942), who was of great significance for the musical life of Breda.

New articles

The creation of a Monteverdi organ

On January19, 2020, the ‘Monteverdi organ’ was inaugurated during a festive and well-attended concert in the St.-Franciscus Xaverius church in Amersfoort. The instrument was made by Henk and Niels Klop of Garderen, and is comprised solely of open wooden pipes. The firm of Klop has in recent decades gained much experience in the building of chest organs, and the shop also made several house and...

A new edition of ‘PSALMEN voor orgel’ by Cor Kee

The oeuvre of Cor Kee (1900-1997) is extensive and varied. Thanks to his open ears he was always renewing himself, often to the surprise of many. Before 1935 he wrote, under his own name or under the pseudonym ‘Orgelius’, dozens of arrangements, introductions, fantasies, meditations, variations, &c. on psalm melodies, often of mediocre quality and strongly influenced by the romantic style of his...

In memoriam Nico Verrips (1929-2020)

Nico Verrips passed away on Saturday, 18 April, in Meppel at the age of 90. As cantor-organist he was associated with the Grote or Mariakerk in Meppel from 1953 to 1990. He also taught for the Church Music Commission of the Dutch Reformed Church. Besides his work as a church musician he also taught at various schools. He was a trustee of the Nederlandse Organistenvereniging from June 1981 till...

‘An organ is a machine, but it makes magic’ – Interview with three players of famous Bätz organs: Sander van den Houten, Jan Hage, and Matthias Havinga

The work of all generations of the organ-building family Bätz and later Witte occupies an exceptionally important place in the Dutch organ landscape. The 'Bätz-jaar 2020' provides, besides information on recent restorations of the family’s instruments, the opportunity to get acquainted with a number of players of these organs. Sander van den Houten (*1987) is organist of the Evangelisch Lutherse...

The voicer (4): At the service of beauty of sound. A portrait of Frits Elshout

This fourth voicer’s portrait discusses the work and the inspiration of Frits Elshout, who worked for 48 years for Flentrop Orgelbouw: first as pipemaker, then as voicer, later as adjunct-director and director of this almost 120-year-old company, and now that he’s retired as consultant. He calls his career a discovery trip in which openness is the proper attitude to fend off belief in fads...

Dutch organists from the School of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: an investigation. Part 1: the opening of the conservatory in Leipzig and the earliest contacts with Dutch musicians

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s influence was not limited to Germany. Many students at the conservatory in Leipzig, which the composer founded in 1843, came from foreign countries and returned after their studies to their original countries. Besides England, France and Belgium there were many students from the Netherlands in Leipzig. This article has three parts; in the first of these, the...

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.

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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.
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