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
In 2019 the Kathedrale Domkerk in Basel existed for a thousand years. For this occasion Daan Manneke composed the Basler Psalmen, an organ work in 7 movements on Genevan psalm melodies. The Dutch première was in September 2021, in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam; recently, on 1 June, the work was performed in the St. Janskerk in Gouda. Kees Weggelaar wrote an article together with the composer about this impressive work, of which the performance in Gouda can be heard on the website of Het Orgel.
The rubric ‘Een eeuw geleden’ {A century ago} provides a report from Het Orgel, July 1922, about a visit of the NOV trustees to the new reformed Zuiderkerk in Den Haag. The aim of the visit was to convince the reformed organists to join the Nederlandse organistenvereniging.
A symposium was held in the Orgelpark in Amsterdam on 26 & 27 March 2022, organized by the European Cities of Historical Organs (ECHO). The central theme was the question of what the public will be for the organ in the 21st century. The speakers were primarily people from outside the organ world. Peter Ouwerkerk reports on the answers given in the symposium.
The Johanneskerk in Laren, from the 16th century, was enriched in 2021 with a ‘new’ organ. The instrument was made originally for the Kapel in ’t Zand and arrived in Laren only after wanderings via Haarlem, Amsterdam, and Hilversum. Rogér van Dijk describes the colorful history of the instrument, which had long been ascribed incorrectly to the family Weidtmann, but was built by Henricus Titz.
Little is known about the life and work of the Amsterdam organ maker Vitus Wiegleb (1699-1748). Thanks to the digitalization of archives, gaps in our knowledge of Wiegleb can be filled. Victor Timmer gives a number of examples.
What does Jan Zwart have to do with the Internationaal Orgelfestival Haarlem? Read the column of Jos van der Kooy.
Jan Hage concludes his triptych on modern French organ music. In this final article he devotes attention to three composers who show but little relationship to the French tradition of Tournemire, Dupré, Duruflé, and Alain. They are Pierre Farago, Jean-Luc Etienne, and Thomas Lacôte. The article includes many printed and sounding examples.
In a display case in the basement of the Nationaal Orgelmuseum in Elburg there are some curious experimental registers of Arie Bouman. Cees van der Poel describes them in the rubric ‘Achterplaat’ {back page}.
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