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 July issue of Het ORGEL opens with the conclusion of the article ‘Orgel midden in de stad’ (Organ in the middle of the town), a 2-part article on the 50-year-old organ in the Rotterdam concert hall De Doelen. This part discusses how Keijzer organized series of concerts with works of North-German baroque masters and the organ works of César Franck. After this, Geert Bierling presented the organ with his ‘Concerts populaires’, with organ arrangements, and continues with series of Bach- and Händel-concerts. The article concludes with a comparison of the two periods in the history of the organ.
The archives of the (Koninklijke) Nederlandse Organisten Vereniging {[Royal] Dutch Organists’ Association} are located in the Nationaal Archief in Den Haag. Now and then documents emerge from private archives which are added to the NOV archives. Recently two interesting notebooks from the early years of the Association were discovered. Hans Beek, secretary of the KVOK, describes these documents.
Since 2017 the Nationaal Orgelmuseum in Elburg has a reconstruction of the positive that is pictured on ‘The adoration of the Lamb of God’ (1432), by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck in the St. Baafs cathedral in Gent. Wim S. Ros has written an article about the positive, comparing it with other positives and with the recent reconstruction. The realistic depiction of the positive on the altar is the oldest organ in the Netherlands of which we have an accurate picture.
On 31 May, 1971- 50 years ago – Marcel Dupré died. Jos van der Kooy honors in his column this organist/composer, whose artistic heritage continues to inspire.
The College of Organ Dutch Consultants {Het College van Orgeladviseurs Nederland (CvON)} introduced for its members a new code of behavior, which is also important for churches that involve a CvON-member in an organ-building project, whether it be a new instrument or a restoration. Robert Helder studied this code of behavior and made some critical remarks. He also considers the future demands on an organ consultant.
Ben van Oosten recently retired as professor of organ at Rotterdam Conservatory (Codarts). Bert den Hertog interviewed him about teaching, performance practice, and the future of organ culture.
In recent months the organ world lost Hans van Os at the age of 95, Liuwe Tamminga (67), and Hugo Bakker (35). Their lives and works are remembered and honored by (respectively) Gerrit Hoving, Peter van Dijk, and Jan Hage.
Victor Timmer reviews the ‘Festschrift’ that appeared last year on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the organ builder Bernhardt Edskes.
In the rubric ‘De Achterplaat’ {the back page} of Frits Zwart, the spotlight is directed to Marinus van ’t Kruijs (1861-1919), who was for a long period organist of the Grote Kerk in Rotterdam, and one of the founders of the Nederlandse Organisten Vereniging.
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 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
