The new organ in ‘De Oerdracht’ in Joure

Peter van Dijk & Rogér van Dijk

Het ORGEL 94 (1998), nr. 2, 27-30 [summary]

In April 1997 the new organ in ‘De Oerdracht’ in Joure, built by Orgelmakers Gebr. Reil (Heerde), was inaugurated. Jan Jongepier was the advisor. The organ which Reil had built for ‘De Oerdracht’ in 1984, burnt down with the church.

Orgelmakers Gebr. Reil did not choose a single stylistic concept. They used their own style, in which various elements of the 18th-century organ are blended to a unity. The modern case design was inspired by the church interior. The organ has 25 stops on slider chests with tracker action for Hoofdwerk, Rugwerk and Pedaal. The chests are not rectangular: the channels for the lower pitches are longer than for the higher pitches. This results in a more pronounced attack in the discant. Two diagonal bellows supply the organ wind, which supports any phrasing smoothly. The Hoofdwerk principals are broader, those of the Rugwerk more pointed in tone. The Prestant 4 of the Rugwerk is not very well suited to playing 8va bassa, for example in baroque trios: the transition to the doubled discant is too clearly audible. The Sesquialter can be used in either solo or plenum registrations.

The flutes are nicely varied. Superb is the Viola di Gamba, inspired by Christian Müller. The reeds are convincing in character and attack. The Fagot is fit for basso continuo lines and bass solos as well as for adding splendor to the plenum.