Bert Matter retires after 33 years in Zutphen by Jan-Piet Knijff

Jan-Piet Knijff Bert Matter retires after 33 years in Zutphen
Het ORGEL 99 (2003), nr. 1, 8-9 [summary]

Bert Matter (1937) was organist of the Bader/Timpe organ in the St.-Walburgiskerk at Zutphen from 1969 till spring 2002. Matter calls this organ one of his teachers; he especially admires the flutes. He regrets that the organ was not given a new action when it was restored in 1996 (Organ builders Gebr. Reil restored the instrument).
Matter is known for his improvisations; he studied with Cor Kee. At first, Matter improvised according to ‘the rules’, ‘but in the end I chose not to do so any more. I decided to improvise only in the way I liked myself. So I did, and the funny thing is that the people in the church liked it better as well.’
Matter now lives in the countryside. When he moved, he gave his students a considerable portion of his music library. In return, they produced a CD with works written by Matter.