Use and ‘disuse’ the organ in the future by Joost Langeveld

Joost Langeveld Use and ‘disuse’ the organ in the future
Het ORGEL 100 (2005), nr. 2, 19-25 [summary]

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If we take no action, it is not impossible that the organ in the future will be played only to remind the audience of past times. Although organ culture is quite lively at the moment, beneath the surface the process of deterioration proceeds quickly. Reasons are secularisation, replacement of organs by instruments with loudspeakers, listening to CDs instead of attending concerts, ‘Disneyfication’ making pleasure ever more important, and the influence of the increasingly important multicultural society.
Listing these reasons offers the possibility of using them to the advantage of organ culture. The process of secularisation underlines the need to raise the level of ecclesiastical music as high as possible, and to interest a new audience. People who are addicted to Disney and the like can be entertained by presenting the organ as an intriguing music machine or by improvising film music on it. The multicultural society offers situations in which organ music seems the only right choice: openings of exhibitions, awards ceremonies, marriage celebrations, etc. Our mission: convincing the owners of the organs of these possibilities.