The gateway to the sound

What, precisely, determines the essence, the very character of an organ? Or, to put it another way, its sound?

During the recent restoration of the Faber & Dienes organ in Veendam, and indeed during the historical research for the project, this question arose time and again. Built in 1928, the organ occupies an exceptional position in the organ landscape of the northern Netherlands. This instrument in the German-Modern style came into being in Veendam through an improbable convergence of people and circumstances, and survived thanks to a subsequent series of coincidences. Work carried out in the second half of the twentieth century helped to preserve it, but seriously obscured the original concept. The original pipework was still there; the original sound was gone.
During the recent restoration (2022–2025), the essence of this organ was rediscovered. The reconstructed console, which puts Albert Schweitzer’s ideas into practice with remarkable accuracy, played a crucial part in recovering the original tonal concept.