In memoriam Nico Verrips (1929-2020)
Nico Verrips passed away on Saturday, 18 April, in Meppel at the age of 90. As cantor-organist he was associated with the Grote or Mariakerk in Meppel from 1953 to 1990. He also taught for the Church Music Commission of the Dutch Reformed Church. Besides his work as a...
‘An organ is a machine, but it makes magic’ – Interview with three players of famous Bätz organs: Sander van den Houten, Jan Hage, and Matthias Havinga
The work of all generations of the organ-building family Bätz and later Witte occupies an exceptionally important place in the Dutch organ landscape. The ‘Bätz-jaar 2020’ provides, besides information on recent restorations of the family’s instruments, the...
The voicer (4): At the service of beauty of sound. A portrait of Frits Elshout
This fourth voicer’s portrait discusses the work and the inspiration of Frits Elshout, who worked for 48 years for Flentrop Orgelbouw: first as pipemaker, then as voicer, later as adjunct-director and director of this almost 120-year-old company, and now that he’s...
Dutch organists from the School of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: an investigation. Part 1: the opening of the conservatory in Leipzig and the earliest contacts with Dutch musicians
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s influence was not limited to Germany. Many students at the conservatory in Leipzig, which the composer founded in 1843, came from foreign countries and returned after their studies to their original countries. Besides England, France and...
The voicer (3): Sound as poetry and teamwork. A portrait of Jan Koelewijn
The third voicer’s portrait introduces the work of Jan Koelewijn, voicer with Orgelmakerij Reil and organ maker for more than 40 years: a person who almost never learned things from somebody else, but always wanted to discover for himself how technique, playing,...
In memoriam Jan J. van den Berg
On Friday 21 February the organist-composer Jan J. van den Berg passed away in Delft at the age of 90. In 1943 Adriaan C. Schuurman became his teacher. He studied at the Amsterdams Conservatorium with Anthon van der Horst and others. In 1953 he became organist of the...
Barent Smit, organ maker in Hoorn and England
With Brexit England tore itself away from the European continent in many ways. In a time when ‘links’ are a slogan, it’s good to zoom in on historical relations between England and the continent. Such relations can be found in the area of organ culture. As an example...
Listening to the nature of sound. A portrait of Adriaan van Rossem
For the second article in the series of portraits of voicers, Frans Brouwer visited the workshop of Gebr. Van Vulpen to shine a spotlight on Adriaan van Rossem. The Van Vulpen sound of the past 30 years bears his signature. In addition to a glance at his...
The success of the festival formula. A conversation with Betty Knigge, project leader of Groningen Orgelzomer 2019
On 21 November, 2019, there was a ‘ladies[’] night’ in the Martinikerk in Groningen. This event was the last in the Groningen Orgelzomer 2019, a music event that took place during the summer of 2019 in Groningen, both in the city and in the province. It was a great...
The voicer (1): A portrait of Olav Oussoren
‘We seldom read interviews with or portraits of voicers. I don’t know why. When studying the past, data from voicers is often important for understanding tone color and style, but it is often difficult to find because the voicers worked in the shadow of others.’ Frans...
The volunteer organist: a gift of God, or an employee with a contract? And does the organist have a right to a vacation?
In 1986, for the completion of his law studies at the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht, the author wrote a paper entitled: ‘Kerkmusicus, een gave Gods of gewoon een arbeidsovereenkomst?’ [Church musician, a gift from God or a normal work contract?] Since then he has assisted...
The use of the organ in protestant church services between 1886 and 1938. Part 6: The use of the organ in protestant church services between 1886 and 1938. Part 5: the position of the organist
In this series the author treats various aspects of organ music in church services as these were discussed between 1886 and 1938 in Het Orgel. In the first installment it was clarified that the year 1938 was chosen because in that year a new hymnal was published. ...
Ten years of the National Course for Organ Consultants (LOTO). A conversation with Gerrit Hoving and Jaap Jan Steensma
Ten years ago, to be precise: on 21 September 2009, the National Course for Organ Consultants (LOTO) was set up. Three organizations had taken the initiative: the Katholieke Klokken- en Orgelraad (KKOR), de Commissie Orgelzaken van de Protestantse Kerk in Nederland,...
Pretty soon you won’t be able to hear organs any more…. About organ mentors
Church congregations and governments have been traditionally responsible for a protective environment for organs. Now that more and more churches are closing and the government is also withdrawing from the sphere of subsidies for sounding monuments, many organs in...
The use of the organ in protestant church services between 1886 and 1938. Part 5: the position of the organist
In this part of the series on the use of the organ in protestant church services between 1886 and 1938, the position of the organist is discussed. De Nederlandsche Organisten Vereeniging (Dutch Association of Organists) was established in 1890 to be a social-financial...
The use of the organ in protestant church services between 1886 and 1938. Part3: The accompanying of congregational singing
What was the consensus about accompanying of congregational singing, what were the problems and ideals, and what was done in practice? If one looks in volumes of Het Orgel for positive reports about congregational singing, one won’t find much. And when words of...
‘Queen of the organ’ – Jeanne Demessieux remembered. Part 1
On 10 November, 2018, René Verwer gave a lecture in the St.-Nicolaas basilica in IJsselstein on the famous organist Jeanne Demessieux, who died 50 years ago. This lecture has been expanded into a 2-part article. In the first part he begins with a discussion of her...
