New developments

I’m just back from the Netherlands, where I was a tourist and not an organist. On the other hand, my definition of touring is to visit the churches and not the museums. So I did make my presence known in a few churches and was allowed to play a couple jewels, including the magnificent Müller organ at the Bavokerk in Haarlem and the Schnitger organ at the Aa Kerk in Groningen. I also heard some splendid playing, particularly in the service playing department!

I was taught that the Netherlands is quite the seat of important developments in organ building. While I appreciated that fact all these years, I now know it to be true. The churches are beautiful. The organs are beautiful. The organ concerts are plentiful. And the organists are very accommodating and hospitable to this organist posing as a tourist.

But there is a dark side to this.

Imagine your church. Imagine it being decommissioned yet keeping its name. Imagine the pews/seats being removed and the room being turned into a reception hall, a banquet hall, a museum, a civic center, or a concert hall. Permanently.

That is pretty much unheard of in the US. But such is quite the norm in the Netherlands. Fully one-third to one-half the churches I visited were at least half church and half “otherwise.” And quite a few were all “otherwise.” As an American from a fairly religion-dominated country, I was at first horrified by this. But as the trip went on, it became “normal,” and I understood the reasons why things are the way they are now. Struggling churches, dwindling congregations, high maintenance costs, etc. – you know the drill. So this is a way for the buildings to continue to be used, to be continuing beacons in their cities and cultures. And there are still “organists” for those “churches.” And they go to great lengths to perform often; the organs are being used and still being admired, even if the audience numbers are a bit low and the audience members’ average age a bit high. But for now, things are stable if not entirely solid.

While I celebrate the history (and the present) of organ music in the Netherlands, I am now keeping a watchful eye on its future. The above-described development is a little unsettling, but it is most encouraging that the authorities understand the important heritage found in the organs and that they are keeping them alive. We must thank the organists for their efforts in educating the authorities in this; it’s working so far. Americans take heed – you may need to develop similar educational skills soon.