Dutch Organ Tour April 2009

[davidh]

I'm posting this with the permission of the Mander Organs webmaster - just to be sure that it doesn't fall foul of the guidelines.

 

In 2007 and 2008, in the company of at least one other contributor to this forum, I spent six days touring parts of Holland, listening to and playing many different organs. If I had known about them at the time I would also have gone on the 2005 and 2006 trips. So far the visits have included Almaar, Amsterdam, The Hague, Dordrecht, Tiel, Zaltbommel, Nijmege, Boxtel, Naarden, Purmerend, Aarderwijk, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Kampen, Zutphen, Utrecht, Leiden, Gouda, Delft, Maassluie, Middelburg, Oirschot, and 's Hertogenbosch - among others.

 

In 2009 the trips will be centered on Groningen, with several very old instruments, and finally the 1883 Nicholson organ in Schagen, originally from Worcester.

 

The maximum size of the group is 18, and as only about half are players, everyone has an opportunity to play most of the instruments. For partners who are not quite so interested in organs there will be a visit to a manor house and a seal breeding centre. At present there are 11 applicants, and the tour will only take place if another 7 will need to come forward - which is why I'm trying to ensure my own trip by posting this message.

 

If you are interested, send an email for further information to dutchorgantours@kpnplanet.nl

 

There is a website, www.bussand.nl/dutchorgantours but it's offline at present - I hope that it will be back shortly.

 

If you would like further information, from the point of view of a participant rather than from the organiser, please post an enquiry here or send me a pm.

 

David Hitchin

[davidh]

I wrote in November of a proposed Dutch Organ Tour centered in Groningen. Unfortunately there haven't been enough applicants for that trip to be viable, quite probably because of the economic situation.

 

The organiser has now proposed an alternative trip, from 20th to 25th April, centered on Elburg, at a lower cost (£575). This will include a Cavaille-Coll in the Sionserk at Nunspeet, a Knol in Hasselt, and a Hinz in the Broerkerk in Kampen, the slightly smaller brother of the better-known one in the Bovenkerk in the same town. Then there is another Hinz at Leens and the Schnitger and Hinz in the Martinikerk in Groningen, followed by a Bosch/Schnitger in the Nicolasskerk of Vollenhove, a visit to the "Dutch Venice" at Giethorn, a van Oeckelen organ in Steenwijk, a Scheuer in the Broerenkerk at Zwolle, a Holtgrave in Deventer and finally a Schnitger, Holtgräve and Oeckelen in Nijkerk. There will be demonstrations of all of the organs, and participants will have the opportunity to play most of them.

 

Please send me a PM for further details if you are interested.

 

David Hitchin