Every organist is familiar with the 56-stop Hinsz organ in the Bovenkerk in Kampen. The innumerable organ concerts and choral evenings involving this historic instrument have left a deep musical impression on many generations.

The instrument is still a source of inspiration for many international musicians to this very day. Without exception they express their admiration for its overwhelming appearance. The organ, which was built in 1743 and facilitates a wide range of musical styles, has a richness of sound that captures the imagination. Of course, Baroque compositions really come into their own, but symphonic organ music and the famous ‘Dutch Choral Music’ also register surprisingly well. The organ has also more than proven its service in accompanying mass congregational singing.

The organ’s fame doesn’t only lie in its appearance and sound. The acoustics of this 16th century place of worship create a wonderful embedding of the sound, which reverberates through the Gothic cross basilica for as much as seven seconds. 

The building itself is equally renowned for its beauty. Viewed from across the IJssel river, it rises above the city like a mighty fortress. Looking at the Kampen skyline, the Bovenkerk is impossible to avoid.

And in musical terms, the organ is also impossible to avoid, with the historic richness of the Hanseatic city being heralded in each and every Hinsz organ pipe.

In the heart of Salland lies Raalte, and in the heart of Raalte stands the Basilica of the Holy Raising of the Cross. This neo-Gothic church, built in 1891 and 1892, is also called "the cathedral of Salland. The church houses a great musical treasure: the three-manual organ by Joseph Adema. You can now play this organ at home, on Johannus LiVE.

The organ of the Basilica in Raalte, which is the second largest built by Adema, has 43 stops. In 2008 it was taken over from the Roman Catholic St. Michael's Church in the center of Zwolle, not to be confused with the Grote or St. Michael's Church of the same name on the Grote Markt. The organ had already proven its services there for decades and thus, after the church's closure, deserved a new home in Raalte. There, the majestic organ with its many stringed stops is used for concerts, but also as an accompanying instrument during (weekday) celebrations.

The sound of this organ in French symphonic style has moved many to tears. When the former sexton in Raalte first heard it, he did not keep it dry. He was not the first, nor will he be the last. Many an organist has marveled behind the keyboards of the Adema organ at the mystical, poetic, sometimes intense and at the same time delicate sound of the instrument.

Music by French composers such as Franck, Saint-Saëns, Guilmant, Widor and Vierne finds its destination in Raalte. With a reverberation of six seconds, this Adema organ could not wish for a better place than the Basilica of the Holy Raising of the Cross.

Many concert organists know how to find the heart of Salland - and deeply touch the musical hearts of their listeners.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The Oude Kerk is the oldest building still in existence in Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands. The church, whose origin dates back to the 13th century, is inextricably linked to some of the country’s greatest composers and organists.

One of them is Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, organist at the Oude Kerk from 1577 to 1621. Talented organists from all corners of the world flocked to Amsterdam to study under the incredibly popular

Sweelinck. In Germany, this earned him the apt nickname of Der Organistenmacher, or the Organist-maker. After his death, Sweelinck was buried in the Oude Kerk.

Another Dutch organist who caused a sensa tion in the Oude Kerk was Feike Asma. Between 1939 and 1984 he gave around two hundred concerts on the Vater-Mu¨ller organ, which he called ‘the most impressive baroque organ in the world’. These many concerts, along with numerous radio broadcasts, recordings and the wonderful short film Toccata, ensured that Feike Asma’s name and playing style became unavoidably associated with the Oude Kerk and the Vater-Mu¨ller organ, and vice versa.

However, the majesty of the Vater-Mu¨ller organ is not only due to the illustrious organists who play on it. The imposing cathedral space of the Oude Kerk also contributes. The expansive volume and floor area, the balance between length and breadth, the wooden vault and the balanced combination of materials such as glass, wood, hard stone, plasterwork and semi-soft joints: all come together perfectly in the heart of Amsterdam.

The organ belonging to the Church of St Matthew and St James in Liverpool, Mossley Hill Church for short, is considered by many to be a world-class instrument. 

In England itself, the organ is also seen as the cream of the musical crop. Two qualities in particular are responsible for that fame. One: the organ 

is eminently suitable for liturgical and recitative purposes. Two: the organ offers infinite inspiration for choral and congregational singing. 

The credit for these qualities must go to the British organ company, Henry Willis & Sons, which made a name f or itself in an e xtraordinary way during the Industrial Revolution. As it happened, during that era British cities were building themselves imposing town halls, which required equally imposing instruments. These were preferably to be manufactured by ‘Father Willis’, as he was known thanks to his extensive knowledge. There was no holding back the industrialists: they were all at the front of the line when it came to donating a luxurious hall or even an entire organ. It was this fierce competition that facilitated the meteoric rise of ‘Father Willis’, not only in Liverpool, but all around the world. 

The famous Holy Name Church stands right at the international crossroads of study, research and healthcare in Manchester.

Every day, thousands of students from all over the world gather on Oxford Road, where the University of Manchester is also loca ted. However, they’re not only there to study – they also frequently attend the Weekday Masses. These services start at 1.05pm, in careful alignment with the students’ timetable. Amid the hectic bustle of academic life, the students briefly surrender to solemn rituals, age-old hymns and beautiful music, such as that of the distinctive William Hill & Sons or gan. 

The instrument was built in 1870 and has been c ontinually restored over the years, receiving constant and effusive praise for its wonderful tone and power. Not least from the students themselves. For them, this organ’s majestic music is their weekly oasis away from the cacophony of everyday noise. 

The moment you touch the manuals of the Casavant organ in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Greeley (Colorado, USA), you can hear the sound of three cultures issuing forth.

First of all, of course, the American culture: the church, institutionalized in the 1870s, harbors decades of faith, hope and love; a tradition that inevitably resonates through the sounds of the organ. 

Then the Canadian culture: organ builder Casavant Frères is based in Quebec. Since 1879, roughly when the Trinity Episcopal Church laid the foundations for its first place of worship in Greeley, the organ company has delivered more than 3,900 organs. So by the time they built the organ in Greeley in 1967, they had a considerable number of flying hours to their credit. 

And while we’re on the subject of the organ builders, the brothers Joseph-Claver (1855-1933) and Samuel-Marie (1859-1929), who founded the company, were extensively inspired by the West European organ tradition before settling in Canada. A noteworthy detail: the organ they built in Greeley is a typical example of the American Eclectic style. ‘Eclectic’ means that you combine the best of a range of traditions, methods or convictions to create a new style. That all comes together in Greeley. However, it’s only when the organ plays that ‘it’ actually happens.

The musical world has Leipzig to thank for a great deal of beauty. Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert Schumann, Edvard Grieg, Georg Philip Telemann: all of these great men lived, studied and worked in Leipzig.

In the heart of this musical birthplace, the architects Heinrich Rust and Alfred Mu¨ller designed the Michaeliskirche between 1901 and 1904. When this house of God was almost complete, the famous organ builder Wilhelm Carl Friedrich Sauer filled it with resounding music with a three-manual organ. It was not his first, nor his last instrument; Sauer was responsible for designing more than 1,100 organs. His ‘final great masterpiece’ can be found in the Berliner Dom; with 113 stops, it’s the largest organ that he ever built. In Leipzig, his grandeur echoes through the Michaeliskirche with 46 stops. Bigger is not always better.

Huddled close to Manchester, Stockport grew up in the sixteenth century literally under the smoke of the Industrial Revolution. Some three hundred years later, philosopher Friedrich Engels would unsubtly remark that Stockport had become one of the ‘duskiest, smokiest holes’ in the world. This changed rapidly at the end of the nineteenth century. The city shook off the residue of the revolution and built museums, heritage attractions, beautiful squares and the impressive St. George’s Church.

Featuring a 72 metre tower and seating for 1,200 people, it’s a building that you can’t fail to notice as you walk by. In the very heart of the church, close to the first stone laid in this house of God, there is an equally impressive organ. With its three keyboards and 52 stops, the organ is widely used to accompany part-singing, choirs and concerts. That continues today. The black plumes of smoke have long been dispersed by the wind, but Stockport’s music will continue to resound.

The organ chronicles of the Der Aa-kerk in Groningen are full of spectacle. Here’s a brief history: When Theodorus Faber, the first organ builder, died in 1659, he left a half-built organ behind.

His successor, Andries de Mäer, was banned from the city shortly afterwards due to misconduct, and his replacement Jacobus Galtus van Hagerbeer succeeded in completing the organ, but then four years later had to watch in dismay as the church tower and organ went up in flames after a lightning strike. In 1697 it was Arp Schnitger’s turn. He built a sixteen-foot organ with 40 stops. Unfortunately, the tower collapsed and took the organ with it.

For 115 years there was no organ to be heard in the Der Aa-kerk in Groningen, until 1815 when the Schnitger organ was transferred to the Der Aa-kerk from the neighbouring Academy or Broerkerk. This one has survived so far. We hope for the best.

It took no less than 74 years to build the largest cathedral in Great Britain, the Liverpool Cathedral. The Anglican cathedral, which is also the fifth largest in the world, was built on top of St. James’s Mount. The location of the church and its height of 101 metres make it visible for miles around.

In the south-east corner of the nearly 200 metre long church lies the Lady Chapel. This extraordinary chapel was the first part of the building consecrated for worship and services still take place in its intimate surrounds. With its much admired lanterns, beautiful stained glass and widely acclaimed acoustics, the chapel is a lovely place to come to peace, nestled in the lap of the mother church, surrounded by the sounds of the romantic chapel organ.

The generosity of the Heerkens - Van Sonsbeeck family made it possible for Dutch organ builder Michaël Maarschalkerweerd to build the 38-stop organ in the Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek in the Hanze city Zwolle in 1896. The family’s coat of arms bears silent witness to this gesture, hanging above the organ cabinet.

One interesting note is that Maarschalkerweerd, who built an amazing 127 organs, crafted the instrument inside an existing, older organ cabinet. It came from an organ that the basilica had acquired from the Observantenkirche in Mu¨nster, Germany. Organ builder Nikolaus Brunswick had originally built a Baroque organ in the cloister-crafted cabinet.

After the last Baroque tones had sounded from the cabinet in 1795, it received a new lease on life in the Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek in Zwolle thanks to Maarschalkerweerd. This time with a Romantic instrument inside.

Born in France, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811-1899) is considered the most influential organ builder of the nineteenth century. He was notable enough to have a planetoid in our solar system named after him.

Connoisseurs particularly praise his work in building symphonic organs, which can mimic the sound of separate instruments as well as ensembles. His pipe organs were so phenomenal in their construction that various major composers, including Charles-Marie Widor and Louis Vierne, were inspired by his instruments in writing their organ symphonies.

Within France and beyond, Cavaillé-Coll left an impressive legacy of organs to musical history. He built nearly eighty organs in all. One of his exceptional instruments stands in the Église Notre-Dame d’Auteuil in Paris. Its 52 stops, including numerous reeds and many 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32’ registers, express the characteristic tones of French symphonic organs in the way they blend together.

Norden is the oldest town in eastern Friesland. In the heart of the city, on what may well be the biggest market square in Germany, stands the monumental Ludgeri Kirche. Built in the Late Gothic style, this medieval church was constructed in several stages in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth century.

This ancient house of worship holds an internationally renowned work of art. Acclaimed organ builder Arp Schnitger worked on the Baroque instrument from 1686 to 1692. With its 46 stops and three manuals, it remains the biggest organ in eastern Friesland, and the second-biggest Schnitger organ in Germany.

It is also worth mentioning the thorough restoration done by Ju¨rgen Ahrend between 1981 and 1985. He was able to restore the 17th-century instrument to its original, tonal glory.

The Silbermann organ in Dresden’s Hofkirche can be considered an exceptional treasure. The instrument was the last instrument built by Gottfried Silbermann (1683-1753) and the last organ in the city to recall his work. Two of his earlier organs were lost in 1945.

Silbermann never saw the completion of this organ, since he died shortly before the finishing touches were added. His pupil and colleague Zacharias Hildebrandt completed the final work on the organ after Silbermann’s death. The main organ in the Hofkirche has 47 stops and three manuals.

Soaring 112 meters into the sky above Utrecht, the Domtoren is part of the city’s cathedral. Its respectable height allows the Domtoren to attain two prestigious records: the tallest church tower in the country, and the tallest building in the city of Utrecht.

The Domkerk nestles beside this massive tower, a historic house of God whose first stones were laid in the thirteenth century. This historic church is both a place of worship for the congregation it serves and an important tourist attraction. Nearly 250,000 people find their way to the Domkerk every year.

One of the church’s appealing features is its famous Bätz organ, used for dozens of concerts every year by organists from the Netherlands and abroad.

The three-manual organ with its 49 stops is known for its beautiful tremulants and warm reverb.

Every organist is familiar with the 56-stop Hinsz organ in the Bovenkerk in Kampen. The innumerable organ concerts and choral evenings involving this historic instrument have left a deep musical impression on many generations.

The instrument is still a source of inspiration for many international musicians to this very day. Without exception they express their admiration for its overwhelming appearance. The organ, which was built in 1743 and facilitates a wide range of musical styles, has a richness of sound that captures the imagination. Of course, Baroque compositions really come into their own, but symphonic organ music and the famous ‘Dutch Choral Music’ also register surprisingly well. The organ has also more than proven its service in accompanying mass congregational singing.

The organ’s fame doesn’t only lie in its appearance and sound. The acoustics of this 16th century place of worship create a wonderful embedding of the sound, which reverberates through the Gothic cross basilica for as much as seven seconds. 

The building itself is equally renowned for its beauty. Viewed from across the IJssel river, it rises above the city like a mighty fortress. Looking at the Kampen skyline, the Bovenkerk is impossible to avoid.

And in musical terms, the organ is also impossible to avoid, with the historic richness of the Hanseatic city being heralded in each and every Hinsz organ pipe.

Raalte lies in the heart of Salland (Netherlands), and in the heart of Raalte is the Basiliek van de Heilige Kruisverheffing (Basilica of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross). This Gothic Revival church, built in 1891 and 1892, is also known as ‘Salland Cathedral’. The church is home to a great musical treasure – the three-manual Joseph Adema organ.

The instrument is the second largest built by Adema, and features 43 stops. In 2008, it was acquired from the catholic Sint-Michaëlskerk in Zwolle, where it had served for many decades. Since then in Raalte, the majestic organ with its many string stops has been played in concerts, and has also been used as an accompanying instrument for (weekday) celebrations.

The French-Symphonic sound of this organ has moved many to tears, including the sexton at Raalte who could not hide his emotions upon hearing it for the first time. He was not the first to be so moved, and won’t be the last. Many an organist, seated at the manuals of the Adema organ, has marveled at the mystical, poetic, sometimes intense yet subtle sounds produced by the instrument.

Music by French composers such as Franck, Saint-Saëns, Guilmant, Widor and Vierne meet their destiny in Raalte.With a six-second reverb, this Adema organ couldn’t have found a better home than in the Basiliek van de Heilige Kruisverheffing.

Many concert organists find their way to the heart of Salland... and are able to profoundly touch the musical hearts of their audiences.

The Oude Kerk is the oldest building still in existence in Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands. The church, whose origin dates back to the 13th century, is inextricably linked to some of the country’s greatest composers and organists.

One of them is Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, organist at the Oude Kerk from 1577 to 1621. Talented organists from all corners of the world flocked to Amsterdam to study under the incredibly popular

Sweelinck. In Germany, this earned him the apt nickname of Der Organistenmacher, or the Organist-maker. After his death, Sweelinck was buried in the Oude Kerk.

Another Dutch organist who caused a sensa tion in the Oude Kerk was Feike Asma. Between 1939 and 1984 he gave around two hundred concerts on the Vater-Mu¨ller organ, which he called ‘the most impressive baroque organ in the world’. These many concerts, along with numerous radio broadcasts, recordings and the wonderful short film Toccata, ensured that Feike Asma’s name and playing style became unavoidably associated with the Oude Kerk and the Vater-Mu¨ller organ, and vice versa.

However, the majesty of the Vater-Mu¨ller organ is not only due to the illustrious organists who play on it. The imposing cathedral space of the Oude Kerk also contributes. The expansive volume and floor area, the balance between length and breadth, the wooden vault and the balanced combination of materials such as glass, wood, hard stone, plasterwork and semi-soft joints: all come together perfectly in the heart of Amsterdam.

The organ belonging to the Church of St Matthew and St James in Liverpool, Mossley Hill Church for short, is considered by many to be a world-class instrument. 

In England itself, the organ is also seen as the cream of the musical crop. Two qualities in particular are responsible for that fame. One: the organ 

is eminently suitable for liturgical and recitative purposes. Two: the organ offers infinite inspiration for choral and congregational singing. 

The credit for these qualities must go to the British organ company, Henry Willis & Sons, which made a name f or itself in an e xtraordinary way during the Industrial Revolution. As it happened, during that era British cities were building themselves imposing town halls, which required equally imposing instruments. These were preferably to be manufactured by ‘Father Willis’, as he was known thanks to his extensive knowledge. There was no holding back the industrialists: they were all at the front of the line when it came to donating a luxurious hall or even an entire organ. It was this fierce competition that facilitated the meteoric rise of ‘Father Willis’, not only in Liverpool, but all around the world.

The famous Holy Name Church stands right at the international crossroads of study, research and healthcare in Manchester.

Every day, thousands of students from all over the world gather on Oxford Road, where the University of Manchester is also loca ted. However, they’re not only there to study – they also frequently attend the Weekday Masses. These services start at 1.05pm, in careful alignment with the students’ timetable. Amid the hectic bustle of academic life, the students briefly surrender to solemn rituals, age-old hymns and beautiful music, such as that of the distinctive William Hill & Sons or gan. 

The instrument was built in 1870 and has been c ontinually restored over the years, receiving constant and effusive praise for its wonderful tone and power. Not least from the students themselves. For them, this organ’s majestic music is their weekly oasis away from the cacophony of everyday noise. 

The moment you touch the manuals of the Casavant organ in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Greeley (Colorado, USA), you can hear the sound of three cultures issuing forth.

First of all, of course, the American culture: the church, institutionalized in the 1870s, harbors decades of faith, hope and love; a tradition that inevitably resonates through the sounds of the organ. 

Then the Canadian culture: organ builder Casavant Frères is based in Quebec. Since 1879, roughly when the Trinity Episcopal Church laid the foundations for its first place of worship in Greeley, the organ company has delivered more than 3,900 organs. So by the time they built the organ in Greeley in 1967, they had a considerable number of flying hours to their credit. 

And while we’re on the subject of the organ builders, the brothers Joseph-Claver (1855-1933) and Samuel-Marie (1859-1929), who founded the company, were extensively inspired by the West European organ tradition before settling in Canada. A noteworthy detail: the organ they built in Greeley is a typical example of the American Eclectic style. ‘Eclectic’ means that you combine the best of a range of traditions, methods or convictions to create a new style. That all comes together in Greeley. However, it’s only when the organ plays that ‘it’ actually happens.

The organ chronicles of the Der Aa-kerk in Groningen are full of spectacle. Here’s a brief history: When Theodorus Faber, the first organ builder, died in 1659, he left a half-built organ behind.

His successor, Andries de Mäer, was banned from the city shortly afterwards due to misconduct, and his replacement Jacobus Galtus van Hagerbeer succeeded in completing the organ, but then four years later had to watch in dismay as the church tower and organ went up in flames after a lightning strike. In 1697 it was Arp Schnitger’s turn. He built a sixteen-foot organ with 40 stops. Unfortunately, the tower collapsed and took the organ with it.

For 115 years there was no organ to be heard in the Der Aa-kerk in Groningen, until 1815 when the Schnitger organ was transferred to the Der Aa-kerk from the neighbouring Academy or Broerkerk. This one has survived so far.

Huddled close to Manchester, Stockport grew up in the sixteenth century literally under the smoke of the Industrial Revolution. Some three hundred years later, philosopher Friedrich Engels would unsubtly remark that Stockport had become one of the ‘duskiest, smokiest holes’ in the world. This changed rapidly at the end of the nineteenth century. The city shook off the residue of the revolution and built museums, heritage attractions, beautiful squares and the impressive St. George’s Church.

Featuring a 72 metre tower and seating for 1,200 people, it’s a building that you can’t fail to notice as you walk by. In the very heart of the church, close to the first stone laid in this house of God, there is an equally impressive organ. With its three keyboards and 52 stops, the organ is widely used to accompany part-singing, choirs and concerts. That continues today. The black plumes of smoke have long been dispersed by the wind, but Stockport’s music will continue to resound.

It took no less than 74 years to build the largest cathedral in Great Britain, the Liverpool Cathedral. The Anglican cathedral, which is also the fifth largest in the world, was built on top of St. James’s Mount. The location of the church and its height of 101 metres make it visible for miles around.

In the south-east corner of the nearly 200 metre long church lies the Lady Chapel. This extraordinary chapel was the first part of the building consecrated for worship and services still take place in its intimate surrounds. With its much admired lanterns, beautiful stained glass and widely acclaimed acoustics, the chapel is a lovely place to come to peace, nestled in the lap of the mother church, surrounded by the sounds of the romantic chapel organ.

The generosity of the Heerkens - Van Sonsbeeck family made it possible for Dutch organ builder Michaël Maarschalkerweerd to build the 38-stop organ in the Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek in the Hanze city Zwolle in 1896. The family’s coat of arms bears silent witness to this gesture, hanging above the organ cabinet.

One interesting note is that Maarschalkerweerd, who built an amazing 127 organs, crafted the instrument inside an existing, older organ cabinet. It came from an organ that the basilica had acquired from the Observantenkirche in Mu¨nster, Germany. Organ builder Nikolaus Brunswick had originally built a Baroque organ in the cloister-crafted cabinet.

After the last Baroque tones had sounded from the cabinet in 1795, it received a new lease on life in the Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek in Zwolle thanks to Maarschalkerweerd. This time with a Romantic instrument inside.