The new organ of Höör

Northern light

2011-01-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the completed organ in the pale light of winter solstice in Sweden. It gives the sacred room a completely different air of grace and solemnity.

In front of the organ is the 12th-century baptismal font, signed in runes by Mårten Stenmästare who built the church.

Crew Åkerman and the three musketeers

2010-12-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

Åkerman & Lund, Sweden's most prestigious organ-building company, has throughout our project very kindly helped us with information and councel. They are also responsible for the innovative construction of the pumping mechanism for the bellows.

The motors now stand in line like three musketeers to provide that which today is too difficult to obtain. Manual labour.

First part completed

2010-11-23T11:21:00.002-08:00

The first part of the project is now completed and the case stands in all it's beauty, awaiting the pipes that will be added soon.

We say goodbye and thank you to the Mocnik-crew, and thank them for their diligent work.

Outlines of an object of beauty

2010-10-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

The organcase is starting to form. We are so happy that the chosen pigmentation works so well with the old altarpiece and pulpit.

Video

2010-10-26T02:03:00.000-07:00

My colleague Iver has made a video of the building of the organ in the church, and put his very own soundtrack to it. The music is recorded at the Mocnik Hildebrandt-replica in Velesovo.

Building bellows

2010-10-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

First things first. The air has to come from somewhere.

Disassembling

2010-10-18T01:22:00.001-07:00

The crew has arrived from Slovenia and promptly started to dismantel the old organ. Goodbye organ.

Assembling the parts

2010-10-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

The organ is now being assembled and the final inspection before the transportation has taken place. We are all delighted over the level of craftsmanship that is displayed in the beautiful details of the instrument.

The wood of the construction is predominantly oak with parts of ashtree and pine. The oak for the prospekt and casing is tainted with two different pigments to tune the exterior of the organ into a dialog with the pulpet and altarpiece.

On October 18th the organ arrives in Sweden. Inauguration-concert is played by Hans Fagius on January 15th 2011.

Under way

2010-08-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

The entire organ is now in a state of bits and pieces. It is however quite possible to get an idea of what is to become of it. This summer we were given opportunity to examine the different parts. It is aweinspiring to experience the force of the traditional windboxes made from oak, as well as the carved ornaments that will adorn the body of the organ.

By late October it will arrive in Sweden for the final lag of this journey with tuning and voicing in the curch.

Slovenia revisited

2010-05-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's a strange business running an organproject over the distance between Sweden and Slovenia. Sometimes the frequent telephoning and emailing has to be replaced by real-life meetings.

So we have gone to Slovenia to make an inspection of the progress of the work. Although still in the beginning of the process it looks very promising.

Here you can see the first outlines of what will be the console.

Ornaments

2010-04-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

The thoughts for the ornamentation of the prospekt has changed slightly over time and we have landed on the beautiful carving seen here to the right. It echoes an Silbermann organ i Dresden.

Air

2010-03-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

The last months we have been brooding over the air for the organ. Nowadays organs come with an electric ventilator that supplies the necessary pressure. Before this invention the instruments were pumped manually.

When voicing an organ in the style of Silbermann and Gabler the turbulence of the ventilator inevitably produces a less than desirable sound. We therefore decided to order a system that produces still air to the chests.

The mechanic contraption for pumping the three bellows will be provided by Åkermann & Lund who has experience in the field from time before the ventilators and who can provide a solution.

We think this will greatly enhance the easthetics of the instrument.

Further preparations

2010-02-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

In the past months much work has been done but there is little to tell. We now have a revised and final disposition. We have the measurements. The builder has started to prepare the materials. In a Hollywood space movie this is the point where someone says: All lights are green all systems are go!

This is the final disposition of the organ. The measurements are taken not only from Silbermann but also from Holzhay, Riepp and Gabler.

I Manual: Echo C-f3

Gedackt 8'
Salicet disc ab f0 8'
Rohrflött 4'
Nassat 3'
Waldflött 2'
Tertia 1 1/2'
Sufflött 1'
Vox humana 8'

II Manual: Hauptwerk C-f3

Bordun 16'
Principal 8'
Gemshorn 8'
Rohrflött 8'
Octav 4'
Spitzflött 4'
Octav 2'
Cornet 3 Fach ab g0
Mixtur 3 Fach
Zimbeln 2 Fach
Trompet 8'

III Manual: Oberwerk C-f3

Viola di gamba 8'
Hohlflött 8'
Quintadehn 8'
Piffaro 8'
Principal 4'
Flaut Travers 4'
Octav 2'
Scharff 3 Fach Vorabzug Quint 1 1/3'
Krumbhorn 8'

Pedal C-d1

Principalbass 16'
Octavbass 8'
Octav 4'
Mixtur 4 Fach
Posaune 16'
Trompetbass 8'

Deliberations

2009-10-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

After enduring an excruciatingly long and troublesome process of getting the contractual details in place we are finally ready to go on the actual construction of the organ. Although we have spent much time making the business deal, there has also been time for investigation, reflection and deliberation.

We decided early on that an excursion to southern Germany had to be made, and headed by Tomaz Mocnik our little group undertook such a trip in August.

After making a rendez-vous in Munich our trans european team set out for fabled Silbermannland.

For me this was the first time to actually see, hear and play these legendary instruments, and I must admit that I was slightly overwhelmed. The sheer majesty of the 300 year old instruments does not land lightly on the shoulders of an ordinary organist in residence in a minor Swedish parish.

The instruments are of course not untouched by time. They have been used, repaired, remodeled and sometimes restored over the years. This in itself inspires awe but also caution and apprehension. What is the true goal of our project? The instruments restored to original state were not automatically the ones most appealing to us. And is there even such a thing as an original state?

Our first stop was the charming village of Ponitz, where lodging was provided by Frau Eva in her Landpension. The small church holds a Gottfried Silbermann organ which, of the organs we encountered, in our assessment was the one closest to its original state.

Next on our list was of course the village of Rötha, which has not one but two Silbermannorgans. The organ of the S:t Georgskirche is especially interesting to us since it's prospekt is to be the model of our own new organ. This organ has been modified in voicing and tuning but was nonetheless the most charming of the instruments in my opinion. It is not difficult to imagine Felix Mendelssohn playing and enjoying the instrument.

The city of Freiberg of course holds the queen of instruments in it's cathedral. Frighteningly beautiful in tone it is of course the ultimate organ of the era.

The S:t Petri organ has undergone a major, very skilled restoration which is interesting in itself, but it is hard to assess since the room has been cut in half by a hideous wall. Incomprehensible.

The second half of the trip took us to Ottobeuren, Neresheim and of course Weingarten. These legendary instruments represent the generation succeeding Silbermann and give a slightly new direction when it comes to voicing. The scale of these organs is of course that of the cathedral, they are huge, but even so they demonstrate a subtle and almost discreet voicing well suited for a smaller room.

So what is the conclusion?

The overall aim of our project is to provide Höör parish with a new organ. It is not intended to be a replica, but an organ built with a technique for maximum endurance and the possibility of a meaningful approach to historically informed playing and interpretation. The organs of Southern Germany preserved in the works of Gottfried Silbermann and his successors provide us with the ideal point of origin for such a task. Having experienced the original organs has made us even more convinced of this.

Disposition

2009-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

The intended disposition of the organ reads as follows:

I. manual: Unterpositiv

01. Gedackt 8'
02. Rohrflött 4'
03. Nassat 3'
04. Waldflött 2'
05. Tertia 1 1/2'
06. Vox humana 8'
Tremulant

II. manual: Hauptwerk

07. Bordun 16'
08. Principal 8'
09. Gemshorn 8'
10. Rohrflött 8'
11. Octav 4'
12. Spitzflött 4'
13. Octav 2'
14. Cornett 3 fach ab g0 3'
15. Mixtur 3 fach 2'
16. Zimbeln 2 fach 1 1/3'
17. Trompett 8'

III. manual: Oberwerk

18. Viola da gamba 8'
19. Hohlflött 8'
20. Quitadehn 8'
21. Piffaro ab g0 8'
22. Principal 4'
23. Kleingedackt 4'
24. Octav 2'
25. Sufflöt 1'
26. Scharff 3 fach 1 1/3'
27. Krumbhorn 8'
Tremulant

Pedal
28. Subbass 16'
29. Octavbass 8'
* Gedacktbass 8' (transmission)
30. Octav 4'
31. Mixtur 5 fach 2 2/3'
32. Pousane 16'
* Trompett 8' (transmisson)

Couplers: III/II, I/II and II/P, III/P as lever couplers.

As you can see the organ is a historically informed South German organ with a Gottfried Silbermann foundation and traces of Hildebrandt and Gabler. The Unterpositif is of course a form of Récit with a Cornet Decomposé and a Vox Humana as its only two voices. The Cornet of the Hauptwerk is mounted.

Final decision

2009-05-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Last night the board of directors took the final decision to build a new organ in Höör. The contract was awarded Tomaž Močnik of Orglastvo Močnik, Slovenia.

Five builders were contacted to make a bid for the project and Močnik's offer was judged to be the most beneficial. We made an assessment of the firm's organs in the vicinity of Lubljana and were very impressed. Especially the organ of Velesovo, built after Hildebrandt drew attention to itself.

The organ is to be completed at the end 2010. I will post the details of the disposition shortly.

Background

2009-04-09T03:19:00.000-07:00

The issue has been brewing for a while but now it is time to get going.

The organ of the Swedish Church in Höör was built in 1961. It is a typical example of the universal organ type that branched out of the organ movement the second half of the 20th century. Although rather well voiced it is constructed of inferior materials and has started to deteriorate. The prospect which echoes the organs of P G Andersen in Denmark, now seems to lack in harmony when seen with the altarpiece and pulpit of high baroque. Something has to be done.

The preparations started already 10 years ago and has been accelerating ever since. In 2008 funding was secured and Anders Johnsson was contracted as consultant to the project. The finale of the journey has begun.