Witweg: Elburg and Pipe organs

Another visit to a former Hanseatic town or rather city, Elburg, a real jewel, small but perfect, walled, moated and gated. It still has a rope maker, a smithy which unfortunately since my last visit has been turned into a museum, a herb garden, a splendid local and regional Museum in a former nunnery, and in its former synagogue a Museum of the Jewish past of this city, a past when Jews were completely integrated in the life of this small town. Without being sentimental it gives us films and pictures about the twelve families who lived here and who were all forcibly taken away to perish in a concentration camp. The website of the museum also has photos of these victims of WWII. Unfortunately, I had no time to visit the museum this time, as I arrived late in the afternoon. But I have been there before.

The Jewish Museum is on the left

Elburg is always a delight. The main street leading from the harbour through the gate to the other side of Elburg, was crowded with day trippers on this warm summer day. But the parallel streets were very quiet. No parking inside the city walls except for inhabitants, but there are free car parks, a rarity nowadays, just outside the city ramparts.

The harbour with the Fish Gate, the entrance to the city, in the background across the bridge

A better view of the bridge across the city moat with the Fish Gate at the end

The harbour is home to historic wooden barges and fishing boats, which are very picturesque against the backdrop of the city gate and the bridge spanning the moat.

The tree lined city walls, looking down into the "city" of Elburg. A walk around the town would be my favourite evening excercise.

Looking at and through the Fish Gate from the town towards the harbour

I intended to take some pictures, visit the rehoused Pipe Organ Museum and ultimately go to an organ recital in the big church there. My blogpost about Elburg dating from 2011 stated that the Organ Museum was housed in a “tiny, rather dusty place, more like a shed”. Since then it has been relocated in a monumental building, once the townhall. There is plenty of space to display all types of pipe organs, from very small portative organs, even smaller than the ones we see St. Caecilia playing in many a cartoon and painting, to very large ones.

Two portative historic organs.

The one on the left above is very tiny but still needs two people to play it

Below a different type of bellows at the back of this small portative organ

There are miniature models of famous Dutch pipe organs, there are cabinet organs which look like a chest of drawers or cabinet when closed, portable house organs, etc. It tells the history of pipe organs, how they came into existence, from bagpipes to pan flutes, and how they developed into the big organs we know nowadays with multiple manuals and many stops. On request the organs can be played.

A beautifully decorated house organ

A cabinet organ. When the doors are closed it looks like an common cabinet.

The various rooms in of the museum still have their original fireplaces, of stone and marble, beautifully decorated. A special room has been built in the inner courtyard of the museum to house a big organ which was a gift of a private owner. Being an architect, he did not like the original classic organ case which he thought rather dull and sombre. Instead he designed a very colourful organ case for it, an almost cubistic and most unusual case. It can be admired and heard, as it is regularly played.

Another example of a cabinet organ

I only had an hour to look around the museum before closing time, alas. When I left the museum, there was time left to meander a while and explore this fascinating town with its narrow streets and interesting houses, including a secluded herb garden, before sitting down in one of the numerous cafes for some much-needed food.

A very small chest organ, portable.

Several images of St. Caecilia

The organ with the modern case in the specially built room in the courtyard

The church tower by day and night

The organ recital - the reason why I had come to Elburg in the first place – started at 8 pm in the big and interesting church which dates back to 1395. Originally of course a Catholic church, after the Reformation and Iconoclasm it was turned into a protestant church. Most of the interior was whitewashed obliterating frescoes and paintings. A few paintings have resurfaced. Its pipe organ, from a later date, is very well known but I had never heard it being played. Since an organist friend of mine was giving this recital, I was eager to attend the recital and hear the organ.

Church and organ

Details of the organ case

The size of the church is amazing for such a small town. The organ as well is big and the front beautifully decorated. The sound it produces is very varied, from powerful with trumpets blasting, to a sweet and melodious singing tone. Because of the choice of programme, all the different possibilities were skilfully used and presented to us listeners.

Some of the paintings in the ceiling

Afterwards we - the organist, his assistant and I - were invited for drinks in the adjoining building, a former orphanage at one stage, now owned by the church and rented out to the residing organist. What a joy to live in such an historic building with this wonderful view of the church. I hope he realises how fortunate he is!

light of the setting sun

When I left, the tower of the church which before the concert was bathing in the golden light of the setting sun, was now illuminated. Once through the gate the silhouettes of the fishing boats were sharply outlined against the orange sky, a striking image.

In spite of having to drive down home through the dark and uninteresting “polder” around midnight, I had had a very enjoyable and interesting day which was really worth the effort.

Some impressions of Elburg: doors and windows.