Three organ recitals, three churches

Three organ recitals in three big old churches with impressive and beautiful pipe organs. I am very happy indeed!

MAASSLUIS

Ten days ago it was Maassluis, a now rather sleepy town on the river Rhine, here called Nieuwe Waterweg, but once a very important fishing port. The church was built as a protestant church especially for the sailors and fishermen. The many ships decorating the church are testimony to the important past of this town. 

The church is built on a small island or peninsula in the middle of the town, and so is surrounded by water. The church is not built in the form of a cross, and there is no altar, the pulpit taking pride of place because the Word was more important than the sacraments. So was the organ, used to help the congregation sing the psalms. The organ is famous and has a wonderful sound.

Two views of the famous pipe organ in Maassluis

In fact, when I was there the table to celebrate the supper of the Lord was prepared and ready for the following Sunday. This sharing of bread and wine usually only takes place once every three months, the sacrament being less important than biblical teaching. Or perhaps so sacred and important, that it can’t take place every Sunday but is a special celebration, a solemn feast day.

 Part of the interior of the church

 Maassluis at dusk

The programme was a musical journey through Europe and Canada, including German, Austrian, Spanish, Italian, French and Canadian composers from the 17th till the 20th century, a varied programme indeed which enabled to organist to use all the different colours of this famous pipe organ. 

NAARDEN

Only five days later I attended an organ recital in Naarden, a most impressive and attractive Dutch town, with double star shaped moats and defence works. The old church is in the middle of this historic town. It started life as a catholic church. The roof is made of wood, a barrel vault, and the interesting thing are the paintings on this vault, depicting scenes from the Old and the New Testament, a veritable Biblia Pauperum. 

 Naarden, the Church

The website has a splendid selection of pictures, not only of the town itself from the air, but also of all the roof paintings. Besides there is a lot of information about the pipe organs –there are three organs in this church – and the organist demonstrates them all on YouTube, playing several pieces and telling something about the history of each organ. Alas, in Dutch. But the sound of the organs can be enjoyed anyway.

Organ Symphony Nr. 4, Charles Maria Widor,Andanta Cantabile

In Naarden the organist Sander van Marion chose an all French programme, as the main pipe organ is a romantic one and best suited to this type of music. Louis Couperin, Daquin, Balbastre, Cesar Franck, Guilmant, Widor and Dubois, from the 17th century till the early 20th century, we got a good example of each period, with some special and little known pieces.

 The main organ in the "Grote Kerk" in Naarden

 The organ in the chancel, hanging against the wall resembling the nest of a swift or swallow.

An organ built in a cabinet. On the website the organist of Naarden church demonstrates this cleverly made organ .

The roof with some of the biblical paintings

I took pictures of all the roof paintings some years ago, but the ones on the website are a lot better, probably taken with the help of scaffolding, or with a much better camera.

GOUDA

Today, ten days later, I attended another recital in the St. Jan in Gouda, the longest gothic church in Holland, famous for its beautiful stained glass windows which tell interesting stories, the story of the Bible, as well as stories about the history of the Netherlands. 

This church has two organs, a small one in the chancel and the main pipe organ, which takes pride of place. I have been to many concerts in this church, but this is the first time we could watch the organist and the unusually decorated organ console via a big screen. 

When I used to be an organ assistant, I had the privilege to see this beautiful organ console myself. Usually recitals take place in the evening, which means that if one is lucky the red setting sun will shine through the colourful windows, making them even more fascinating. Today it was a matinee, the first time I had been to a concert here during the day. So no sunset, but since the sun came out in the afternoon after a dull morning, the windows were very bright and clear.

Before the concert there was a guided tour by the verger, explaining the scenes of the famous and colourful windows. There is also a permanent exhibition in the church: in showcases opposite the windows are illustrations from Bibles and history books, depicting the same subject or story as in the window opposite. It is very well done and worth a visit. The music programme this afternoon was inspired by the stories of the different windows, which therefore included Christmas music, music for Easter, Royal music and Dutch national music inspired by the Liberation window. The organist chose an Old Dutch song, taken from Valerius Gedenck-clank, a collection of national songs from 1626.

Liberation Window

The organist started his recital at the organ in the chancel, which has a very clear sound.  Music by Claude d’Aquin and various compositions by the organist suited the small but exquisite organ. Then we all moved to the nave, and the organist continued his recital on the main organ.

 Market day in full swing around the medieval market hall (also below) 

 

With the organist and a few friends we enjoyed one of the few balmy evenings we get in Holland, sharing a meal in the market square with a view of the amazing medieval town hall.

All being well, on Wednesday there will be yet another attractive old town, another monumental church and another interesting grand organ – and organ recital. As every organ has a different disposition, so a different sound, and looks different as well, to me it will never be boring. Because every time the programme is different too, to suit the type of organ, be it baroque, romantic, modern, and big or small with many stops or just a few basic ones. Combining them is an art in itself.

A long walk along the “Kromme Rijn”

A long walk along the “Kromme Rijn” (Crooked Rhine)

  

Dutch Rail offers walks from one station to another. The walk I was interested in is no longer part of their programme, but can be found on other websites for walkers.  This particular walk follows an old branch of the river Rhine, going from Wijk bij Duurstede through Utrecht all the way in fact to Katwijk where it joins the North Sea. In Utrecht its name changes into Leidse Rijn (Leyden Rhine) or Oude Rijn, the Old Rhine.

The walk starts at Utrecht station, a very central point. It takes some time to get through the dreadful shopping mall into the attractive heart of Utrecht, but once there it is a joy walking along the canals, especially the Oude Gracht, in fact the channelised part of the Kromme Rijn through Utrecht. Utrecht is very picturesque and lively. It has many interesting specialist shops, so although tempting, it wasn’t why I went to Utrecht and I succeeded to ignore them. Once out of the centre the walk continues along the Rhine. From here on one follows a footpath which was once used to tow the barges, the usual way of transport in former days for people as well as cargo. The barges were either towed by horses, or sometimes even by men.  

 Kromme Rijn

 Views of the tow path

Along this river are still at least four old mansions or “castles”, summer houses for the rich, surrounded by large estates, parklands and woods. They are now either museums or used for venues (weddings, concerts). It is a most attractive walk along the meandering river. But I can very well imagine why Dutch Rail no longer has it on offer. This beautiful area is just a small strip which is almost strangled by motorways, as is Utrecht, which is bursting out of its seams. I had to cross at least three main motorways or circular roads before I entered this attractive landscape: no houses, no building sites, no stadium and no residential estates. Nevertheless, the noise of the motorways was never far off during this 15 kilometre walk. There are plans of widening one of those roads which would dissect the area and swallow up another part of it yet again. No wonder there are lots of protests.

Nieuw-Amelisweerd

The first mansion and estate is Nieuw-Amelisweerd, followed by Oud-Amelisweerd.

Some very beautiful homes have access to the river

Once I left the urbanisations behind me and had negotiated the underpasses of the three main through roads and motorways, it was a most enjoyable walk, Holland as it used to be. On one side there was the clear flowing water of the river, there were the castles or mansions and the woods and fields, on the other side there were picturesque farms with brightly coloured wooden shutters, gardens full of blowsy blue and pink hydrangeas, meadows with cows, and orchards inviting passersby to pick their own cherries. As well as warnings on a lot of oak trees that they are infested by processionary caterpillars!

 Farms

 Billowing clouds and blue skies

 Inviting, but too late in the day....

Beautiful pastels

I had a lovely break in the former stables of Oud-Amelisweerd, frequented by many walkers. It is called the Field Kitchen, but offers very trendy food: eco friendly, fresh and out of the ordinary. The stables also house a visitor centre. Unfortunately I had no time to go into the former castle, now a museum. Apparently it has beautiful Chinese wall paper.

 Oud-Amelisweerd

 The "Field Kitchen",the former stables.

Inside the Field Kitchen

Unusual combination of a savoury Danish pastry, with cheese, olives and watercress

Near the next mansion, Rhijnauwen, in fact a castle or a fortified stone house surrounded by a moat, is a pancake house with lawns on the river bank. The main house was used for a wedding, the guests and bride enjoying the sun out of the wind. The groom as well perhaps, but grooms don’t stand out as much as brides in their white trailing bridal dresses.

 The teashop and pancake house

 Rhijnauwen, the main house

Below: the gatehouse

The walk ended in Bunnik, where I was supposed to take a train back home via Utrecht. However, no trains for a full week from this station! The notice board was so small, that I did not discover it till some time had gone by and trains had passed through the station without stopping. There were busses instead, but no indication of where the bus stop was supposed to be. I had to ask a passer-by who pointed me in the right direction. I just missed the bus and had to wait a full 30 minutes for the next one along a very bare and unpleasant busy road. Once in Utrecht, there were no trains from Utrecht to Leiden, so I had to make a detour via The Hague. And there the train was slightly delayed because of some mechanical problem. All in all, a trip which by car would have taken less than an hour, took me 2.5 hours!  Thank you Dutch Rail.  They announce all this by saying: we will be able to offer you even better service in future! Doing this in the height of the holiday season, offering special outings in the meantime whereas many trains do not run for a week, seems rather strange to put it mildly.

Just a few more pictures of the landscape:

 Wild flowers and common water lilies

 Two beautiful beech trees

 Cattle, geese and ducks

 A farmhouse along the river

However, I felt quite happy I had done this walk before this beautiful part is also swallowed up by houses and industrial estates. The weather was ideal for walking: not very warm, a lot of wind but in spite of threatening clouds dry with white billowing cumulus clouds, blue skies and lots of sunshine. 

 Cammingha Castle very near Bunnik 

 The bridge crossing the Kromme Rijn into Bunnik

The old church of Bunnik