The Oude Kerk is marking 300 years of its Vater-Müller organ with a marathon that begins on Saturday 17 October at 10:00.
Matteo Imbruno, the church’s organist for 29 years, opens the programme, followed by Henk Verhoef, Margreeth de Jong, Evan Bogerd, Aart Bergwerff, Arjen Leistra and Winfried Bönig of Cologne Cathedral.
That evening, Swedish organist Hampus Lindwall gives a concert of three new works, one of them written especially for the Vater-Müller organ.
The instrument has 54 registers across three keyboards and a pedal, and its most recent restoration took place from 2015 to 2019.
The organ’s restoration and programme
Imbruno will play Reincken’s chorale fantasia on An Wasserflüssen Babylon with unusual combinations of stops.
The last restoration followed a long debate over whether to recreate the instrument’s 1742 state or preserve its existing sound; the latter approach was chosen in 2005.
The Oude Kerk also runs around five classical organ concerts each summer and monthly early-morning Silence concerts featuring contemporary music.
If a day of the Oude Kerk’s organ leaves you wanting more live music, there are plenty more stages and concert halls around the city to try next.