Nieuwe Kerk Middelburg NL

The Nieuwe Kerk  Organ in Middelburg.
The company van Leeuwen from Leiderdorp built a completely

new organ in this Johannus Duyschot 1693 case.

The pedal ranks were placed in a louvered space

in the wall beside the organ case.

In Middelburg, the two-aisled Nieuwe Kerk (16th C.), the parish church, and the aisleless Koorkerk (early 14th C.), the abbey church (beautiful reticulated vaulting), were originally joined.

Since the parish church had no choir of its own, the west end of the monks' church, known as the middle choir, was used as the choir for the lay congregation. Over this is the tower known as Lange Jan ("Long John").

In this church is the double tomb of the brothers Jan and Cornelis Evertsen, two admirals killed in the English war of 1666, and memorial tablets for Count William of Holland (d. 1256), king of Germany, and his brother Floris (d. 1258). The magnificent marble tomb was the last great work of Rombout Verhulst (1680-82).

After their restoration in the 1950's, both (adjoining) churches were provided with ancient, historical organ cases by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

1481 Peter Gerritsz-organ case in the Koorkerk in Middelburg.
The organ case in the Koorkerk came from St. Nicolaaskerk in Utrecht.

The oldest organ of the Netherlands (built in 1481) will be returned to its original place: the Nikolai Church in Utrecht. Also, the organ should be restored  so that its music can be heard again. The organ is no longer in use since 1885 and parts are stored in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The organ case is since 1952 in the Koorkerk in Middelburg.

The foundation Peter Gerritz Organ, named after the builder of the organ of more than 530 years ago, has taken the initiative to reunite the organ and its pipes and move it back to the location where it was  built: the Nicolai Church in Utrecht, NL.

Peter Gerritsz built the organ in 1479 and then was repaired several times as in 1574 by Cornelis Gerritsz. According to experts, the organ is unique for its age and the fact that virtually all original materials are still existing. According to Fons Asselbergs of the Peter Gerritsz foundation the organ is  "a testimony, not only of the Dutch organ building, but also of the history of Dutch organ music”.
In 1885 the organ was  moved to Amsterdam and was stored in the attic of the Rijksmuseum. In 1952 the organ case was transferred (on loan) to the  Koorkerk in Middelburg.

The foundation is now  working to return the Peter Gerritsz Organ to Utrecht and is looking for the necessary finances. The project has received the support of the National Cultural Heritage Ministry. The Utrecht municipality and province are also supporting the restoration plans.

 Read more about  further developments here

The (1693) organ case in the Nieuwe Kerk

(was originally built for the Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam)

HISTORY

The organ case of the organ in the Nieuwe Kerk comes from the Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam.
In 1693 John Duytschot built a new organ for this church, whose case was designed by the carpenter Jan Albertsz Schut. The first organ built in 1658 by the builder Jan Norel from Kalkar is first placed on the balcony opposite the pulpit. Johannus Duyschot gets the assignment in 1690 to increase the instrument. He moved it and creates an entirely new instrument.

The new instrument now hangs above the pulpit  of the Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam and reaches to the roof. This instrument consists of 2 manuals and pedal with shutters that have been painted by the German painter Philip Tideman.

In 1886, the Duyschot organ is replaced due to defects to the wind system and the then prevailing desire for an instrument with a more orchestral sound. The Old Lutheran Church in Amsterdam obtains  a quote, among others, from the organ maker Cavaille Coll. The contract for this organ, however, is awarded to the builder J.Frederik Witte (firma J. Bätz en Co.). He builds an instrument with three manuals and pedal.
In 1954 the Lutheran Church at the Spui in Amsterdam donated the empty 1693 Duyschot organ case to the Reformed Church in Middelburg. The old 1693 case of the organ of Duyschot can now be admired in the Nieuwe Kerk in Middelburg.


The company van Leeuwen from Leiderdorp built a completely new organ in this Johannus Duyschot  1693 case. The pedal ranks were placed in a louvered space in the wall beside the organ case.

During 1996 renovation and refurbishment of the New Church the organ case was restored. In the workshop of Joop van Litsenburg in Amsterdam the organ shutters were restored to their original luster by a thorough restoration.

Between January and September 2004 the Flentrop Orgelbouw company from Zaandam under advice of Prof.dr. Albert Clement, led a major overhaul of the instrument.The organ was cleaned, the bellows of the Rugpositief are restored and the operation of the shutters. Also, the windchests received normal sliders, rather than the former VEKA-sliders. The points of tightening of the valves were moved and re-tuned. The disposition remained unchanged, but mixtures were moved up and the reeds were revoiced and adjusted, the intonation of the other labials were only checked. The Trumpet 4' of the bovenwerk was changed to a Schalmey 4' and the Ruispijp IV to VI. The re-opening of the instrument took place on August 28, 2004.

In 2005 the organ was completed by a total tuning. The Van Leeuwen organ in the old Duyschot case now has a beautiful sound!

Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721
Performed by Dingeman Wolfert
on the organ of the Nieuwe Kerk at Middelburg

Preludium en Fuga in C, BWV 545 

Performed by Dingeman Wolfert

on the organ of the Nieuwe Kerk at Middelburg

Preludium en Fuga in G, BWV 541 
Performed by Dingeman Wolfert
on the organ of the Nieuwe Kerk at Middelburg





Dorische Toccata BWV 538 
Performed by Dingeman Wolfert
on the organ of the Nieuwe Kerk at Middelburg




Ciacona in D, Pachelbel 
Performed by Dingeman Wolfert
on the organ of the Nieuwe Kerk at Middelburg

van Leeuwen organ in Johannus Duyschot  1693 case.   

 

 

 

 

Disposition 

 

Hoofdwerk (manual 2):

Quintadeen 16' -

Prestant 8' -

Roerfluit 8' -

Octaaf 4' -

Nachthoorn 4' -

Spitsquint 2⅔' -

Octaaf 2' -

Mixtuur 2' 5-8 sterk -

Cymbel ⅔' 3 sterk -

Trompet 16' -

Trompet 8' -

Klaroen 4'.

Rugwerk (manual 1):

Holpijp 8' -

Quintadeen 8' -

Prestant 4' -

Speelfluit 4' -

Octaaf 2' -

Gemshoorn 2' -

Quint 1⅓' -

Sesquialter 2⅔' 1-3 sterk, vanaf gis -

Scherp 1' 3-6 sterk -

Dulciaan 8' -

Tremulant.

Bovenwerk (manual 3):

Baarpijp 8' -

Spitsgamba 8' -

Fluit 4' -

Roerquint 2⅔' -

Vlakfluit 2' -

Sifflet 1' -

Tertscymbel ½' 3 sterk -

Trompet 8' -

Vox humana 8' -

Schalmei 4' -

Tremulant.

Pedal:

Prestant 16' -

Octaaf 8' -

Octaaf 4' -

Ruispijp 5⅓' 4-6 sterk -

Bazuin 16' -

Trompet 8' -

Cornet 4' -

Zink 2'.

Koppelingen:

Rugwerk aan Pedaal -

Hoofdwerk aan Pedaal -

Bovenwerk aan Pedaal -

Rugwerk aan Hoofdwerk -

Bovenwerk aan Hoofdwerk.

Mechanische sleepladen.

Manuaalomvang: C-g3.

Pedaalomvang: C-f1.

Winddruk: 75 mm. WK.