An Organ tour to Belgium
by Andrew Cesana
It had been seven
years since I last participated in one of the Organ Tours
organised by Philip and Pam Carter from Bristol, but when I
discovered that they were visiting Belgium, my instant reaction
was, Yes Please!
The tour started
on Sunday 28th September with the party gathering around the
coffee bars of Waterloo International Station waiting for the
Eurostar train that would take us to Brussels via the new Channel
Tunnel Rail Link across the River Medway and under Blue Bell Hill
of course, then on to France.
Upon arriving at
the Gare du Midi, we were met by Professor Jean Ferrard,
Professor of Organ at the Royal Music Conservatory in Brussels
and our coach driver, Gino, who promptly took us to Bruges where
we saw the Memling Museum and the church of St. Walburga, which
the KCOA visited in October 1999. Jean Ferrard played music by
John Stanley, van den Keckhoven and Lambert Chaumont whose Suite
du Premier Ton was very exquisite and reminiscent of the French Classical
School.
On Monday, the
first stop was to Haringe, an instrument very familiar to KCOA
members although glorious weather prevailed during our visit
there this time. More music by van den Kerckhoven and Lambert
Chaumont was played by Jean Ferrard, as well as music by Babou
and Sweelinck. Then onwards to Ghent for lunch and a visit to the
famous tryptich by Jan van Eyck entitled The Adoration of
the Mystical Lamb. By the evening the party had reached Antwerp
for a demonstration of the two organs in the Cathedral, the East
end organ (a fine Metzler of 1993) demonstrated by Jean Ferrard
in music by Chaumont, John Bull, who resided in Antwerp, and
J.S.Bach (BWV 533). Also, the newly appointed Organist, Peter van
De Velde demonstrated the fine West End Organ by Schyven of 1891,
in music by Widor and Tournemire.
Tuesday saw a
visit to St. Paul’s Church, Antwerp with an instrument
originally built by van Hagen in 1624 but since added to. Jean
Ferrard demonstrated with music by Chaumont, Pieter Cornet and
Bach (BWV 572). This was followed by visits to the Vleeshuis Musical
Museum which houses the original Cavaillé-Coll console from the church
of Ste. Clothilde in Paris as played by Cesar Franck and the Plantin
Moretus Museum. Then after lunch it was on to Tongeren for the
visit to the Basilica of Our Lady where there is housed a
mediaeval pilgrim statue of Our Lady dating back to 1475 and the
historic le Picard organ of 1753 restored by Thomas in 2002 on
which Jean Ferrard played more music by Chaumont and Cornet.
The stay in Liege
from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning was very interesting
in that it started with a visit to the community of Benedictine
nuns at La Paix Notre Dame. The le Picard organ of 1737, restored
by Westenfelder in 1989 was demonstrated by Jean Ferrard in a
complete performance of Couperin’s Messe pour les Couvents,
very appropriately for a religious community. One of Jean
Ferrard’s pupils who stayed at the Convent whilst a student
of his at the Conservatory in Liege is now Sister Petra O.S.B,
the Senior Organist there!
On Wednesday
morning we visited St. Jacques, a very fine Gothic church with
organ case dating back to 1600. Tunder, Sweelinck and Cornet were
the composers featured in this demonstration and the opportunity
was given for the purchase of CDs and literature about the organ,
courtesy of a small bookshop although the gentleman running it
was not perhaps accustomed to giving out change in Euros! It was
then on to Stavelot to see the Korfmacher organ of 1841 and on to
Ster-Francorchamps to see the organ works of M. Andre Thomas,
preceded by a sandwich lunch at the local café. His contracts
included the restoration of the Cavaillé-Coll organ at the Carmelite
Convent Church in Monaco. It was amazing what his staff could do
with restoring pipes as well! Then it was the famous Abbey of
Leffe with its Thomas organ of 1996 in the style of Silbermann.
Brother Dominic of the Praemonstratensian community there is the
organist, a pupil of Jean Ferrard, who again demonstrated with
music by Bach. This was followed by beer in the monastery
courtesy of the community!
After having
arrived in Brussels on the Wednesday evening, Thursday morning
gave us free time to visit the Atomium before visiting two
churches in the afternoon. First, Notre Dame de la Chapelle,
which houses a 17th century, style organ by Rudi Jacques.
Secondly, Notre Dame du Sablon which houses a Goynaut organ of
1770 restored by Westenfelder in 1989. More Chaumont and Cornet
added with two inventions by Benoist Mernier in a contemporary
style.
Friday saw visits
to smaller instruments at country churches such as Bornival,
Bossut and Longueville but the largest instrument that day was at
the Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude at Nivelles where Jerome
Gierse, a pupil of Jean Ferrard, demonstrated with music by
Bruhns, Nivers, Bohm and Bach. But the highlight of the day was
the visit to the Begijnhofkerk in Leuven where the fine Goltfus
organ of 1690 was demonstrated by Jean Ferrard in a recital that
included a memorable performance of the Tiento LIII by Corrrea de
Arauxo. Here it was felt that Jean Ferrard exposed his musical
soul.
Over the weekend,
Brussels organs were visited, first the romantic organ at Notre
Dame du Finistere in which Colin Goulden and I were asked to be
registrants for Jean Ferrard. At the Temple du Musee (Brussels
main Protestant church) we saw the two instruments there
(Forceville 1699 and Dreymann 1841) and the Schyven organ of
1884 at the Armed Forces Church of St. Jacques sur Coudenberg.
High Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral on the Sunday morning
(including a new setting by Kurt Bikkembergs for their Patronal
Festival) was followed by a demonstration by Jean Ferrard the
same evening of the new Gerhard Grenzing organ with music by
Bach, Huybrechts and Jongen plus an encore piece, Dr. Bull’s
Goodnight by John Bull. A Soiree was held at Jean Ferrard’s
house to end the tour, courtesy of Jean Ferrard and Naomi Takagi.
We also had opportunities to visit the Carmelite and Anglican
Churches near our hotel on the Monday morning following which
after lunch the coach driver, Gino, took us back to the Gare du
Midi in Brussels where we boarded the 5.00 p.m. Eurostar. We all
parted company at Waterloo station and I arrived in Rochester at 8.00
p.m.
It was a
memorable tour brilliantly organised by Jean Ferrard, who runs
his own recording company. Hopefully, he will make a tour to England
in the near future. He studied with Marie Claire Alain and has
given master classes internationally. Our thanks are due to him
and to Philip and Pam Carter who liaised with him.
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