In this weblog, Susan Kendrick, student of the Summer Academy for Organists, will share her experiences with the whole world. Visit this blog daily, and read about the lessons, the professors, the concerts, the events and of course: the famous Müller - organ in St. Bavo's church!
SATURDAY 02 AUGUST
- Susan Kendrick
The last day of the academy. How have I got on?
Well, overall it has been an interesting experience but also quite hardwork at times. The 2 week Bach class with Edwald Kooiman was quite tiring – but I have gained a deeper insight into Bach’s Leipzig Chorales. It would have been nice to have had a little more opportunity to play in the various classes but it has been invaluable to listen to other participants and the feedback that has been given to them. I feel that I have gained a lot of information to go away and work on.
A highlight was the improvisation (basics) class - Jos van der Kooy has been such an excellent and inspiring teacher - his jokes were great too!
I managed to create a hymn tune prelude in a style I would not have dreamed of before attending the class. I have met some interesting people and the academy staff have been very efficient and helpful.
I will miss the St. Bavo organ.....
WEDNESDAY 30 JULY
- Susan Kendrick
A slightly nerve-wracking morning as I had the opportunity to play some of Bach’s beautiful chorale Allein Gott BWV 662 to both professor Edwald Kooiman and Christoph Wolff on the Ahrend organ at the Doopsgezinde Kerk. I was given some helpful comments, though would have appreciated the opportunity to have looked at the piece in a little more detail, but as many other participants had chosen this piece time was at a premium.
Spent some of the evening looking at the piece again and writing more ideas into the score.
TUESDAY 29 JULY - Susan Kendrick
Another busy day - Bernard Winsemius class finished this morning. It has been really excellent and has given a good grounding in playing techniques for early repertoire. It was a pity the course could not have been longer as we were not able to finish the prepared repertoire list.
After the improvisation class I had a short practice session booked and worked on different ways of harmonising a chorale trying to avoid the dominant 7th chord - which we’d been told was the work of the devil! There was then time for a a quick sandwich before the Bach class.
Today we continued with our exploration of ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’ BWV 660 and BWV 661 with considerable discussion regarding the registration for BWV 660 and its unique style within Bach’s organ music.
This evening Ludger Lohman gave a recital at St. Bavokerk and I particularly enjoyed Hugo Distler’s Partita on ‘Wachet auf’ which I’d not heard previously.
MONDAY 28 JULY
- Susan Kendrick
As my classes did not start until 10.30 hrs today I paid extra to attend Lorenzo Ghielmi’s Bach class as an observer from 8.30-10.30 hrs. Bach’s C Minor Fantasia and fugue BWV 537 was thoroughly explored for most of the session - with an initial exploration of Krebs ‘Jesus, meine Zuversicht’ from the ‘Clavierübung’ at the end.
Directly following this I attended the improvisation class which explored (i) improvising to introduce the chorale theme during a service (ii) ways of practising improvisation and (iii) musical forms.
The two hours improvisation class passed very quickly and was very entertaining. So today I attended 4 hours of classes before lunch and still had 4 hours of classes to go!
Too tired to attend the concert this evening - and my class tomorrow starts at 08.30 hrs...
SUNDAY 27 JULY
- Susan Kendrick
No classes today but a recital to attend in Purmerend this afternoon. As this entailed catching a bus from Amsterdam I had previously arranged to attend a church service in Amsterdam this morning and see the organ afterwards. We then met as a group and travelled onto Ewald Kooimans’ Bach recital which was most enjoyable, and full of beautiful articulation. It was then a very swift return to Haarlem for a mostly vocal concert interspersed by two pieces of organ music. The vocal music was lovely but I must say that I did not appreciate the modern organ music - which sounded like a nuclear explosion crossed with a visit to the rain forest. The festival definitely caters for all tastes.... though I decided to miss the Hammond organ concert, also this evening. It seemed too ironic to have travelled to the Netherlands - the home of the most beautiful organs in the world - to spend time listening to a Hammond organ.....
SATURDAY 26 JULY
- Susan Kendrick
If you are interested here is my timetable for saturday:
08.45 collect church keyso I can practice
10.10 return key to festival office
10.30-12.30 improvisation class with Jos van der Kooy at Bavo Church
12.45-14.45 class with Bernard Winsemius at Nieuwe Kerk
15.00-16.45 Attend recital at Kathedraal Sint Bavo - Messiaens “Le livre du Saint Sacrement” - Olivier Latry
17.15-19.00 Bach class with Ewald Kooiman at Nieuwe Kerk.
... and what did I learn today? ...
(i) The use of the colours of the organ in improvisation - but I’d not anticipated I would be using the 32’ pedal stop on the Müller organ as a drum (!)
(ii) developing a simple theme using a variety of techniques such as inversion
(iii) thinking of a storyline to help structure improvisation
(iv) a reminder of a recurring theme throughout the course - to vary articulation according to the harmonic structure and style of the music
(v) suitable registrations for Bach on older Dutch organs
(vi) next time I go to a recital in the Kathedraal Sint Bavo to take a cushion...
(but the recital was stunning).
THURSDAY 24 JULY
- Susan Kendrick
The past few days have been very busy - and the weather has improved - it’s now very sunny.
I have been lucky enough to play on a couple of occasions in Bernard Winsemius’ class - playing Scheidemann’s setting of the chorale “Erbarm Dich” on the St. Bavo organ (at 8.30 hrs - I don’t think I’d woken up!).
I also played the first section of Pieter Cornet’s “Salve Regina” on the Hess- organ in the Nieuwe Kerk. Bernard Winsemius’s comments in the lessons have been extremely helpful and it is a fantastic experience to be taught by someone so knowledgeable.
Another highlight was the interpretationconcert at St. Laurenskerk in Alkmaar. Sweelinck’s “Hexachord Fantasia” was performed by three different performers and we were able to hear the Van Hagerbeer and van Covelens organs.
Today is the first session of improvisation (basics) - I have never been able to improvise - so it will be interesting to see how I get on!
MONDAY 21 JULY - Susan Kendrick
..... my umbrella was blown inside out and it has rained all day..... however the bad weather has not dampered my spirits. The day started with a session on Sweelinck's chromatic Fantasia in the beautiful setting of the Doopsgezinde Kerk. There was then just enough time to have a quick drink at the academy office before practising. The practise organ is a lovely portative organ by Klop in the splendid setting af the 'Consistoriekamer' of the Grote of St. Bavokerk.
After a late lunch it was then off to Sint Bavokerk to attend a Bach class led by Ewald Kooiman. Much of the class focused on managing the Müller organ and adapting playing style to suit the action of the organ and acoustic of the building. To be continued....
SUNDAY 20 JULY - Susan Kendrick
Arrived in Haarlem today from the UK. Visited the Festival Office and was welcomed to the organ academy. I have registered for 3 classes so I have four to six hours of classes per day (I hope I manage to survive it!)
After writing my name against the repertoire list of works I have prepared, practice times were arranged with me. This evening I attended a vocal and organ concert in the Grote of Sint Bavokerk.
The church is extremely impressive. As you enter the main doors it is not possible to see the organ, but as you turn into the main church the Müller organ is breathtaking. During the concert, the Hemony ensemble performed a series of motets which were interspersed by organ music.
A relaxing way to start what I think will be a busy two weeks.
