Marilyn Mason led the University of Michigan's "Historic Organ Tour XL" in Holland and North Germany, August 2–16, 1999. Of the 35 tour members, many had been on previous tours with Dr. Mason--friendships were renewed as well as new ones made. The tour focused on the organs of Arp Schnitger, although organs of nineteen builders representing five centuries were either played or heard during the two-week tour.
Participants had contact with over thirty organs on the tour. The oldest was a 1512 organ of an unknown builder and located in Rysum. Eleven Arp Schnitger organs were played. They ranged in age from the organ at Stade which Schnitger helped build in 1676 as a pupil of Berendt Huss to the large 4-manual organ in Zwolle which was completed by Schnitger's sons after his death in 1619. Arp Schnitger is considered the most important organ builder of the baroque era in northern Europe, building some of the largest organs of his time, and was a major influence in organ design and building in the 20th century. Tour participants came away with a new appreciation of Schnitger's place in the history of organ building after playing and hearing these organs in their original settings.
Some of the most important Schnitger organs were played and heard. These include St. Martini in Groningen (1692), St. Michaelskerk in Zwolle (1721), St. Ludgeri in Norden (1688/92), Grasberg (1693), St. Peter & Paul in Cappel (1680), St. Jacobi in Ludingworth (1683), Himmelpforten (1677), St. Jacobi in Hamburg (1693), Neuenfelde (1688), St. Martin in Steinkirchen (1687), and St. Cosmae et Damiani in Stade (1676). The most challenging adjustments tour participants encountered as we visited these organs were the "short octaves" at the lower ends of the keyboard (where F is actually C, F# is actually D, etc.), the touch of the keys, the placement of the pedals, the non A-440 pitch and the different tuning schemes which did not allow one to always play satisfactorily in every key.
Despite that, the sound was always wonderful. Five "unadvertised specials" occurred which were memorable.
1. We were not supposed to be able to play the organs at the St. Petri Dom in Bremen because the organist was on vacation. However, our tour guide made a phone call and found out the organist was still in town the night before our scheduled visit to the church and would be glad to show us the organs on that night. Because of this we were able to see and play the historic Gottfried Silbermann organ from 1745 located in the crypt as well as the large Sauer organ (1894/1926) built in the large nave. The organist was very glad to improvise on both instruments for us and then give us all a chance to play.
2. We were not supposed to be able to play the large Schnitger organ at St. Jacobi in Hamburg because (you guessed it) the organist was on vacation. However, it only took a little investigation, discussion and small gratuity for the assistant organist to grant us permission to play for an hour.
3. Six people were allowed to play the two impressive instruments in the large Marienkirche of Lübeck. A large Kemper organ (1962) is located in the rear balcony and a new Führer organ has been installed as the "Totentanz" organ.
4. We were lucky to be in Europe for this past summer's solar eclipse. We had a very dramatic view (over 90% total) of this heavenly splendor as we were touring by bus between our equally-spectacular organs.
5. One of our hotel stays was in the beautiful resort town of Norddeich on the banks of the North Sea. The weather was beautiful, and even inspired one of our tour members to buy a kite and join the hundreds of kite-flyers by the serene seashore.
Connections with some famous organists were made on the trip as well. We visited churches where Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Georg Böhm, Dietrich Buxtehude, Georg Phillip Telemann, C.P.E. Bach, Hugo Distler and others had served as organists. Members of the tour were also able to hear two organ concerts--one on the magnificent Christian Müller organ at St. Bavo in Haarlem and the other at St. Cosmae et Damiani in Stade. Also, a special opportunity was given for ten tour participants to play group recitals on the organs in Zwolle, Lüneburg and Giekau. The farewell dinner said it all, as tour members expressed their gratitude for the marvelous instruments they had seen, heard and played during the preceding few days and asked when the next tour would begin.
