20 September 2019

Music as the common language

Attending another organ concert in Europe is nothing unusual. This one was in an Evangelical church, so the space was sparse and the organ seemed the most indulgent thing in its balcony space. It was slightly unusual that we could sit in a generous balcony with the organist to experience the concert. But the most strange thing was to hear perhaps the most loquacious organist ever speaking rapidly and voluminously and to understand a word. My bad, as they say - I wish I understood some German – but it was odd. But the playing was lively and adventurous. Klaus C. van den Kerkhoff playing Jan Pieterzoon Sweelink, Samuel Scheidt, both around C15th, and Sigfrid Karg-Elert, 1909. Fugues and stops and chromatics: much easier to comprehend. Nice.

Klaus C. van den Kerkhoff (organ) performed at the Annakircke, Aachen.

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