As part of the project “Discoveries and creations around the organ”
A spectacular instrument – the largest musical instrument ever invented by mankind – the organ is nevertheless a rather obscure instrument. In principle, everyone knows what an organ is but few people know how it works and what makes it sound so dynamic. The fact that it is often hidden high up on the organ loft in churches and cathedrals with little or no public access, further reinforces its mysterious and inaccessible image. Yet numerous initiatives to demystify the (originally profane) instrument and bring it closer to the public have already taken place in many places. In contrast to most – if not all – other musical instruments the organ is distinguished by an immense diversity of sizes and aesthetics: from a small portable organ to gigantic cathedral organs or concert halls, from baroque aesthetics to romantic-symphonic aesthetics to contemporary multi-repertory organs. There is therefore a great potential to be discovered both for the organ as a technical feat and for the music and its composers.
The aim of this project, carried out in collaboration with Les Amis de l’Orgue Luxembourg, is twofold: to introduce the workings of the musical instrument “organ” and the wealth of organs in the Grand Duchy.
Rather than theoretical lessons, a collaboration with the German project “Königskinder” and the Dutch initiative “Orgelkids” has made it possible to set up a participatory educational project “Kinnekskanner” to help children aged 10 and over discover the musical instrument with the help of a construction kit that will allow children to build a miniature organ in the classroom while discovering how it works before going on to discover a large organ. A final concert offered to the children accompanied by their parents and teachers will allow them to discover the richness of the sound of an organ and part of its repertoire.
This educational project, whose pilot project will take place in Dudelange within the framework of Esch2022 and which is intended to be carried out afterwards in many other places, will be associated with the setting up of a “Lëtzebuerger Uergelstrooss” by the Amis de l’Orgue Luxembourg which will allow the discovery of the organ heritage of Luxembourg. An interactive integration in the network of European organ routes currently being set up in collaboration with the “Deutsche Orgelstraße” will also allow our organ heritage to be discovered abroad.
Final concert for 4 hand organ
4 hand organ : Alessandro Urbano and Alain Wirth
Reciter : Serge Tonnar
