Saturday, July 18, at 2 p.m., you could watch live in the workshop the new organ for the Birmingham Conservatory of Music.

Compact organ with Schnitger sound concept

An organ on which students can play Central European Baroque music as authentically as possible. Moreover, space in the Birmingham Conservatory is very limited. Therefore, Flentrop is making a compact two-manual organ inspired by the work of Arp Schnitger. With an 8-foot concept instead of a 4-foot, but with Schnitger’s cleverness. For example, the organ has a twin chest and the larger stops are in the front section, the smaller and reeds in the rear section. By playing efficiently with the available space, the organ is compact with a maximum diversity of colors and characters and still easily accessible for tuning and maintenance.

The conservatory organ not only has a twin chest, but also a “twin sister” in Dypvag, Norway. While not identical, the underlying concept of this organ, newly built in 2019, is very similar. Those interested can already listen to the sound concept on the just-released CD “Schnitger in Norway” with organist Hans van der Meijden.

Direct interaction with the organ maker and informative reports

In the livestream on July 18, the Flentrop team explains more about the sound concept and the making process of the conservatory organ. Informative reports provide a behind-the-scenes look at the workshop. Think about the making of the console, the craftsmanship of the pipes and the intonateur’s fine work. There are also several music recordings demonstrating the organ’s sound capabilities. In the chat, anyone can ask questions live to learn all about organ construction and see places you wouldn’t normally go. Make your own registration proposal, take a look in the greenhouse where the pipe work is, discover the beautiful roller boards, take a look at the bellows or hear the difference between motor wind and contested wind. The livestream and reports are provided by filmmaker Casper Steketee.