News of The Organ Building World Germany

Recklinghausen/DE, Propsteikirche St. Peter

On the trails of the grandfather

In 1950, my grandfather Hans Klais has already occupied himself with this fascinating church room and what the right location for a pipe organ would be. His aim was to build an organ work on the same spot where we were now allowed to build: In the longitudinal axis of the church, arranged in front of and around the bell tower room.

Since foundation of our workshop we have been using a continuous colour system. Every single organ project has a certain colour: When a church parish contacts us, the drawings and ideas are wrapped in a green file. Green is the colour of hope.

If then during the competition an other organ builder gets the trust of the parish to build the organ, we put this project in a yellow file. For us yellow has, in this connection, not the meaning of the sun.

In case of a contract the green file becomes red: All attentiveness is now directed towards it. After completion of the project, the red file becomes grey and remains as a family member in the near neighbourhood of green hopes and red contracts.

Our pride and joy is when, after years or decades, we get the possibility to turn a file into green which had become yellow before and finally into red, as it was now after 50 years in Recklinghausen, St. Peter. For me as an organ builder it is very difficult to write about own instruments in an objective and distant way. Therefore, one can better understand our way of handling the files. Being in the middle of a creative process, we as organ builders can not describe our own work objectively.

The beautiful church interior fascinated me from the beginning: the big pillars, the nice incident of lights, the rhythm which is given to the church room by the pillar structure; a room who exudes equally size and grandeur as well as delicateness and closeness.

Following my grandfather's trails, we wished from the beginning on to place the instrument centrally in the central axis of the church and to create an organ work which takes up these basic ideas of its concept and architectural design. An organ which personifies simultaneously peace and grandeur and also contains delicate sculptural independence.

In architectural and musical regard as well as with regard to organ technique it is important to us to create an instrument which handles historical traditions respectfully, which continues traditions and understands them, but not copies them. An instrument which is rooted in the tradition of the old masters and at the same time represents a contemporary modern instrument directed to the future.

The arrangement of the organ case takes over classic traditions of a Pedal which is divided into C- and Cs-side and arranged in towers on the balustrade, as well as of the back Positive arranged in front of the gallery, and a Great Organ which stands above it. At the same time it demonstrates with its shape that it is not a baroque instrument but a modern, contemporary organ sculpture. We want to create a modern solution with its own strong personality regarding architecture as well as musical concept, basing on the traditions of former days.

Our aim is to create an instrument which is not only to be heard with the ears, but also to be felt with the hearts. We want that the warm and fundamental sound to be felt with the whole body and soul.

We have reached our aim when organ, choir and parish melt to a unity, if single organ voices are colourful and rich, if the organ as a solo instrument as well as an accompanying instrument finds the right shades, if a fundamental sound in the room is reached by solo voices and not only by pulling all stops.

We hope that one recognises in the instrument not only the big pillars but also the filigree silhouettes of the window details.

A red file becomes grey, when an organ work is completed. Then it is for us as if a child leaves home. The instrument is now withdrawn from our immediate care, but it remains an important member of our workshop family

Philipp C. A. Klais

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